The Family of God

Beyond Blood Ties: Your True Identity in the Family of God

Have you ever wondered who you truly belong to?

In a world where families scatter across continents, relationships fracture, and loneliness seems to be at epidemic levels, there's something deeply stirring about Jesus' prayer in John 17. Here, in His most intimate conversation with the Father, Christ reveals a truth that changes everything: you're not alone. You're part of something bigger, older, and more beautiful than you ever imagined—the family of God.

Picture this: Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ" (John 17:1-3, CSB).

Hours before His crucifixion, with the weight of the world's sin about to fall on His shoulders, what was Jesus thinking about? You. Me. All of us who believe. He wasn't just preparing to die; He was preparing to birth a family that would span generations and reach every corner of the earth.

But this isn't just any family. This is the family of God—a divine community that existed before the foundations of the world and will continue into eternity. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer (Acts 2:42, CSB). The early church gave us a beautiful picture of what this family looks like in action.

The Eternal Foundation of Our Family

God's Everlasting Love

Long before you took your first breath, before your parents met, before humanity walked the earth, God knew you. Before the mountains were born, the earth and the world brought forth... from everlasting to everlasting you are God (Psalm 90:2, CSB). This eternal God chose to become not just your Creator, but your Father.

When 1 John 4:7-8 tells us that "God begets everyone who loves and knows God... for God is love" (CSB), it's revealing something profound about the nature of divine family. This isn't adoption out of pity or obligation—this is love drawing us into the very heart of the Trinity.

Christ's Mission to Form Our Family

"I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word" (John 17:6, CSB). Jesus didn't come to save individuals; He came to create a family. His mission was to reveal the Father's heart and gather His scattered children home.

Think about the intimacy in these words: "They were yours, you gave them to me." This is the language of family, of belonging, of inheritance being passed from Father to Son. And now, through Christ, that inheritance becomes ours.

Living as the Family of God

Deep Devotion and Fellowship

The early believers in Acts showed us what family life looks like in God's kingdom. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles (Acts 2:42-43, CSB).

Notice the word "devoted." This wasn't casual participation; it was wholehearted commitment to their spiritual family. They understood that being part of God's family meant prioritizing time together, learning together, eating together, and praying together.

Authentic Relationships Over Religious Performance

Jesus warned about the difference between true family membership and religious facade: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, do miracles in your name, and cast out demons in your name?' Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you lawbreakers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23, CSB).

Being part of God's family isn't about what you do for God; it's about knowing God and being known by Him. It's about the relationship, not performance. When Jesus said, "I never knew you," He was speaking the language of intimate family relationship—the kind where you're truly seen, understood, and cherished.

Unity that Reflects the Trinity

"May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me" (John 17:21-23, CSB).

This is breathtaking. Jesus prayed that our unity as a family would mirror the perfect unity of the Trinity. When the world sees Christians loving each other with sacrificial, genuine love, they get a glimpse of the divine family they're invited to join.

The Glorious Future of Our Family

Called to Glory

"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world's foundation" (John 17:24, CSB). Our family story doesn't end here on earth. We're being prepared for a glorious reunion—not just with each other, but with the Father and Son who have loved us from eternity.

The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of this family celebration: "Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure" (Revelation 19:7-8, CSB). The church—God's family—is pictured as a bride, adorned and prepared for the greatest wedding celebration in history.

Children and Heirs

Romans 8:16-17 reminds us that "The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ" (CSB). You're not just adopted into God's family; you're made a full heir. Everything that belongs to Christ becomes yours through your family connection.

Your Response: Living Your Family Identity

Embrace Your True Identity

Your earthly family dysfunction, your past failures, or your current circumstances do not define you. You are a beloved child of the eternal God, handpicked by Jesus, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is your truest identity.

Invest in Family Relationships

Just as the early believers devoted themselves to fellowship, make your spiritual family a priority. Don't just attend church—participate in the family. Share meals, pray for one another, be vulnerable about your struggles, and celebrate each other's victories.

Practice Family Love

Jesus said, "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father" (John 15:12-15, CSB).

This is family language—friends who would die for each other, who share everything, who hold nothing back. This is the love that marks God's family.

Live with Eternal Perspective

Remember that this earthly life is just the beginning of your family story. You're being prepared for an eternal celebration where every tear will be wiped away, every relationship will be perfect, and you'll be home forever with your divine family.

Welcome Home

The family of God isn't a club you join or an organization you support. It's your spiritual DNA, your eternal identity, your truest home. From before the world began, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been preparing a place for you at the family table.

"Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them" (John 17:25-26, CSB).

The love that exists between the Father and Son—that eternal, perfect, joyful love—is now flowing into you. You're not on the outside looking in; you're family.

Your Next Steps: Living as Family

1. Spend time with your Father: Set aside daily time for prayer and Bible reading. Family members talk to each other regularly.

2. Connect with your siblings: Find ways to build deeper relationships with other believers. Join a small group, volunteer together, and share meals.

3. Practice forgiveness: Family members hurt each other sometimes. Choose to forgive quickly and completely, just as you've been forgiven.

4. Share the family story: Invite others to discover their place in God's family. The family is always growing.

5. Live like you belong: Make decisions based on your identity as God's beloved child, not on fear, shame, or the approval of others.

   
   

Come Home

Maybe you've been a Christian for years, but have been living like an orphan instead of a beloved child. Perhaps you're unsure if you're truly part of this family at all. Here's the beautiful truth: the invitation is always open.

The family of God isn't about being perfect or having it all figured out. It's about recognizing that you were made for a relationship with the God who is love, accepting His invitation through Jesus Christ, and beginning to live like the beloved child you've always been meant to be.

Your place at the family table is already set. The Father is waiting. Your brothers and sisters are ready to welcome you with open arms.

Welcome home,

Donna