January - February 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel

Who, Then, Is Our Brother?

Royce Mitchell, Jr.

Nearly 2000 years ago, during a conversation with Peter, Jesus Christ shocked him by making the following statement. It is found in Matt 16:18, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (NIV).

Christ Built His Church From Many Different People

This verse has been misunderstood in the past by some who would give men the power to modify, or delete altogether, the laws of God. But such was not the case in the statement of Christ. It was intended to show that Christ was going to build His Church, and it was to be built on Himself, not on Peter. He was preparing to build His Church, one church. Not many churches preaching many different gospels, and not many churches preaching similar doctrines, but one Church, consumed with the passion for completing the Work of the Father, even as Christ Himself was (Luke 2:49). He was building His Church, based on His Word, the Word given to Him by the Father. In doing so, He would be bringing many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10). These sons, all adopted sons of the glorious Father, then, would be brothers. In this article, we will show who these brothers are, not using our own ideas, but as defined by God's Word.

Need to Be Called to Be a son of God

In order to be a son of God, one must first be called according to His will. That calling was predestined before the world began. Ephesians 1:3-5 confirms that statement. "Blessed {be} the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly {places} in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will," (NAS).

Those who are called by God to the adoption as sons were predestined to be so before the foundation of the world. Christ hinted at such being the case also. John 17:12, "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (NAS). This statement of Christ intimates that Judas was destined for the slot of betrayer of Christ from the very beginning. The point is that those who are called to understand the truth of the Word of God, in this day and time, are a chosen few, chosen from the foundation of the world, called for a specific purpose!

Don't Reject This Calling

Could one reject such a calling? We have a number of examples from scripture to consider. In the example of Jonah, he could not run far or fast enough to escape the calling God had for him. Moses argued with God, giving Him every reason he could conjure up, to convince God to reconsider. Saul hid himself, but it did no good. Those whom God chooses for His glorious plan must conform to His will.

God the Father Calls An Individual -- You Cannot Volunteer

God has predestined others for other tasks over the centuries. But our focus is on the calling to the adoption, to be a brother of Christ and Son of God. So, the first point has to be that one can not volunteer to be called. Those called have no choice in their calling, being predestined. Christ Himself showed that the predestined calling of those God would use was a closed cycle. Notice in John 6:44, "No one can come to Me [Christ], unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day" (NAS). But also notice John 14:6 where it says, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." (NAS). The calling is a closed loop! One can only come to Christ if the Father draws him, but one can not come to the Father except through Christ! There is a glorious reason for the mystery of why God is calling brethren in this manner, but that is not the point of this article.

Choosing to Obey or Disobey

Those called have the same choice that the Hebrews had, obey and receive blessings, or disobey and receive cursings (Duet. 11:26-28). If obedient, those called would receive the Holy Spirit, as it says in Acts 5:32. That Spirit would be imparted through the ceremony prescribed by Christ, and restated by Peter. Acts 2:38 states, "And Peter {said} to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (NAS).

Repentance Involves a Change in Direction

We know that repentance involves a change of direction, a change of mind. The word "repent" in this verse is translated from the Greek word metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o); #3340 in Strong's Concordance and it means "to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction)." So, a change of mind, obedience instead of disobedience, with baptism (water immersion), another symbol of obedience, and a symbol of burying the old, carnal man in a watery grave, are required to receive the Holy Spirit.

The Purpose of the Holy Spirit

What purpose does the Holy Spirit have in making us brothers? The answer is found in Romans 8:9. "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (NAS). Notice, if one does not have the Spirit, he does not belong to Christ; he is not a Christian! If one does not belong to Christ, he can not be called a brother in the definition of scripture.

How to Determine Who Is a Brother of Brother of Christ

What other criteria should we use to determine who our brother is? Christ Himself told us in John 13:34-35, ""A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (NAS). A brother will be exhibiting love for the other brethren. How is that accomplished? That would require a far larger article to answer. One can read 1 Corinthians 13 to gain insight. The Proverbs and Psalms are also full of insight. However, Christ summed it up succinctly when He said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NAS). In a time when the love of many waxes cold, this is no small order!

How is this trait exhibited in brethren? Obviously, at this point in time, not many are being required to give up their lives. Yet there are brethren who are giving up large portions of their lives daily, in prayer for the brethren, in serving those who need help, in learning so that they are able to teach, in humbling themselves so that the Word of God, and the Way of God can be advanced. They labor daily without the desire for acknowledgment of men for their deeds, preferring instead to wait on the reward that comes with Christ.

Is there any other criterion, which God uses to point out these brethren? How about the type of people they were prior to His calling them. That can be found in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, where is says, "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God." (NAS). They were not the powerful, but they are destined to become so! They were not the strong, but they are given strength through Christ! They were, and even now sometimes are, considered to be fools. But they are wise in the ways of God Almighty, having been conformed to the genius of the Mind that holds the universe in place by His Word.

Fellowshiping in Cooperation and Love

These brethren can be found gathered together, as is their custom. They do not forsake assembling together, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one another} and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10:23-25, (NAS). They are encouraging one another, and to do that, they know one another, and are concerned for the welfare of their brethren.

Called to Be a Member of the Family of God

To sum up, those who can be called a part of the Family of God, can be found by looking for a few unambiguous traits. First, God has called them to Christ, and Christ has directed them to His Father. They have repented of their sins and have been baptized. They have received the Holy Spirit, the down payment of the promises of the Father. These brethren did not volunteer. God the Father called them, but they have willingly and eagerly accepted that calling!

They are obedient to every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. One who is a brother loves. They love the brethren so much that they give their very lives for them. These brethren ache for the times when they can be gathered together with other brethren in fellowship. They ache for the establishment of the Kingdom of God so that all mankind can receive the blessings that they have been privileged to have been given. These are given to prayer, to service, to studying the Word. The Father's business is the driving force in their lives. Find these people, and then you have found the brethren. You will have found the future family of God in embryo, and you will have been blessed with the wondrous calling, the one predestined to you before the world began.

Royce Mitchell, Jr. is a member of the United Church of God, an International Association, in the Houston South Congregation, and welcomes your comments via e-mail at rmitchel@flash.net.

TSS

January - February 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel