The Family of God

Chorus
I’m so glad I’m a part of the Family of God,
I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I’m part of the family,
The Family of God.

You will notice we say “brother and sister” ’round here,
It’s because we’re a family and these are so near;
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I’m not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!

Once again, I have come across a song where the chorus was very familiar to me,  but I was not aware that there were verses to this song.  For me, I have fond  memories of singing this song growing up at Southern Hills Church of God.  It  was the kind of song we would sing after an altar service where God’s people  spent time crying out to the Lord, and lifting one another up in prayer.  It was  truly a time where I felt like I was part of a family – a family with more than  a hundred people in it, but a family nonetheless.   The song was written by Bill  and Gloria Gaither and is personally one of my favorites songs that they ever  wrote.  I have attached a youtube video of the history behind the song.  I think  the video is much more meaningful than me telling you what happened.

As I read the verses, I was a little disappointed that I did not know them and  don’t remember singing them growing up.  The chorus is great, and I really do  love it.  But the verses truly provided a deeper meaning along with the story  behind this great song, and I hope you are blessed by the verses as well.

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “Joint heirs with Jesus” – As I kid, I never really understood this lyric.  I  understood being an heir because of God’s grace, but a joint-heir with Jesus? I  just couldn’t get there.  But once again, like many great hymns of faith, these  lyrics are based in Scripture.  Paul in the eight chapter of Romans writes “The  Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be  that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”  Eugene  Peterson in the Message puts it this way “God’s Spirit touches our spirits and  confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father  and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an  unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we  go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the  good times with him!”  What a truth!  We are God’s children promised a wonderful  inheritance in and with Christ.

• “We all share the tears” – In the closing chapters of Romans, Paul gives some  practical instructions to God’s people.  In verses 9-21 of Romans 12, Paul gives  us some easily understandable commands.  Hate what is evil.  Cling to what is  good.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Pretty  easy concepts to grasp.  But he also instructs us to rejoice with them that  rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.  As members of Christ’s body, the  Church, sharing in these emotions is something we are commanded to do.  We  aren’t to run away from weeping and mourning.  We aren’t commanded to tell  people to “get over it.”  No, we are commanded to weep and mourn.  To, as this  song says, share the tears.

• “Door of an orphanage” – I am grateful today to have been born into a home with two loving parents and three “not always so loving” brothers.  I don’t know what it is like to grow up in an orphanage.  I know that God has a heart for orphans,  and we as a Church should be concerned about the orphan.  I have friends that  are impacting the world through an orphanage in the Philippines.  But  spiritually speaking, this song reminds me that I, too, was an orphan.  I was  not born into God’s family.  I was born in sin.  I was without direction, and  without God as my father.  But the beautiful thing about God’s grace is that He  not only takes us out of the orphanage, but He accepts us into His family and  places us in a family of believers.  We are His children.  We are children of  the King with millions of brothers and sisters.  What a true rags to riches  story!!

Do you have a quirky uncle?  Maybe an aunt or grandmother who wears red lipstick and likes to give you a big kiss on the cheek when you see her?  Or maybe you have a perfect family, but you married into a family with some “unique personalities.”  Some in-laws….and out-laws.  I have several crazy aunts, butI won’t mention any names (Peggy, Nancy, Frannie, and Linda).  My aunts have been part of my life as long as I can remember.  These aunts treat me like I am one of their own.  They love on me when I need to be loved on.  They peck my head when I need my head pecked.  And they treat my kids like their own grandchildren.  You see that is what good, godly families do.  They accept one another with their faults and unique personalities.  They have a tie that cannot be broken by tragedy or by circumstances.

I pray today that you have a close family.  Yes, I hope you have a great relationship with your blood relatives.  But more importantly, I pray you have a stronger relationship with your “Blood relatives,” God’s people, The Church.  Those that have been cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb.  Those who are redeemed and grafted in the vine.  I am so glad I am a part of the Family of God, and I know you are too.