Brotherhood in Christ

In previous posts I have written on our brotherhood in Christ, giving references from the Scripture ( Matthew 23:8, John 20:17, Romans 8:29, Hebrews 2:11-12 ESV.) Today I wish to explore the ramifications of that truth. If we are in fact brothers (or sisters- the underlying Greek word "adelphoi" means siblings)and this is eternal, then it comprises a major part of our identity, who God the Father says that we are in Christ. Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers and is not ashamed to call us such. We must allow this reality to change our thinking. We place much importance on things such as race, socio-economic status, ethnicity, clergy-laity, secondary or tertiary doctrinal viewpoints. All of these and many others must dissolve or take lesser importance if we are to fall in line with the prayer of Jesus in John 17 that we may be one even as He and the Father are one. (John 17:11,21) Colossians 3:11 supports this position. "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." It is being the brother or sister of Christ Himself that is significant, something we received by adoption, not of any work or merit of our own. May we learn to see our brotherhood as the highest honor we can ever receive.