"As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:12-17

Paul's words give us hope, guidance and direction. It is hard to imagine anyone being able to pack more wisdom into one short paragraph. We are born into a natural family but maybe adopted into the family of God. We then become members, as it were, of two families. Our earthly family and our heavenly family. Paul speaks about our citizenship in heaven and our future.

"But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere."

Philippians 3:20-21

When this adoption takes place, one becomes new and healing between family members can take place. This doesn't mean there won't be problems because there will be. But it will become possible to work through them clothed with forgiveness and love, that binds one to the other. Forgiving one another is the basis for solutions to problems between spouses and between siblings. Or between parents and a prodigal son or daughter. Or between friends, neighbors or others.

I started with the intention of speaking mostly about our Earthly families; I ended up speaking mostly about our heavenly family and how to be adopted into the family of God. To speak about family, I decided to start in the beginning. The marriage is the foundation for a family. Families are the essential building blocks for any society. Families cannot be replaced, except at great loss, by any other institution.

The First Marriage

God gave us a model and description of marriage, and of our relationship with him, beginning in Genesis. God walked with Adam in the garden indicating he wanted a close and personal relationship between the creator and the created. He gave Adam the first wife, Eve, as a companion. This was truly a match made in Heaven. God said, in Genesis 2:24-25: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were naked, and they felt no shame. The first marriage was between Adam and Eve, one man & one woman. They were perfectly suited for one another. They complemented one another in all ways. They were naked but felt no shame. They had no facades to hide behind but were truly one flesh in fact and in spirit.

God created Eve from Adam's rib. According to a familiar maxim, "God did not take a bone from Adam's foot, that he might walk upon her, or a bone from his head, that she might lord over him. But God took a bone from the man's side, so the woman might be next to his heart and walk by his side as an equal in all things." From Knowing the Secrets of God, Dr. John Hagee, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000, p 30.

And God gave them only two commands and blessed them. One was: Be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:28. God wanted them to have their own children, the product of their love. There is no acknowledgment for homosexual marriage; they cannot reproduce but can only recruit.

The second was not to eat the forbidden fruit with the knowledge of good and evil. But they failed in this, Eve being deceived and innocence was lost. Adam was not deceived but stood right next to her and allowed this to happen. He had been created first; he was given dominion over the Earth even before Eve was created. He was right there at her side and allowed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. In reality, he chose his beautiful Eve over God. His was the greater sin. And sin separated Man from God. And death, disease and problems entered a now broken world. The thief came only to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10. Then came the blame game (sin & marital issues) played first in the Garden. Eve blamed the Serpent (satan), and Adam blamed Eve(and alson God). Adam said: "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree and I ate." Genesis 3:13. Adam also blames God here because God gave him the woman. Eve said: "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate." Genesis 3:14. Then God drove them out of the Garden (Genesis 3:25) and Adam "knew" Eve and Cain was born. Genesis 4:1. Isn't it interesting that Cain, who slays his brother, was born first. Both had failed and God the Father disciplined his children but gave them a promise. Satan was cursed forever.

The promise is found in Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he (Christ) will crush your head (satan) and you will strike his heel (the crucification). And with this, Christ was promised and later fulfilled when Jesus of Nazareth was hung on the tree, died and was buried. And was resurrected three days after the Passover on the first Easter. Christ being the perfect sacrifice, the Passover lamb that brought reconciliation between God and mankind. The innocent dying for the guilty, his blood washing away our sins and giving us the gift of life and grace, to those who accept him as Lord. The age of "Grace" that we now live in was begun after Jesus rose from the dead.

And with grace comes the promise of being able to live together, reconciled with one another and with God. Family members that clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience still have problems and issues but also have new abilities for resolution.

You are not born into the family of God, you must be adopted. Paul states: He (God) destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. . .Paul, Ephesians 1:4 John echoes the adoption. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12 And there are consequences to this choice that last for eternity. God gives us the choice to be adopted into his family, or to refuse. To which family do you currently belong? If you have not accepted Christ, you have not been adopted into God's family. This adoption into God's family is a free gift from God made possible by Christ's death for your sins. You can't get there through good works or good deeds. You can't get there by crawling to the Altar on your knees. You can't get there anyway except by making Jesus Lord of your life and putting yourself under his blood. If you want to be adopted into the family of God, please pray the following prayer.

Lord God, I come before you a sinner. I have sinned both in things done and in things left undone. I repent of my sins and turn from them. I believe Jesus died for my sins and ask that my sins be forgiven and put under his precious blood. I ask that Jesus be made Lord of my life. Amen.

He who conceals his sins does not

prosper,

but whoever confesses and

renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

If you prayed that simple prayer, your sins have been forgiven and you have been adopted into the family of God. This gives God your permission to begin a work in your life. God is interested in receiving you permission because He respects your choice and gives you the power to choose. You may feel the weight of your sins being lifted from your shoulders. Or you may not feel anything right away. It is not significant because a work has started. Find a bible based church and study the Word.

Maybe you rejected praying the sinner's prayer thinking your just not ready. Maybe you want to think it through, for awhile, before making a decision. If I were satan this is the exact thought I would plant in your mind. After all, you have plenty of time. Or do you? James 4:13-14 says ... Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that ... Why you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. I tell you today is the day to accept Christ, don't put it off. And you will never ever be sorry. Not once, not ever. If I were satan, I would tell you not to bother reading the Bible. After all, who can understand it? It can be read and understood, it merely takes work and effort. Joining a Bible Study group is often helpful. From my own experience, small group study usually works well. But the best way is to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and instruct you in your reading granting you his understanding. See "Bible Study Aides" for tools and programs, free on line to help.

Jesus says to you: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 Any time anyone offers you Christ, it is not an accident. It is Christ himself standing at your door, knocking and wanting to come into your life. It is your choice to open the door and let him begin a work in your life. So what does God say about those who accept Christ?

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

the things which God has prepared for

those who love Him.   Paul, 1 Cor2:9 NKJV

From Dr. John Hagee, Final Dawn over Jerusalem, p. 94.

All He had, I got: all I had, He took.

I took his wealth, He took my poverty.

I took his forgiveness; He took my sins and shame.

I took his love and acceptance; He took my rejection.

I took his healing; He took my sickness.

I took his power; He took my fear and weakness.

Jesus Christ took a debt He did not owe, and I owed a debt I could not pay.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."   Paul, 1 Cor 15:58 (NIV)

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8.

I do believe you will find a bright future with God. I am not saying there will not be trials or problems, because they are a part of life. In fact, you may rest assured that the enemy will take new interest in you and your life about the second you decide to receive Christ.

I have added some additional verses for consideration. Click on them for the full verse.