God's Human Family

 Ephesians 1:17-18 ESV “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints”

There is a lot to unpack in these two verses. Firstly, we need to recognize that it is our Heavenly Father who is the source of all things, both in Heaven and on Earth. And secondly, why does God want to reveal Himself to us? After all, we are so far removed from what happened in the Garden of Eden. However, Paul was convinced that God wanted to reveal Himself to us because He desires a human family.

God already has a family of divine beings with free will, as seen through the rebellion of Satan and one third of the angelic beings of Heaven who fell to Earth with him. So why does God want human sons on Earth, especially if He already has Heavenly sons? The answer lies in Ephesians 5:30-32 ESV, where Paul caught a glimpse of what God was doing. He says, “…because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” In essence, mankind was to become the vessels of God’s presence on Earth, much like a marriage where a husband and wife become one flesh. God through His Son Jesus as a bridegroom needed a bride, and mankind was to become His bride, and the two (Jesus and mankind) were to become fully united in marriage, two becoming one.

Revelation 19:6-9 describes this union as the marriage of the Lamb and His bride. God saw that the only way for Him to become fully known on Earth was to inhabit mankind and manifest Himself through mankind united as one. However, God did not want to violate our will and make us unwilling slaves. He wanted willing participation, and this was accomplished through love. Christ’s love compels us to love Him back, as seen in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV.

The hope that God has called us to is that He may abide or rest within us, and that His attributes may become our attributes in every way. We can become more loving, forgiving, joyful, and possess all the other attributes of God’s character as described in Galatians 5:22-23 ESV: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

The transformative nature of Christ within us cannot be overstated. As we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives, He unlocks the depths of Christ's sweetness within us. Every day, we become more like our bridegroom, and He takes great pleasure in our growth as we embrace this transformative power and experience His joy of becoming more like Christ.

There is more to gain as we share the sweetness of Christ with others. Through this sharing, we experience a deepening and revelation of Christ's mercies and grace that empowers us to stand strong even when we fail Him. Being in fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ also brings a profound knowledge and perception as we seek Him together.

The glorious inheritance in the saints is that we have all been purchased with a price and are now brides of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ. As we recognize Him as the greatest gift of all, we can rest knowing that we are all loved equally by God. There is no competition for His love, as He indwells all of us fully and completely. When we gather as brothers and sisters in Christ, the shared power of Christ works within all of us as the bride to manifest Christ's true power in the world. If we come together in unity, praying and seeking to make the kingdom evident on earth, there is so much that can be accomplished, like praying for the removal of the barrier between the natural and spiritual worlds so that they can be one like we are one in Christ. That was Jesus’ prayer “on earth as it is in Heaven.”

The power of the saints is unmatched as we inherit an abundant inheritance that surpasses our wildest dreams. This inheritance is made possible by the unification of Christ and His bride. Together, we can break through the barriers in people's lives, granting them the freedom that comes from receiving Christ's grace and mercy. It's a truth that has always been present, but obscured by life's challenges, or sin. Our mission is to remove the blinders and reveal the path towards a life of abundance and purpose for others that are also called as His brides.

Stephen Barnett