T HE N EW T ESTAMENT C HURCH T HE H OUSEHOLD OF G OD

THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD

THE FAMILY FEATURE OF THE CHURCH

• The word “house” used to designate families.– “A devout man and one who feared God

with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”{Acts 10:2}

– “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household…” {Hebrews 11:7}

THE FAMILY FEATURE OF THE CHURCH

• Church referred to as House of God meaning Family of God.– “But Christ as a Son over His own house,

whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” {Hebrews 3:6}

– “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” {Ephesians 2:19}

SALIENT FEATURES OF GOD’S FAMILY—THE CHURCH

• God is the Father.– “Do not call anyone on earth your father;

for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” {Matthew 23:9}

– “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” {Ephesians 3:14}

– “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him…” {1 Corinthians 8:6}

SALIENT FEATURES OF GOD’S FAMILY—THE CHURCH

• Christ, a son over the House of God.– “But Christ as a Son over His own

house…”{Hebrews 3:6}

• Christians are His brethren.– “…I will declare Your name to My

brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” {Hebrews 2:12}

– “But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” {Matthew 23:8}

GOD’S FAMILY—THE CHURCH

• All Christians are children of God.

• Sons and heirs

• “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” {Romans 8:16,17}



• Sons and heirs

• “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” {Galatians 3:26}



• Children of God—Children of the Devil

• “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” {1 John 3:10}



• “Church of God the Father.”

• “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” {1 Thessalonians 1:1}


• Conclusion… • All of God’s children are in God’s Family

• God’s Family is the Church

• Therefore, all of God’s children are in the Church.

BLESSEDNESS OF THIS RELATIONSHIP

• Approach to God as Father

• “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”{Matthew 6:9}

• “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” {Ephesians 3:14}


• Christ our Great High Priest and Advocate to plead our cause.

• “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” {Hebrews 4:14}

• “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” {1 John 2:1}


• Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us.

• “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” {Romans 8:14}


• Receive the Holy Spirit because we are sons.

• “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!” {Galatians 4:6}


• To walk by the Spirit.

• “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” {Galatians 5:16}


• Spirit is Truth. • “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” {John 1:17}

• “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” {1 John 5:7}


• God’s Fatherly Provision.

• “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” {Matthew 6:33,34}


• God’s Fatherly Correction.

• “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” {Hebrews 12:6,7}


• God’s Fatherly Protection.

• “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” {Philippians 4:5-7}


• God’s Ever Present Love.

• “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” {Romans 8:38,39}


• Heir of God. • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” {1 Peter 1:3-5}

THIS RELATIONSHIP DEMANDS:

• Separation from the world.– “Therefore "Come out from among them and be

separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” {2 Corinthians 6:17,18}

– “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” {1 John 2:15,16}


• Obedience as God’s Children.– “As obedient children, not conforming

yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance.” {1 Peter 1:14}

– “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”{Ephesians 5:6}

– “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” {1 John 1:7}


• Wear family name.– “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is

no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” {Acts 4:12}

– “…So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” {Acts 11:26}

– “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” {1 Peter 4:16}


• Love our brethren.– “If someone says, "I love God," and hates his

brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” {1 John 4:20,21}

– “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”{1 John 3:15,16}

HOW WE BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD

• By being “born again.”

• “Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” {John 3:3-5}


• By faith and baptism.

• “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” {Galatians 3:26,27}


• By obedience to God’s word.

• “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” {1 Peter 1:22,23}

Documents

T HE N EW T ESTAMENT C HURCH T HE H OUSEHOLD OF G OD