Integrity- People of God

Every life is important to God because every life is part of God and comes from God. Every living soul is so important that God Himself came to die to redeem and place us into His family. God gave us family so in a small way, we could understand His love by knowing the love of family. God demonstrated His love for us in while we were enemies of God, He gave His Son to die for us and He brought us into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

The love of God is displayed in the life of Jesus who took our punishment and paid for sin so we may take His Righteousness and become God’s family. God created us to have a relationship with us so His glory will be seen in this natural world, as it is seen in the spiritual realm. We were created in the likeness of God and we have three parts that make us a whole person. We have a body, soul and a spirit and in all areas we are to be in fellowship with God. This brings Him glory and magnifies Him so He is respected in the earth.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. NIV

When we see God as family we will begin to understand our purpose and relationship with Him. This world has painted God as being some far off distant dictator who only waits for us to mess up and then punishes us. This is the original lie from the enemy that God is holding back on us and does not want to see us happy. This is a lie from the father of lies. God created all that is in this world, the waters, trees, mountains, food and animals for us to enjoy. God gave us the ability to love and be loved, with emotions that can be expressed with happiness, joy and excitement as well as freedom of choice. God has given us a will and the ability to make right or wrong choices independent of Him. This is love in the greatest form to love someone enough to let them be true to whom they are, even if their choice is to be with us or leave us. This is the love God has shown toward us.

Family is about relationship, an association, connection, affiliation or a bond with another person. We see it in our own family relationships. Because we are part of the same family we are connected and affiliated with our family members. When we get together to fellowship at reunions or family events and we bond because of years of associated with one another and a lifetime of companionship. Personal knowledge of the family member’s character and integrity are seen and known through constant interaction and through good and hard times. This is the relationship God, our Father wants and seeks with His children. That His children will know Him, trust Him and have great fellowship with Him, one that will rise above all outside voices.

Ephesians 2:19, 22 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,… And in him(Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. NIV

The Bible says those who know their God will do exploits, feats and achievements and this is will be because they understand and know the character and attributes of their God. When we know a person and know that they are true and faithful we can trust them to fulfill their word to us no matter the circumstances. This is how we display faith and trust in our God, when situations and life comes at us with a hard blow we can stand firm and by doing this, it brings glory to God. When people see us navigate life with peace and a joy that the world cannot understand they will see the power of our God in our lives. God is revealed through His children, just as likenesses of parents are seen in their children, we will display God’s character and faithfulness through our actions. This is done only by knowing the character of God and being in a relationship with Him as our Father.

Daniel 11: 32b … but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits NKJV

Many of us may not have known our parents and others may have had negligent or even abusive parents and still we want to know and long to have a close loving relationship with our parents. Not in the sense of the neglected or abusive relationships but, if possible, in a perfect world that was right and just, we all long to have unspoiled relationships with our parents. This is the relationship God our Father longs to have with us and was willing to send His beloved Son, Jesus to die in our place that we may have a close relationship with Him.

Abba in the Bible was an Aramaic word for father; it was a term of tender endearment by a beloved child. We can now call God our Father, Abba, Daddy-God. We no longer have to wait or long for the negligent or abusive parent, we have been born into the family of God where we can say Abba, Daddy-God. I am no longer an orphan but a child of the King.