God, in merciful grace, has made accommodations for our comprehension and understanding—thankfully so! And He has done so through metaphor.
God has revealed His will and communicated His plan through His Son, the Spirit, and His Word. When it comes to the family of God, He has employed the richest and most beautiful metaphors.
While family is the reality, God has described the nature of the church in a variety of ways (like flock, temple, body, and bride).
However, how we have experienced family informs our opinion of family.
Some people have gotten really creative in their definitions of family; using words like peeps, clan, squad, or brood. Less endearing descriptors used have been zoo, circus, monstrous, or ghoulish.
Some might say family is like a safe harbor . . . while others might say it’s a battlefield.
What do you say?
In Christ, we are God’s children,
the Lord’s sheep and ambassadors,
our Father’s treasured possession,
the Spirit’s temple . . .
and more.
As the flock of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, we look to Him for guidance and protection. We realize we share the vulnerable and dependent nature of sheep upon their shepherd for life.
Though God’s manifest presence left Jerusalem’s temple, He still dwells among His people. Our Resurrected Lord has poured out the Holy Spirit upon His people so that we are now God’s dwelling place. We are the temple of the living God (2 Cor 6:16). And in Christ, we are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit (Eph 2:22).
Another image painted for the church is that of the body of Christ. We are one, though many. And members of one another (Rom 12:4-5). With different functions and gifts, we serve as one, in the unity of the Spirit. Jesus, as the Head of His body, directs with wisdom, power, authority, and steadfast love and patience.
As God was the Husband of Israel (Is 54:5), our Redeemer has made us His bride. For the sacred teaching words of Jesus convey that He is the Groom of His people (Mt 9:15). As His bride, we are called to marital purity, faithfulness, and submission.
Each snapshot creates a breathtaking portrait to better see and understand our identity, roles, and purposes as members of God’s family.
Consider one . . . and all! And be blessed by the Father’s great gift of metaphor for our edification, encouragement . . . and JOY.
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