We are all created to be part of a family. Inside each of us is a need to be needed. That’s why God created the church to be a place where all of the lost and hurting people could come and be accepted. He adopts us into his family when we put our faith in Christ. We become his sons and daughters and with that all the benefits of being part of the family.
Galatians 4:5-7
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Everyone is Accepted
The church is a family that everyone can be is welcome. It is a place where everyone is accepted and equal in God’s eyes. When we enter the family, we receive the same inheritance that everyone else does. No longer are we slaves to the sin that put a death notice on our lives. We have been set free from that and in its place the Holy Spirit has been put into our hearts. That transformation makes us cry out to God “Abba” or “Daddy.”
A Fresh Start
Like most families, the church isn’t perfect. It is filled with broken messed up people who are trying to find their way. We shouldn’t give up on it if something has gone wrong. Jesus is the head of the household and he has everything under control. He is in the business of taking people who are slaves to sin and setting them free. We shouldn’t expect when people come to the church to have it all together. In fact, it should be the exact opposite. Whether they are new to the faith or coming from a difficult situation each new person in the church should be given a fresh start, a chance to be made new. All of us have been adopted into God’s family. Let’s be welcoming to those who are just coming.
