God's Friends Series
Author: Steve Amato
Description: How to be the kind of person God likes to associate with
Keywords: bible study, friends, friendship, relationship with God

Translations: 简体中文 繁體中文

# Entering the Family of God

Having been born of God the believer enters the family of God as a member of His household.

> "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household." Eph 2:19

Jesus likewise identified his family as those who do the will of God.

> Jesus said, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Matt 12:48-50

Establishing and maintaining proper relationships with other Christians is essential to pleasing God. Jesus commands his people to love one another.

> "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34,35

Loving other Christians is the identifying mark of the those born of God.

> "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." 1John 3:14

To love other Christians you need to first establish some kind of contact with them. And having established contact you need to find ways in which you can meet their needs. Getting together with other Christians is necessary to for developing believers to maturity that each can minister effectively, just like growing up in a family.

> "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Eph 4:11-16

The Christian community is the body of Christ, and as such each member has a function interdependent upon the other members.

> "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Rom 12:4,5

Each member of the body of Christ is equally significant.

> "God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." 1Cor 12:24-26

## Discussion Questions

Who were Jesus' family? So likewise who should you reckon your family to be?
What is the purpose of a family? How does that relation to the Christian community?
What is the most significant identifying mark of a child of God?
What are the first steps you should take in loving other Christians?
Who are the most important members of the Christian community? And who should we have most concern for?

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources