Life Together: We are God’s family

The top 25 wealthiest and most influential families in the world are worth more than $1trillion. They include the Walton family who own the Walmart supermarket chain and are worth $152 billion and the Saudi royal family whose worth is unknown as it is so vast. In the UK our highest world ranking Billionaire is Jim Radcliffe ranked 18th in the world and worth a mere $32billion. It may surprise you our Queen is fairly poor in comparison to these guys worth only £325 million!
I have often wondered what it would be like to be child of a parent like that with so much wealth, influence and ability to make things happen. Undoubtably even if their parents are wise in what they give to their children as they grow up, it will still be far ahead of the majority of other children, i.e. they would get the best education, clothing, and opportunities possible in life. They also grow up with a family Name that in itself has influence and are heirs to the fortune.
We are continuing to refresh ourselves on what it means to be a church with a mini series of teachings called “Life Together” so we can put our identity of who we are into practice within our church life. Last week we explored how God has chosen us as living stones and put us together in the temple he is building, so we fit tightly together. as he determines to fulfil His purposes.
We as God’s people are actually part of the wealthiest, greatest, family on earth because God is our Father, he owns all the riches of the world and has unlimited power and influence over the whole of creation. We have been made His children by our faith in Jesus (John 1 v 12).
This gives us incredible rights we don’t deserve, like access to Him anytime. In Ephesians 2 v 18 Paul tells us that through Him (Jesus) we all have our access in one Spirit to the Father, and we are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. (Galatians 4:7). We are heirs to an infinite fortune. But, with rights also come Responsibilities, to live in a way that honours the family name, brings glory to our Father and to love, support, care, and value our other family members.