4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Luke 8:20-21 (CSB): “He was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.’ But he replied to them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.'”
Reflecting on God’s Word
When someone becomes a follower of Jesus, they become a part of second family. They have their biological family, but they also become a member of the family of God. When we trust in Jesus alone for eternal life, we become God’s children (John 1:12), and Jesus becomes our elder brother (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 2:11).
That’s what Jesus was referring to in Luke 8:20-21. He would readily acknowledge that His mother’s name was Mary, and he had half-brothers and half-sisters (Matthew 13:55-56). But in Luke 8, He acknowledged that He had another family made up of those who followed Him.
There’s something in His words that I want us to pay particular attention to. Jesus didn’t say that His secondary family was made up of people who were saved. He didn’t say that the family of God was made up of people who trusted in Him alone for eternal life. He said His secondary family was made up of those “who hear and do the word of God.”
Luke 8:20-21 (CSB): “He was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.’ But he replied to them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.'”
Why wouldn’t He say “those who are saved” or “those who are born again?” Why did He call them “those who hear and do the word of God?”
Because anyone can say they are a follower of Jesus. Anyone can say that they are saved. But you can generally tell whether or not someone is saved by how they treat God’s Word. If someone claims to be saved but doesn’t regularly expose themselves to God’s Word so that they can believe it and do it, then their possession doesn’t match their profession. They probably aren’t saved.
So, Jesus isn’t saying we have to work in order to be part of His family. It’s always been about grace through faith. What He’s saying is that those who are legitimately saved will act like it. They will “hear and do the word of God.” And those are the people He is related to.
Will legitimate Jesus-followers ever stumble into sin? Yep. Might they stray and stay away from Him for a while? Yes, that’s possible. But the general default rule is that true believers will act like it.
Do you want to know whether or not you are truly saved? Do you want to know if you are God’s child and Jesus’ sibling? Then ask yourself: “Am I trusting in Jesus to make me right in the Father’s eyes, and is that faith manifesting itself in a life that is being conformed to the standards God has set forth in His Word?”
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you examine yourself to see if you are truly saved (2 Corinthians 13:5).
- Ask God to help you make good on your desire to become more and more conformed to the image of Jesus in how you think and act.
- Ask God to help you relish in the fact that He is your Father, Jesus is your brother, and you can enjoy a relationship with them throughout each of your days.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into how you can know you are saved, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“How can I know if I am saved?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 