Be imitators of God, as His beloved children!

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph. 5:1-2 ESV)

When my older brother died a few years ago, I was the only one left, or so I thought. My mom was gone and now so was my older brother, David. Then I received an unexpected phone call from an aunt who wanted to tell me something important. She said she knew where my birth father and his family lived and she thought I should know where. I was shocked to hear this news because I had understood from what my mother had told me that he had died decades before. But now I learned it wasn’t so, he was alive and living in Anderson, Indiana! After speaking with my aunt I phoned people in the Anderson phone book with my father’s last name and soon spoke to a woman with that name. I told her who my birth father was and he was her father also—she was my half sister! She told me that our father had recently died and that he had ten children living in and near Anderson. A couple of weeks later I flew to meet them. As soon as I arrived I was picked up by Greg, a half brother. The shocking thing was that he looked very much like my older brother, David, who had recently passed—the family likeness was breathtaking to me. Soon we arrived at the house where my newfound siblings were waiting to meet me. We spoke for hours and I learned so much about them and they about me. There was an amazing and immediate family connection, a kindred spirit among us that we all recognized. It was an amazing family reunion!

It’s the same with brothers and sisters in Christ!

When we receive Christ, we become born into God’s family and become fellow heirs with Jesus. We then have lots of new siblings to have fellowship with.

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,” (Rom. 8:16-17 ESV)

 Therefore:

“That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:21-23 ESV)

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Peter 3:8 ESV)