Kinship with God

UV 3412/10000 Kinship with God
But He answered, “My mother and My brothers are these who listen to the word of God and do it.”
Luke 8 v 21

Jesus clearly states in this uni-verse that kinship with Him and with God, the Father and the Holy Spirit is established by listening to the word of God and by doing it. If we claim we are children of God by faith in Christ, His Son, we are required to listen to the Word and obey it carefully. Many do not even listen, many listen but do not do but only those who listen and do are the children of God. Jesus has redeemed us and restored us to the very image of God but now we have a new responsibility- to listen to Him carefully and to act or live in accordance with the Word.

We are not to conform to the patterns of this world in which the enemy has sown tares and snares but we are to conform to the patterns of the Word of God. The Word of God asks us to be like the wise man who built the foundations of his house, meaning his life on the unchanging rock-like principles He had learnt from Jesus. Jesus is called the Word by the apostle John as He is God who lived on earth like a human following the principles of the Word of God. We are to emulate His example and follow His principles and precepts. We are to drive out of our temple, like Jesus, any personal demons that desecrate it. We are to spend time alone and in quietness in prayer and fellowship with God. We have to be careful about every word we speak and every emotion we manifest in our daily lives. We have to be truthful, honest and live lives of integrity. We have to give first priority in our lives to the matters of the Lord, the kingdom or rule of God in our lives. We should forgive as Jesus forgives us and love our enemies.

An hour of listening to the Lord as well as listening to the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit moment to moment should be followed by diligent implementation or practice of the principles learnt. When we do so, we confirm our kinship with the King of Kings, Jesus who is sovereign over death and life such that He often referred to death as mere “sleep”. We become the princes of His people to co-rule with Him in heaven as on earth. The prodigal son once he had returned to his father’s house and was welcomed by his father never returned to sinning or a wasteful life. He was doubly careful not to disregard his father’s directions in any matter. We, too, need to cultivate such an attitude of diligence and scrupulous obedience of the word of our Father in heaven and of His Son and of the Holy Spirit.