A Family Resemblance

Ge 1:26 Ge 5:1

A Family Resemblance:

It’s interesting sometimes to go to a family reunion or family get together and to look around at the different people and try to determine whose children they are by their characteristics, or features.(Sometimes it’s very evident, unmistakable, undeniable) then other times it’s less evident,

As Believers we have been born again by the spirit of God into the family of God, We have a new blood line, We are the children of God,

I’m talking about a family resemblance:

Now are we the sons of God

1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1Jo 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

I know it’s hard to take it in, but by virtue of the new birth you and I are as much the sons of God as Jesus himself.

In fact he calls us his brethren, (his brothers, sisters, mothers)

Mt 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

When you see a branch of an apple tree, loaded down with apples, you have no difficulty distinguishing it’s identity,

There is no wondering if perhaps it’s a grapefruit tree that it’s connected to, or an orange tree, (No the branch takes on the same character as the tree) It has a family resemblance.

Jesus said: I am the vine ye are the branches.

My concern is that in the hour that we live in, it’s getting harder and harder to distinguish what family we belong to.

The Church is becoming more worldly, more comfortable with sin, we laugh at the things that used to make us cry.

What used to break our hearts now gets passed off by saying ( it’s just the times we’re in).

My friends the truth is, you can dress it up anyway you want to and call it good

But Jesus said the tree is known by it’s fruit

If the fruit is rotten the tree is rotten, You can’t have a rotten tree and good fruit, (it may look good, and it may sound good) but look at the fruit.

Let me take it a step farther (There are only two families)

(#1) The family of God (#2) The family of the devil

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

1Jo 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

In the natural many times people will attribute a certain characteristic or personality trait to their bloodline.

(Bad Temper)

(grudge holding, self pity, critical, prejudice, untrustworthy,) it’s in the blood, That’s the way his Grandpa was and his daddy – the poor kid didn’t have a chance.

Sometimes they will say the same thing about certain sicknesses or diseases, (well it’s in the blood line)

(Family Resemblance)

But as a new creature in Christ Jesus we have a new bloodline, and This bloodline doesn’t have any homosexuality in it, it doesn’t have any prejudice or self pity, or bad temper in it, It doesn’t have any sugar diabetes, or heart disease or cancer or any other disease in it.

(Are you following me? I’m talking about a family resemblance)

You won’t find adultery or fornication or Drug addiction, or wife abuse or child abuse.

In this bloodline.

Too many times Christians want to excuse wrong behavior by saying: I can’t help it it’s just my nature

(No sir)

The Christian cannot use that excuse because he has got a new nature, and he has a new bloodline,

We cannot say: I really am a good tree, you just have to overlook my bad fruit,

(No sir) If the tree is good there will be a family resemblance, we are going to bring forth the fruits of righteousness, the fruit of the spirit,

We’re going to look like our daddy.

And we’re going to think like our daddy, and act like our daddy.

Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers = (Imitators) of God, as dear children;

There is a supernatural side to this family: We should be contending for everything that he gave us in this new birth.