How to Define Family of God
God enables individuals to become part of his family when they place their faith in Jesus Christ. This is a glorious privilege.
Regardless of how one's family of origin may have functioned, once one is saved, they have an eternal inheritance in the family of God. Let's define this "Family of God.".
The Triune God
The Triune God refers to the union of three closely related persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one divine person. Each of these persons shares fully the one undivided divine nature, but each also carries out distinct roles and functions in relation to the others. This concept of the Godhead is essential to understanding how the church can be described as a family.
In addition to the Trinity, God's family includes individual human beings whom He invites throughout history to share in a direct relationship with him through his Son and Spirit. Human beings were created by God specifically for such a relationship, but the initial disobedience of Adam and Eve turned them into rebellious sinners instead (see the statement on "Sin" on this website for more information on this matter). Through Jesus' sacrifice, however, God made it possible to redeem these sinners into his family, and he is continuing to work in their lives through his Son and Spirit to bring about this goal.
Jesus established a spiritual family through the church, which is composed of all those who have received him as Savior and Lord. This new family, which is distinct from the biological families to which they are born, is called the "family of God." In this family, all believers worship together, receive instruction from their heavenly Father, and rest in the knowledge that He is their Father.
As the apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians 5, the church is a family of faith in Christ. He states that all believers are members of this family and have Christ as their brother and elder brother. Because of this, Christians should treat other members of the church as their brothers and sisters rather than treating them as rivals.
In terms of the future, this family will be gathered in two places: Heaven and earth. The Family of God will always be led by the Father and Christ, with all members of this family willingly submitting to their ultimate sovereignty and leadership. There will be no purgatory or any other place that some people claim exists in between these two habitations.
The Church
The Church, which Christ addresses as His Father's family and the early Christians called adelphoi (brothers and sisters), is the group of people who are members of God's family through faith in Jesus Christ. It may refer to the worldwide group of believers, but it is more often used of the local group of Christians that meet regularly. They gather together to worship, to celebrate the Lord's Supper, and to serve in mutual edification and in ministering to those in need. They are also devoted to studying Scripture, pursuing evangelism and discipleship, and attempting to live by the example of Christ in obedience to His commands.
Like any other family, the Christian family will have struggles and disagreements. But they are all united in their love for God and each other. They share common identifying characteristics, such as biblical humility, spiritual security, and ethical energy. When the Church functions as it is designed to, it brings glory to God and produces the growth that He wants in each of His children.
As Christians, we are adopted into the family of God and become His heirs. Ultimately, we will inherit a glorious and righteous eternity with God and His Son. This is the reason for the tremendous importance of the Church in our lives. It is through the Church that God encounters, calls, transforms, and nurtures his people. The Church is indispensable for salvation and the Church's work includes introducing the Gospel to unbelievers and helping them enter into God's family.
The family of God is much different than any other human family. It is not produced by sexual procreation, it has no time limit on its existence, and it is guided by the Word of God. The Church is God's family in accordance with his words, and it will be with him forever.
We are part of God's family because we have believed in the Gospel and been baptized. It is the Church that will see that all of mankind are introduced to this great salvation and that they are baptized into it. Then we will see that they grow in their belief and obedience to the teaching of the Bible. This will lead to the day when we will see all of God's family in a resurrected body gathered together and reigning with him as King on earth and in heaven as his bride.
The Family of Origin
In the Bible, family is a very important concept. It is the foundation of society. The Book of Genesis tells us that the first humans were a man and woman who formed a family, and all humankind is derived from them. Throughout the Bible, we see how certain families became nations, such as Israel and Edom, due to a father’s power to group his descendants together. Moreover, the Bible encourages men to marry and to have children. Through the one-flesh union of marriage, they form a family and become the essential building block of society.
Even the church is a spiritual family. The New Testament describes the early church as a community of believers that met together to worship, share meals, and serve in the work of ministry. This is how we should strive to treat each other, as a family.
The Bible also has a more communal sense of people and family than we often hold today in Western culture, which is more individualized than the ancient near east. When God saved Noah from the flood, it wasn’t just for him but for his wife, his sons and their wives and his sons’ daughters as well (Genesis 6-9). Jesus grew up among his family of disciples, which included some of the scrappiest and most questionable people around.
We are part of the family of God through the atoning work of Christ. He is the savior of all people, Jew and Gentile, so all are members of His family. He calls all to be part of His spiritual family, which is the Church, so we should meet together regularly as a family in our local churches to worship, share life and service together. We should strive to be a close-knit spiritual family, just as the early Church was. In fact, the Church should be a model for family for all of the world to follow. It is in this way that we glorify God. So let’s strive towards a deeper understanding and appreciation of the biblical concept of family. Let’s look to our Father for the wisdom and strength we need to do so.
The Family of Faith
The Bible teaches that the Family of God is composed of those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. These believers are called "Children of God" because they belong to the Father's spiritual family. As such, they will receive instruction from Him and live in close relationship with Him throughout eternity.
The evangelist and missionary role of the Church is to equip and support this Family of God and lead it in reaching out to the world with the gospel message. God's desire is that larger generation after larger generation of His children be raised up to worship Him, thereby fulfilling the Great Commission. This is the purpose of the family, and it is the responsibility of every believer to do what they can to help it thrive and reach its potential.
Although the Family of God presently includes all those who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, it also eventually will include all of the other members of the human race who will be saved. Ultimately, God's family will comprise the entire earth (Revelation 21:3). It will consist of people from all nations, races and backgrounds, but they will all share the same heritage, namely the glorious knowledge that they have the same Father in Heaven as God Himself and that He loves them eternally.
This truth should give Christians hope and comfort that, no matter what the circumstances in their current lives, they are part of a loving family. It is a privilege and an honor to be one of God's children, and the love and security that comes with being a child of the Most High are unmatched by anything in this life.
The La Familia De Dios is defined by the greatest work that our Father has ever done – His only Son, Jesus Christ. And it is through this work that we become part of His family and share in the inheritance of eternity with our Father in Heaven.
God enables individuals to become part of his family when they place their faith in Jesus Christ. This is a glorious privilege. Regardless of how one's family of origin may have functioned, once one is saved, they have an eternal inheritance in the family of God. Let's define this "Family of God.". The Triune God…