THE CLOSE FAMILY OF GOD

KEY TEXT: Matthew 12:50 (KJV) -“For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

Jesus spoke these words to the person who came and told Him that His biological mother and brothers were standing outside and calling Him. In response, Jesus explained that His true mother, sister, and brother are those who do God’s will. In other words, to be part of the close family of God, one must do God’s will.

By our wrong choices, we distance ourselves from God like the prodigal son. Sin is the direct opposite of doing God’s will. Adam and Eve ran to hide themselves when they heard God walking in the garden after they had sinned (Genesis 3:8, KJV). Before they sinned, they enjoyed close communion with God. After they sinned, God did not chase them away; instead, they ran away from Him. When we sin, we create a separation between ourselves and God (Isaiah 59:2, KJV).

Yet God, in His goodness and humility, followed them. God understood that they were hopeless and helpless. He sought them so that He could help them. When God lovingly follows us to rescue us from the dungeon we have placed ourselves in, we should not keep running away from Him. Instead, we should run toward Him (Genesis 3:9; James 4:8, KJV).

The mother and brothers of Jesus could have joined Him in fellowship where He was at that moment. Instead, they asked Jesus to come out of the place where He was and meet them outside. As innocent as it may have sounded, they were asking Him to step out of God’s will at that particular moment. At that point, they became a distraction to Jesus’ purpose. It would have been better for them to ask to join the fellowship Jesus was having than to ask Him to come outside. That action revealed a lack of alignment with God’s will. Too often, we want God to do our will rather than align ourselves with His will.

This truth is clearly reflected in God’s call on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a sacred time set apart by God, inviting us to stop pursuing our own pleasure and to align ourselves with His will fully.

Scripture says: Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJV) – “¹³ If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: ¹⁴ Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

Just as with the Sabbath, God does not ask us to fit Him into our schedules or preferences. Instead, He calls us to step into His will, delight in it, and experience the closeness that comes from obedience.

Many Jewish people to this day falsely believe that they will receive salvation merely because they are Jews and because Israel was chosen by God. However, salvation is not inherited through lineage but received through submitting ourselves to God and faith (Romans 2:28–29; John 1:12, KJV).

“God is no respecter of persons…. Those who have the light and do not follow it, but disregard the requirements of God, will find that their blessings will be changed into curses and their mercies into judgments.” – Testimonies for the Church, Volume 3, Page 172, Ellen G. White.

God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34–35, KJV). He honors those who humbly do His will, those who faithfully obey His commandments (John 14:21; 1 Samuel 15:22, KJV). Therefore, obey God and be part of His close family.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, teach me to desire Your will above my own. Remove every distraction that pulls me away from obedience. Help me to delight in Your ways, to honor You in my choices, and to walk closely with You as part of Your family. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activity

1. Find a quiet place and read Matthew 12:50 and Isaiah 58:13–14 slowly.
2. Write down one area of your life where you are asking God to adjust to your will.
3. Pray and consciously surrender that area to God.
4. Choose one action this week, especially during the Sabbath, that reflects obedience rather than convenience.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only…” — James 1:22 (KJV)

Author: Mark Alex   

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