What Is God’s Family Model? – Jerold Aust ucg.org

Has the traditional family model changed in our time? How many families exemplify the biblical characteristics of family relationships? What makes a family stable and successful? Many people look to popular entertainment to define the typical family, and that industry drives perceived family values. In the past, that model mirrored some of the values found in the Bible, but now increasingly embraces “alternative” family structures, which the Bible defines as immoral. However, “old” equaling “out of date”, as the Bible is often perceived, is not necessarily true. The Bible offers no example of a perfect human family, but, instead, people of faith who struggle with family issues and their own sins. Abraham and Sarah overcame their human weaknesses to show high-quality characteristics that we can seek to exemplify. The greatest family model in the Bible is not a human one, but rather a family of God’s children. God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son are creating a family through human beings who desire to honor Them. God instituted the human family model to multiply humanity and, ultimately, join His spiritual Family. This spiritual family model is defined in Ephesians 4:15-16, the Church of God with Christ as the head of individuals who collectively work together to learn and teach God’s way and show mutual love. God works with imperfect human beings in order to make perfect spirit beings who will live as a family in the New Jerusalem, where God the Father will also dwell, Revelation 21:1-4. This is a family that will last forever!