The Importance of Family

I am in the state of Ohio this week. I’m with my mother who had lifesaving surgery. My wife and oldest son are with me, along with my youngest son and his fiance. I also have a son and daughter-in-law who live in Poland who sent an e-mail to encourage my mother. We circled the wagons to bring love and support to my mom who was going through a critical time.

 

 The Bible is upfront and clear about the importance of family life; both the physical family and the spiritual family. The concept of the family is introduced at the very beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 1. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it (26, 28).”

 

God’s plan is for men and women to marry and have children. In fact, the blessing of family life is the essential building block of a stable society. Parents are to teach their children about God and His will (Deuteronomy 4:40; 6:4-7). And children are to honor their parents (Exodus 20:12). These commandments are not just limited to the Old Testament. They are New Testament imperatives as well. Scripture says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4).” The book of Proverbs provides a precious promise for parents: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it (22:6).”

 

The heart of God towards humanity is not just to save individual people, but whole families. When God saved Noah from the flood his whole family was saved as well (Gen. 6:18). The sign of God’s covenant with Abraham, circumcision, was not applied to Abraham alone, but to every male in his family and household (Gen. 17:12, 13). In the New Testament salvation came to whole families too (Acts 10:30-43; 16:25-34). In 1 Corinthians 7:14 we learn that a spouse who is an unbeliever is sanctified, meaning that not only are children under God’s grace, but the unbelieving spouse is in a position to be saved through the witness of the believing spouse. God desires for families to be healthy; physically, emotionally and spiritually.

 

But, now Jesus said something very interesting about families. “While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.’ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:46-50).’” Christ was not saying that our biological families are not important. They are very important as we have seen. But when we are saved we become a part of an even greater family—the family of God. The apostle John wrote, “But as many as received [Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12, 13).”

 

When we receive Christ as Lord and Savior God becomes our Father (Romans 8:14) and Christ becomes our Brother (Hebrews 2:10, 11). And we go through a spiritual operation called the new birth that saves our lives. We go from being doomed to perish to having everlasting life (John3:16). This spiritual family is drawn from every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation7:9) and love should be the defining characteristic of this family (John 13:34, 35). The biological family is the stabilizing foundation for human society. It should be nurtured and protected. But it is even more important that we become a part of the family of God, because that family is forever. And just like in our biological family there are times when we need to circle the wagons around the family of God for protection and encouragement and support.