Among the many definitions in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for the word, “family” there are these: a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head : household; a group of persons of common ancestry : clan; a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock : race; a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation : fellowship.

Let’s notice how each of these describe biblical aspects of the church of Jesus Christ.

The church is a household. When Paul is giving Timothy instruction as to the qualifications of elders he writes, “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:4-5). As Christians we do live under one roof. That roof, that common covering under which we all dwell is the blood of Jesus. It is by the washing with that blood that we are made clean and the covering of that blood that we are kept clean (Revelation 1:5; 1 John 1:7). Christ is the only head of this household (Ephesians 5:23). All direction must come from him.

The church is a clan. Our common ancestry is that first we are all created in the image of God (Genesis  1:27); second, we have all followed in the footsteps of Adam (Romans 3:23); and third, all who come to God through Jesus Christ are able to claim God as our Father (1 John 3:1-3).

The church is a race. As far as God decrees in his word there are but two races among humanity and they have nothing to do with color, nationality or ethnicity. There is “the holy race” and there are “the peoples of the land” (Ezra 9:2). In the New Testament Peter writes that the church is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The distinction of race that God makes is all about the faith. All of that chosen race have been born again of the water and of the Spirit (John 3:5).

The church is a fellowship. We share “certain convictions” as the dictionary says above. We affirm that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father but through him (John 14:6). We strive to follow the apostles’ “pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13) to direct our belief and behavior. We “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Like the early church we must continue to devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).

Being part of the one family of God should both humble and strengthen us. It should humble us as we are reminded that we are all parts of God’s body, none the whole. It is God who has gifted as he sees best (Romans 12:3-8). As each exercises his or her giftedness it is God who rightly gets all the glory. And it strengthens us as we share Paul’s sentiment with the church in Rome when he wrote, “I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Romans 1:11-12).

“We’re part of a family that’s been born again; part of a family who’s life knows no end; Jesus has saved us and made us his own. Now we’re part of a family that’s on its way home.”

God bless you,

Brad Fry