THE FAMILY OF GOD

There has been some confusion in the church between the meaning of the family of God, and the Kingdom of God. Personally I have always thought they were one and the same, but recently I see a distinction between the two. We are born into the family of God, by our new birth experience (John 3:3), or (2 Cor 5:17), but we are transferred into the Kingdom of God (Col 1:13), usually at some later time. There is a big difference between these two experiences. Salvation gives us the “right to become children of God” (John 1:12), and to “see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This is definitely a gift from God, and He never takes back a gift He has given. But to“enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5) seems to require something different.

We are all born naturally into our human family, for me it happened on July 26^th1934, when I was born into the family of Barrett and Myrtle Jamer in Andover NB. As a boy I was often referred to as one of Barrett’s boys, to identify me from Randolph’s, who was dad’s younger brother. As long as I live I will always be a member of this family. Nothing can change that fact! My conduct might break relationship with some of my siblings by times, but they can never disown me as their brother.

We need to apply this same truth to our relationships in the church, the "Body of Christ", which is the family of God. If someone is “born again” into God’s family, they are my sibling, and I am connected to them for life. It matters not what denomination they are part of, or if we agree on every point of doctrine, we are still part of the same family because we have the same Father. We have all allowed various doctrines, or different interpretations of certain scriptures, to separate us from our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to repent of our pride, in thinking we know more of God’s will and plans for His family than others do. We all “see through a glass darkly”, and only know in part. We can all learn something from others, if we are humble enough to realize that we don’t know it all, and even some of what we have been taught may not be correct.

When a Christian sins, they don’t lose their place in the family of God, but they may lose all or part of their inheritance in the Kingdom. Salvation is a gift, and God doesn’t take back His gifts, but our place in the Kingdom is determined by our conduct, and can be affected by our actions! (1 Cor 6:9-11) An understanding of this truth should give us a proper “fear of God” which should keep us from becoming snared into the world’s system, and lose the joy of our salvation, and possibly our inheritance in the Kingdom of God! This is serious matter that deserves our prayerful consideration, in my opinion!

Sincerely submitted.

Gramp