Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

I was pondering upon what to write today, thinking on the family of God. Doing a word search on family in the KJV, I found it appeared only one in the New Testament. It appeared 21 times in the NIV. Curious as to why I looked up the Greek used for family in the NIV and found oikos. Its first and primary definition is house or home. Drilling down to other translations looking for family I discovered this definition; the inmates of a house.

I am the type of person who is fascinated by words in The Word. The origins and related meanings of context and experience can be a revelation. I see similarities within the old meanings and how life in Christ plays out today. Are they accidental? Maybe, but interesting to ponder in a setting free from doctrinal constraints.

Consider the behavior of inmates. While they all fall under the constraints of the warden, they form attachments within the prison (house). They feel secure in forming attachments of like thinkers. Christians tend to gravitate to believers who have similar if not the same beliefs. Inmates form gangs within the prison, shielding one another. Christians form denominations like Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, and a variety of others even those classified non-denominational.

Ezekiel 47:10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

We fishers of men all cast our nets upon the same water. Our nets catch those of our own kind.

Yet all are inmates of the same house.

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

We are currently doing a study this week about God’s sovereignty. Interestingly enough the word sovereign does not appear in the King James Version of the bible in any form. The word used in the KJV which is interpreted as sovereign in other translations is kingdom. The use of the title Lord and King of kings also points us to sovereignty.

I have no difficulty with God being sovereign but I listen to people and it seems that others do not relate to this issue with the peace and comfort that is also a large part of who God is in this world. I wonder why. Perhaps it is because their only reference to sovereignty is a historical relevance of earthly nobles.

There is a mistrust of human kingdoms. They are selfish and defensive. Power has to be felt for authority to be maintain. The terms and conditions living in a kingdom of man are strict and unyielding. We know that God does not change and that in itself whispers into our subconscious strict and unyielding, but God is not man that He should lie.

When we hear the gospel of Jesus Christ the main focus is the escape from this miserable life towards something better and more desirable. We here that all we have to do to be saved is to believe by faith, that faith saves. Believe on the name of Jesus Christ and be saved. The terms we hear are believe. There is no fine print to be read.

We are babes in Christ, innocent of what it means to be Christians. We grow in Christ, we get weaned off the milk of the gospel and move towards digesting strong meat. We grow in grace. We grow in knowledge. We are conformed to the image of Christ. Yet the issue of His sovereignty, His will be done, always looms in the background as an unseen element of His majesty, always lurking there.

That is the largest difference between earthy kings and God’s sovereignty. Earthly kings lead with power and might to rule with authority. God leads with love to draw us into a place of willing service, to enact His will to show and extend His power which is to save the lost.

Romans 1:16a For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;