Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 33:12-14, Ruth 1:16-18, John 17:21-26, Gal. 3:28, Eph. 2:11-22, 5:21-6:9.
Memory Text: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:21
Family life represents different seasons of life for different people. For the mother and father, the introduction of children in their lives represents a major change, one that will last their lifetimes. And for the offspring, of course, going from nonexistence to existence is, indeed, a major transition. Then, too, children go through the various stages of life until they leave home and, indeed, might have children of their own.
Yet whether as parents or children in a family, we all struggle with the same thing, and this is our sinful fallen natures, which can make unity in family life very challenging, to say the least.
Yes, in the body of Jesus Christ on the cross all humanity has been reconciled to God and to one another (Eph. 2:13-16, Col. 1:21-23), but on a daily practical level we must appropriate for ourselves the grace of Christ, which alone can make family unity a living experience for all who seek it in faith. This must be a daily experience in our lives. Fortunately, through the grace of Christ, it can be.
Let's take a look at these verses.
2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];
2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;
2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Because there is so much false teaching regarding the gospel of salvation, we need to be very clear. All of humanity is not reconciled to God, neither indeed will be. It is true that Christ in His humanity made it possible for all of humanity to be reconciled to God. And, it is true that we must be converted and reconverted daily. We must die to self daily. We must maintaiun our full heart surrender to Christ continually. We must not do as did the disciples that night in the garden when Christ longed for human sympathy, but got none. They, nor many of us, realize the necessity of watchfulness and earnest prayer in order to resist the temptation to sin.
As our memory verse says, we must be reconciled to Christ in order to be one with others. We must allow Christ to sit on the throne of the heart in order to have unity in the family. Otherwise self will taint all we do with selfishness. But, if we are fully surrendered to Christ (reconciled) then we will be one with all others who are so surrendered and dead to self.