Joining a church is NOT Like Marriage. It's something greater!

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16

In a previous post I wrote about how joining a Church is NOT like marriage to one another. When we are saved we are adopted into an already existent family, where every other believer becomes your brother and your sister. We are at the moment joined to THE Body of Christ; a Body that has many local expressions in what we call churches. In this post I want to expand that topic more.

It is vitally important we recognize one another as a brother and sister for two main reasons: 1. It changes the way we view ourselves. 2. It changes our understanding of the Body of Christ.

First, this is an eternal truth crafted in the great hallways of heaven --- "the Spirit you recieved brought about your adoption." Now, if you and I have been adopted then we have a new Father. And if we have been adopted we have a new name, a new identity, a new reality all together. It is by the same Spirit who brought about our adoption that we are then able to cry out "Abba, Father." Abba is a title reserved only for God Himself, because of this new and wonderful relationship we have with the Father. God doesn't just stop at the appointment to child. He also wants us to FEEL Him - so he encourages us to cry out to Abba, Father. Try it now. Say, "Abba, Father, thank you for making me a child of yours, through the Spirit you have sent to me. Thank you for sending yourself to me to become my new Father, for making a way for me to become your son, your daughter. Thank you, Abba, Father. I love you."

Now understand that all hell, and most of the world, and a great number of "Christians", will come against your fully understanding and accepting this truth of your adoption into a spiritual family where others are your brothers and sisters in Christ. Satan knows that if he can keep you from grasping how great this plan is-- to actually make you an adopted heir of the Most High, thereby changing your entire worldview and purpose on planet Earth - if he can keep you from this truth -- then he's already won. And if he's won in your own mind, and in my mind, then he's also struck a devestating blow to God's plan in the Body of Christ. Which brings me to point two.

The second reason it's so very important to view yourself as a child of God and to view everyone else who "believes in" (Acts 16:31) and "calls on" the name of the Lord (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9-13) as a child of God as well, is because this IS what makes up the Body of Christ. All of us who have been made children of God by this adoption ARE in fact brothers and sisters in Christ. This has to do with the way in which we commit to one another in this grand Body. If for example, you only view those who belong to YOUR specific church as a brother or sister, then you will inevitably view all other believers around the world as something else other than your brother or sister. But if you understand that the SAME Spirit who brought about your adoption also brings about all other adoptions then you will right now agree that you are part of a rather large family, one which extends well beyond the boundaries or your church building and it's property. So every believer who comes into your circle is a brother or sister in Christ whom you have not yet met. You can now greet them as a family member and get to know their story, their journey up till now. And if the Spirit leads them more into your of life then they are now your brother or sister in Christ whom you get to know better. And if they feel called to move away from you and out of your immediate circle they are *still* your brother or sister in Christ whom has moved away; therefore you desire to stay in touch with their journey. Do you see how this view of the Body changes everything?

Now some churches have gone so far as to eclipse this biblical view of adoption with a teaching that we are somehow married to one another within a church. This does not, however, appear in scripture... anywhere. Nor does it make theological sense given the great scope of God's plan. We are simply not husband and wife in a church. We are brothers and sister in Christ. Furthermore, another believer's status as your brother or sister does not change to one of a marriage commitment because they lived near you for a longer time than someone else. In other words, just because someone may be "with you" for 15+ years does not change your relationship to them from one of brother or sister in Christ to one of marriage. It does not matter how long or how short a person lives near you. They were your brother or sister before you met them. They were your brother while they lived near you. And they are still your brother in Christ now that they've moved away. According to scripture this is the way God ordained it. It doesn't actually matter if you agree with God or not on this adopted status of other believers. It's still true. And if we could just move our foot forward a little and erase those lines we've drawn in the dirt I'm convinced we'd see a major outpouring of God's Spirit and His fruits on our land and people.

Try this experiment next time someone visits your church. As soon as you meet them and find out they have "called on the name of the Lord" (I will expand this topic later) go ahead and claim the above scripture over them, believing the same Spirit who brought about your adoption as a child of God also - already - brought about their adoption. Greet them then as a brother or sister in Christ whom you have not yet met. Let the Spirit testify with your spirit that, not only you are a child of God, but that they are a child of God as well. Assume this as you get to know them as well, as you hear their own salvation story and how they came to know the living God. Furthermore, don't let yourself believe the lie that they are anything less than a full-status brother or sister until they are baptized into your church, or agree to place membership with your church, or move in closer to you. Don't let the enemy trap your mind and make them less than what God has made them -- i.e. HIS Children, and consequently, YOUR brother or sister. Try this experiment and see how it feels. I've done it myself and I can only describe the experience with one word -- freedom.

Also try this one.

As you drive around your town passing church buildings or people in the store thank God for your brothers and sisters in Christ who "attend" the meetings of that church. Ask God to bless them and their journey in this life-time. Ask God to work into their hearts a greater understanding of their status as God's child. Ask God to remove any barriers that keep them from being able to cry out Abba, Father. Ask God to help them know they are His. I also now do this regular throughout Jackson and again -- freedom. (I used to have a real problem with judgement and God has been healing me this last couple of years. This is why I feel freedom.)

I am amazed at God's plan to make us all family. I love my biological family. I love my brother, Tyler. We may not agree about everything but that doesn't make him any less my physical brother. And the same goes for all of those whom the Spirit has brought about adoption as Children of God. Just because we may not agree doesn't mean the Spirit didn't bring about the same adoption for both of us.

I'm amazed at God's plan. He takes the very nature of our being and changes it by His Spirit. He calls us sons and daughters, His children. And He calls us His beloved. When we determine to agree with God that all others who have "called on His name" are also His beloved then we will soar on freedom's wings, and God will be glorified.

I think accepting our status as His children and accepting every other Christian's status as His children is a great step toward healing the fractured landscape of Christianity. Viewing one another as brothers and sisters heals us first; then it opens the door to love one another. Ultimately, it swings wide the flood gates of love for our own soul, making it possible for us to FEEL a genuine love for God, and a way to fulfill the greatest commandment which is to love Him with our whole heart, mind and soul. As we feel this love for God, and as we accept His love for us, we will also grow in our love for one another. And as we grow in our love for one another God will be glorified--- because His family will grow. His sons and daughters will not only get along better they will also love one another. Who knows - we might even love one another enough to give our lives for one another, following His example.

Becoming a child of God is NOT like marriage to one another. No, I think it's actually something much more powerful. May sound strange to say. But float up above the Earth with me for a minute and let's look down. Let's get high enough we cannot read the signs in front of the church buildings or the lines we've drawn in the sand, or the countless books of theology, or the blogs, or the billboards. High enough to see the roads and the cities... full of people. What do you see? I see my spiritual family. I see my brothers and sisters in Christ among the masses. And I can't wait to get to know some more of them -- to love them, to journey with them, and to spread this incredible message with them:

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16