Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
When we were little children, many of us developed close relationships with family members because we were with them a good part of our youth. Perhaps you had a large number of siblings, including brothers and sisters that you spent a considerable amount of time with each and every day. But in order for any of these types of relationships to last, people will have to be converted to the Christian faith and become a part of the family of God. Through Christ Jesus we can begin building everlasting friendships, ones that will never fade away.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
But in the world today, there are many people who will quickly profess that they are a member of the family of God, and claim that they are a brother or a sister in Christ Jesus. But in the following passage, the Lord Jesus gives the criteria for who is truly a part of His family, and it all comes down to complete submission to the will of God.
Matthew 12:46-50 (KJB) While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Many years ago when I first began reading the scriptures I understood that it is the will of God for men to preach, and although I didn’t know very much of the Bible at that time, I preached the things that I knew. I would hand out flyers and tracts while talking to others about how Jesus had died for their sins. I preached that people needed to turn away from sins if they truly wanted to enter into eternal life. When the Apostle Paul first became a believer, he went out immediately and began preaching that Christ Jesus had been crucified and rose from the grave! I had always hated the teaching profession with a passion, but in order to obey God’s will, I would have to learn to do the thing that I hated. One of God’s commands is for men to preach the gospel, after all, in order to become a part of the family of God one must be involved with the Heavenly Father’s business!
Matthew 21:28-32 (KJB) But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
But preaching is just a part of it, because doing the will of God will also require mortifying the sinful deeds of the flesh and overcoming all of the lusts of this world. It’s easy to claim that you are part of someone’s family, but it’s quite another to do the things that are expected of you as a family member. Submitting to God’s purpose is imperative because on Judgment Day many people will believe that they are a child of God, but because they never did the will of God from their hearts, they will be cast away from His presence forever.
Matthew 7:21-23 (KJB) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
So once again, the criteria for being a part of the family of God is walking according to God’s will, which is one of the reasons why the disciples warned the church over and over again not to deceive themselves. Many people will claim that they love Jesus, but that can only be proven by our faithful obedience towards Him. Even after Peter denied Jesus, he told the Lord that he loved him, but Jesus told Him three times to feed His sheep! Love is much more than just saying words, it is faithful actions of obedience towards Christ and the will of God.
John 14:21-24 (KJB) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Many of us have grown up and had close relationships with Earthly relatives, but as an adult, each of us will have to decide who will be the greatest love of our life. Many times when you begin to walk according to the will of God, you are going to be hated by your own relatives because something else becomes more important than them. Although I was close with her growing up, when I became converted and started preaching, my own mother called me Satan! Other relatives and in-laws became wicked busybodies in the lives of my own children, little ones who I baptized and gave Holy Communion in order to fulfill the will of Christ Jesus. The adults who have gotten themselves involved in these wicked activities are going to suffer God’s wrath, because God is not mocked and their evil deeds shall not go unpunished.
Galatians 6:7 (KJB) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
As young children, the Lord wants us to submit to our parents, but when we become adults you will have to make your own decisions about the path that you are going to follow. When you choose to become a part of God’s family, it’s going to create a great rift among your Earthly relatives, but if you love them more than submitting to the will of God, then you become unworthy of eternal life.
Matthew 10:34-37 (KJB) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
So, in order to be a part of the family of God will require walking in the will of God, because faithful obedience to His teachings is the criteria for who is a brother, who is a sister, and,…..
…….Who is my Mother
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
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