The Church of Jesus Christ is a Family!
The Foundational Context–the ministry of Jesus: John 17:4ff “I have glorified You on the earth: I have finished the work which You Gave to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me (along) with Your Own Self with the Glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested Your Name unto the men which You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me; and they have kept Your Word.”
What name did Jesus Manifest on the earth? FATHER!!! Christ Jesus refers to the Father, His Father, appx. 120 times in the Gospel of John. He and His Father are One. (John 10:30) When He teaches how to pray in Matthew 6, He reminds us that we do all things before our Father Who is in Heaven Who sees in secret. He teaches that our Father knows what we need before we ask Him. And when we pray it is to OUR FATHER Who is in Heaven. Jesus came to bring us to His Father. (John 14:6), and to know Him is to know His Father. Vs7
It is this Glorious Truth that sets the stage for Paul’s laying before us the Eternal Will and Pleasure of our Heavenly Father to adopt children, a redeemed family, to Himself.
I. The Father’s Eternal Will and Pleasure is to adopt (sinful vs 7) children to Himself by His Beloved Son. Note the inheritance in vs 11. His Will is that these children should receive the full inheritance due His Beloved Son for His perfect obedience to His Father's Will. They are made "joint heirs with Christ. This is an eternal inheritance, assured by the death of our Elder Brother. Heb. 9:15 It’s a Family thing! The Father has done all that is necessary through the obedient work of His Son, by the enabling Power of the Spirit of His Glory, to assure that His Adopted Children abide with Him in Christ Jesus for all Eternity!!!
Romans 8:11-17 The Spirit’s continual work is to cry out to our Loving Father–“Abba, Father”, in our innermost being. This is the Spirit of God’s work in His children–to assure them of their adoption and their inheritance, and that that they live within the first commandment to LOVE THE LORD THEIR GOD WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS–ABBA, FATHER. Note the inheritance in vs 17–“and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, an joint-heirs with Christ!!!
Galatians 3:26-4:7 Here the adopted children are shown to be the faith children of Abraham who was declared righteous in that he “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) This is a “faith family”! Note the “inheritance language-3:29-4:1, 4:7. In Rom.4, esp 16, the “faith genetics” of this family is established in that the Holy Spirit by the pen of Paul, calls Abraham the father of the faithful, those justified by faith alone.
II. John 3:1-8 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say unto you, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.” “BORN”–That is “family language”–or used to be! Vs 8–born of the Spirit-into a Spiritual family–the Adoption of the Father.
III. These “new born children” bear the mark of this Spiritual family!
In the Old Testament, God gave Abraham (Gen. 17:9-13) the mark of circumcision as a mark of distinction of Abraham’s seed to identify them as distinct from the “sons of Adam”. Paul refers to this in Eph. 2:11, “by that which is called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands.” It became nearly synonymous with the nation of Israel. Note that it was in the flesh, that is physical, and made by hands.
The mark of these “new born chldren” is Spiritual, not physical. Note the following:
Colossians 2:8-12 (Vs 11) In Christ Jesus, the “new borns” “are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” In the verses that follow, Paul seems to imply that our burial with Christ in His baptism and our being risen with him through the faith of the operation of God–that is our mark of distinction. We are dead (cut off) from our sins and risen to new life! (See Romans 6, and note that it is by faith, a thing to be reckoned, counted upon.)
Philippians 3:1-3 Beware of physical circumcision, that is any external “standard” or mark deemed necessary to “really” be the people of God. That is a mutilation (NKJV) of the Body of Christ!!! Verse 3 goes on to explain that there is a “mark” of the Spiritually circumcised:
1. The Spiritually circumcised “worship God in the Spirit”.
John 4:19-24 Jesus pierces the Samaritan woman’s smokescreen, her attempt to move the focus of the
conversation away from her sin, by ushering in true Worship of the Most High God–The Father seeks
children to worship Him in spirit and in truth! (Vs 23) He tears down any “worship structure” of buildings or mountains or anything physical, and makes it a matter of the heart and soul by the Spirit!!!
Romans 17:22-24 Paul to the Athenians. God doesn’t dwell in buildings or mountains, nor is He
worshiped by the works of our hands, in their case, building monuments to their gods..
Isaiah 57:15 He dwells with and is worshiped by a humble and contrite heart!!!
2. The circumcised “rejoice in Christ Jesus”!
Job 9:2 & 32-33 The circumcised have found the answer to Job’s question–They have found the
Mediator, the One Who can “lay His hand on us both”–the Perfect Man Who is Perfect God!!! The
Hebrews 2 Man, made like unto the children!!!
Hebrews 10:19-22 The circumcised rejoice in the new and living way of access to the Father they now
have through the Perfect Body the Father had prepared for His Incarnate Son. Heb 10:5-14 The
circumcised revel in the freedom and boldness before the throne of grace where they obtain continual
mercy and grace to help for every need. Heb 4:15-16
3. The circumcised “have NO confidence in the flesh”.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells.”
Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.”
John 3:7 “Marvel not that I say unto you, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!!!” The old flesh is of no use.
It is a cadaver that we drag around with us! Remember Colossians 2:11 and its exhortation to “put off the
body of the sins of the flesh? We must become a “new man” feasting on the Flesh and Blood of the Son
of Man, God’s only means of salvation. John 6:53-57
And that brings us back to family–the “born again ones”. And this family looks like SOMEONE!!! It bears an unmistakable family resemblance. And that will be our theme in future studies from Ephesians 4-6.
The Foundational Context–the ministry of Jesus: John 17:4ff “I have glorified You on the earth: I have finished the work which You Gave to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me (along) with Your Own Self with the Glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested Your Name unto the men which You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me; and they have kept Your Word.”
What name did Jesus Manifest on the earth? FATHER!!! Christ Jesus refers to the Father, His Father, appx. 120 times in the Gospel of John. He and His Father are One. (John 10:30) When He teaches how to pray in Matthew 6, He reminds us that we do all things before our Father Who is in Heaven Who sees in secret. He teaches that our Father knows what we need before we ask Him. And when we pray it is to OUR FATHER Who is in Heaven. Jesus came to bring us to His Father. (John 14:6), and to know Him is to know His Father. Vs7
It is this Glorious Truth that sets the stage for Paul’s laying before us the Eternal Will and Pleasure of our Heavenly Father to adopt children, a redeemed family, to Himself.
I. The Father’s Eternal Will and Pleasure is to adopt (sinful vs 7) children to Himself by His Beloved Son. Note the inheritance in vs 11. His Will is that these children should receive the full inheritance due His Beloved Son for His perfect obedience to His Father's Will. They are made "joint heirs with Christ. This is an eternal inheritance, assured by the death of our Elder Brother. Heb. 9:15 It’s a Family thing! The Father has done all that is necessary through the obedient work of His Son, by the enabling Power of the Spirit of His Glory, to assure that His Adopted Children abide with Him in Christ Jesus for all Eternity!!!
Romans 8:11-17 The Spirit’s continual work is to cry out to our Loving Father–“Abba, Father”, in our innermost being. This is the Spirit of God’s work in His children–to assure them of their adoption and their inheritance, and that that they live within the first commandment to LOVE THE LORD THEIR GOD WITH ALL THEIR HEARTS–ABBA, FATHER. Note the inheritance in vs 17–“and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, an joint-heirs with Christ!!!
Galatians 3:26-4:7 Here the adopted children are shown to be the faith children of Abraham who was declared righteous in that he “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) This is a “faith family”! Note the “inheritance language-3:29-4:1, 4:7. In Rom.4, esp 16, the “faith genetics” of this family is established in that the Holy Spirit by the pen of Paul, calls Abraham the father of the faithful, those justified by faith alone.
II. John 3:1-8 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say unto you, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.” “BORN”–That is “family language”–or used to be! Vs 8–born of the Spirit-into a Spiritual family–the Adoption of the Father.
III. These “new born children” bear the mark of this Spiritual family!
In the Old Testament, God gave Abraham (Gen. 17:9-13) the mark of circumcision as a mark of distinction of Abraham’s seed to identify them as distinct from the “sons of Adam”. Paul refers to this in Eph. 2:11, “by that which is called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands.” It became nearly synonymous with the nation of Israel. Note that it was in the flesh, that is physical, and made by hands.
The mark of these “new born chldren” is Spiritual, not physical. Note the following:
Colossians 2:8-12 (Vs 11) In Christ Jesus, the “new borns” “are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” In the verses that follow, Paul seems to imply that our burial with Christ in His baptism and our being risen with him through the faith of the operation of God–that is our mark of distinction. We are dead (cut off) from our sins and risen to new life! (See Romans 6, and note that it is by faith, a thing to be reckoned, counted upon.)
Philippians 3:1-3 Beware of physical circumcision, that is any external “standard” or mark deemed necessary to “really” be the people of God. That is a mutilation (NKJV) of the Body of Christ!!! Verse 3 goes on to explain that there is a “mark” of the Spiritually circumcised:
1. The Spiritually circumcised “worship God in the Spirit”.
John 4:19-24 Jesus pierces the Samaritan woman’s smokescreen, her attempt to move the focus of the
conversation away from her sin, by ushering in true Worship of the Most High God–The Father seeks
children to worship Him in spirit and in truth! (Vs 23) He tears down any “worship structure” of buildings or mountains or anything physical, and makes it a matter of the heart and soul by the Spirit!!!
Romans 17:22-24 Paul to the Athenians. God doesn’t dwell in buildings or mountains, nor is He
worshiped by the works of our hands, in their case, building monuments to their gods..
Isaiah 57:15 He dwells with and is worshiped by a humble and contrite heart!!!
2. The circumcised “rejoice in Christ Jesus”!
Job 9:2 & 32-33 The circumcised have found the answer to Job’s question–They have found the
Mediator, the One Who can “lay His hand on us both”–the Perfect Man Who is Perfect God!!! The
Hebrews 2 Man, made like unto the children!!!
Hebrews 10:19-22 The circumcised rejoice in the new and living way of access to the Father they now
have through the Perfect Body the Father had prepared for His Incarnate Son. Heb 10:5-14 The
circumcised revel in the freedom and boldness before the throne of grace where they obtain continual
mercy and grace to help for every need. Heb 4:15-16
3. The circumcised “have NO confidence in the flesh”.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells.”
Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.”
John 3:7 “Marvel not that I say unto you, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!!!” The old flesh is of no use.
It is a cadaver that we drag around with us! Remember Colossians 2:11 and its exhortation to “put off the
body of the sins of the flesh? We must become a “new man” feasting on the Flesh and Blood of the Son
of Man, God’s only means of salvation. John 6:53-57
And that brings us back to family–the “born again ones”. And this family looks like SOMEONE!!! It bears an unmistakable family resemblance. And that will be our theme in future studies from Ephesians 4-6.