But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV)
The main purpose behind why Jesus went to the cross is family.
In fact, right from the beginning, God created us to be His family. The Message Bible version of Ephesians 1:3–6 says, “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.”
When mankind was separated from
God because Adam chose not to
follow Him, God didn’t give up on us. Ephesians 1:3–6 goes on to say, “Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!)” (The Message).
Yes, the Bible compares Christians to soldiers because we fight the good fight of faith. The church is also like a hospital for hurting people and it’s like a college where you can learn and grow in God’s Word. We as believers fulfill all of these roles, but primarily we are a family.
Over the course of this month, we’re going to delve into the finished work of Jesus and what it means to us as believers. We’re going to talk about how God’s original design for mankind was restored through Jesus, and I’m going to challenge you to embrace the power that becomes yours when you accept Him—the power to experience God’s best and build the life of your dreams.
But for today, I want you to understand that Jesus gave His life so that you and I could be adopted into God’s family. Family is God’s main priority and He loves His kids!