JOIN ME IN FATHER'S FAMILY

Today is Fathers' Day. It is a day to celebrate our earthly fathers AND our Heavenly Father. The Lord gave me a message for you today as you ponder how best to celebrate the day.

God the Father had one and only one begotten Son - Jesus Christ - he did not come about through the union of a man and a woman but is co-eternal with the Father, not created as the heresy of Arianism would say. Yet, the Son was devoted to the Father and was obedient to the Father, even to the point of giving his life as a ransom for many.

John 1:12 describes how we become children of God.  "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to BECOME Children of God, to those who believe in His name." The world (and many Christians) love to repeat the meme, "We are all God's Children." While we certainly wish that to be true, it is not. Jesus called religious leaders who rejected him children of their father the devil.  We know that we must be adopted into God's family - it is not something that happens by default or as an entitlement - it is a right that must be granted by God himself and no one else. 

Many people do not understand adoption. When a child is adopted, the new parents' names are on the birth certificate and the name is usually changed.  It is as though the new parents gave birth physically to the children and the legal standing, benefits, and everything else is identical. The love of the adoptive parents is the same as if the child came out of their physical union. The love of God is the same for us as it is for his Son, Jesus Christ! John 17:23 reads, "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

The scriptures say that those who accept the sacrifice of Christ on their behalf are adopted into the family of God. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren. Brethren, period.  In fact - and this should blow your minds - God the Father has made us adopted children to be JOINT-HEIRS with Jesus Christ!  It is in his WILL! The inheritance that rightfully belongs to Jesus Christ, which is obviously given not at the death of the Father, since God is eternal, but while all are alive! 

The inheritance of Jesus is being shared with all his brothers and sister in faith!  It comes in two stages - the earnest of our inheritance comes when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us as he took residence in the God-man, Jesus Christ.  We do not have to die physically to receive Him. We call the Father, "Abba, Father." We rejoice in the Holy Spirit. We experience his presence and power 24/7.  The scriptures fly open for us and we are transformed.  Yet, there is more to come!  While the earnest of the inheritance is ours now, the rest of the inheritance comes when we are physically in the presence of Christ!   We shall receive glorified bodies like the one Jesus is in - a body that will never decay, never be sick, never die.  This mortal shall put on immortality.  This corruptible shall put on incorruption. We will flow as brothers and sisters in Christ, the firstborn among many brethren. Oh what a day that will be! As the song says, "When We All See Jesus, We Will Sing and Shout the Victory!" We will live in the House of the Lord forever - a house we had no right to be in whatsoever except for the grace and mercy of God the Father extended to us through Jesus Christ.

This may all be foreign to you, but it is not foreign to me. Everything I have shared is from the scriptures and from my own almost 70 years following Christ. I am living with the earnest of my inheritance right now, and I am convinced beyond any doubt whatsoever that I will receive the balance either when I transition to that eternal life or if Jesus comes for his Church before then. If that faith is not present in your life today, ask for the gift of faith! If God the Father is drawing you to him, do not refuse his love. Do not be proud. Do not wait another day. Welcome his embrace. Welcome his salvation. Welcome his Spirit.  If you do, all I can say is, "Welcome to the Family of God!"