Ephesians 2:19, 20
So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household
Family dynasties have been around almost as long as history itself. In the ancient world, who hasn’t studied the Shang Dynasty of China or at least one of the thirty-one great Egyptian dynasties? Possibly the best example known to modern civilization is the House of Windsor in England. Even America has had our own forms of historic family lines, with the most popular being the Kennedy’s. Although each of these families offered great power and privilege, none of them can be compared to the family of God.
The “family of God” is such a cliché that few comprehend the significance of being a member. The obedient child will find that God’s family is one of great resource and privilege. None of its parts, which make up the whole, deserve to be included. This is possibly the greatest privilege of all. Ephesians chapter two reminds us that we were all once “strangers and aliens.” The fact that you are now distinguished as an “heir to God” is possible only because of the saving grace of Jesus (Rom. 8:17). Your adoption into God’s family would not have been available without the shedding of Christ’s blood.
I wonder how much time you spend dwelling on the price that Christ paid for your adoption into His Father’s family? So often we thank the Lord for our assurance of salvation and that everlasting life we will one day experience in heaven. It is seldom, however, that we thank God for the riches of His inheritance made possible even now. Is this because we are ungrateful for our inclusion into His family, or because we are ignorant of the inheritance we have been given? In either case, we should be ashamed of our position.
I can’t imagine the members of any earthly dynasty not studying their own family lineage. Where was your father born? Are your ancestors from the east or the west? Has anyone in your family history been praised or well known for something they did? This type of knowledge is a source of both pride and self worth in even the most common of families. Why then, do we put so little effort into knowing and understanding the history and privileges of the family of God? While your time here on earth may seem like it will last forever, there is no doubt that your life in the physical world will be extremely short when compared to eternity. I challenge you to open up the Bible in search of the history, riches, and promises found in being a member of the family of God. You can start with Eph. 2:20 which says you have “been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.”