LUKE 8:19-21 – Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
THEME OF THE DAY: IT’S A FAMILY TRAIT. It happens all the time. People make remarks to children either soon after birth or a time in the future that goes something like this, “You look just like your father”, “You have the same eyes as your mother”, “I see the same mannerisms in you that were in your dad.” Family traits are passed down.
What about family traits in the family of God? If we are adopted into God’s family by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and experienced the transformation of being born again, made a new creation in Christ, are family traits being formed in and seen from our lives? Well, let’s identify three which should be present and growing in the lives of each of God’s children.
The first trait in God’s family members comes directly from Jesus’ Words in today’s scripture – obedience to God’s commands. Our Lord said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” There is a very real and present danger facing professing Christians. It is the ease of being self-deceived spiritually, and no area more prone to self-deception is for people to profess to know Jesus Christ while their lives show very little, if any, intentional obedience to His commands. This self-deception is defined by James in the first chapter of his letter – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like (James 1:22-24). Obedience to God’s Word, on purpose obedience, is a chief family trait in God’s family.
A second family trait is love for other family members. Jesus said this is a distinguishing mark in all His disciples, and it is impartial, meaning we don’t get to pick and choose who to love in the family of God – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35). Love is the environment in which God’s family lives and it is not forced but comes from hearts born from above that genuinely long to be with other family members to love them.
The third family trait in God’s children is a desire and a pursuit of becoming like the One who adopted us and that means holiness – As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:14-19). Like love, when new birth occurs and a person enters the family of God, the desire to be like His holy Person happens. We simply love and pursue holiness. Why? It’s a family trait.
So, let’s ensure we are growing in the traits of being in God’s family – obedience to His Word, love for His people, and conforming to the Head of the Family!
PRAYER: “Father, help me not be self-deceived with a profession of faith in Your Son only.”
QUOTE: “Born again people obey God, not perfectly, but they do sincerely, intentionally, consistently and progressively.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim