(Audio)
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Jesus invites us to become his family.
But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God (see John 1:12-13).
He gives us his own Spirit. The Spirit of the Son cries out "Abba! Father!" from the deepest part of our beings (see Romans 8:15).
This privilege is meant to lead us beyond slavish fear because "the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever" (see John 8:35). Not only that, but because we are his family we hope to receive the same inheritance that is designated for Jesus himself.
And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory (see Romans 8:17).
We realize that it is by no means our own effort that earns our place in the household of God. Yes, we have to do the will of our heavenly Father. But the power to become children of God is given to those who believe in his name. The fearless sense that we can abide forever in the Father's house is a gift.
The Israelites also needed to obey God. But they never could have escaped from Egypt without supernatural aid. Their belief in Moses and in the LORD put them in the place where God would deliver them.
When the water was thus divided,
the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
If we follow the LORD where he calls us we too will see the supernatural aid with which he surrounds his family like a wall to our right and to our left. We too will hear Jesus calling us his brother, and sister, and mother. Together we will sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (see Revelation 15:3).
Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
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