Title: God: An Expanding
Family
Introduction:
Most religions have attempted to define God in philosophical, mysterious, or
abstract terms. However, the Bible reveals God in a much more relational,
relatable, and understandable way: as a Family. From beginning to end, the
Scriptures show that God is love, and that love is manifested in His desire to
expand His Family through the creation and redemption of humankind.
1. Who is God?
God is a Family
In Genesis 1:26 we read: "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness..." The
plurality here is no accident. God is not an absolute solitude, but a unity of
relationship. John 1:1-3 confirms that in the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. Two divine beings acting together: the
Father and the Word, who later became flesh (John 1:14) as Jesus Christ.
Nature of God
·
God is love (1 John 4:8)
·
God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3)
·
God is Just (Deuteronomy 32:4)
·
God is Merciful (Exodus 34:6)
·
God is Omniscient (Psalm 139:1-6)
These attributes are not
independent qualities, but expressions of His essence as a familial and
relational Being.
2. The Creation of Man:
Reflection of God
God created human beings in
His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27), not only physically, but also with
the capacity for love, reason, and spiritual communion. Adam was made "the son of God" (Luke 3:38), which shows God's
intention to form a family.
3. God's Plan: Expanding His
Family
God doesn't just want
obedient human beings, but sons and daughters born of Him. Ephesians 1:4-5 says
we were predestined for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. Romans 8:29
calls Him "the firstborn among many brothers."
4. Jesus Christ: The Word
made Son
The eternal Word became flesh
(John 1:14), lived without sin, and rose again, being declared the Son of God
with power (Romans 1:4). He is not only our Savior, but also our Elder Brother
(Hebrews 2:11-12), and as the firstborn Son, he paved the way for us to become
children of God as well.
5. The Holy Spirit: The
Divine Energy that Engenders
God begets us spiritually
through His Spirit (John 3:5-6). It is not a third person, but the power of God
(Acts 1:8), His active energy, by which He transforms us (Titus 3:5) and gives
us access to His mind, feelings, and purpose (1 Corinthians 2:11-12).
6. The New Birth: Towards
Spiritual Composition
We are currently being formed
as spiritual children, but our full birth will come at the resurrection. 1
Corinthians 15:52 says we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Romans
8:23 speaks of the redemption of our bodies. Then we will truly be part of the
divine Family, with spiritual composition and immortality (1 John 3:2).
Conclusion: The Eternal
Purpose of the God-Family
God is creating an immortal
Family based on love, justice, and holiness. Jesus Christ is the perfect model
of the Son. We are being molded into that image. This process involves faith,
obedience, spiritual transformation, and, ultimately, glorification.
“And I will be their God, and
they shall be my children.” — Revelation 21:7
Additional Note: The Nature
of the Holy Spirit
A deeper reflection on the
Holy Spirit reveals that, far from being a distinct person within a
"trinity," the Scriptures present Him as the active energy or power
of God. In Hebrew, the word "Ruach" (spirit)
is a feminine noun, and when
action is attributed to it in the text, the accompanying verb is usually conjugated in the feminine form (e.g., Genesis 1:2). This
grammatical detail contradicts the idea of a masculine person as the Holy
Spirit.
On the other hand, in Greek,
the term used is "pneuma," which is a neuter noun and is accompanied by the neuter article "to." In many passages, the Spirit is mentioned
without a definite or indefinite article, as in Acts 2:4, which further
highlights its impersonal nature. This neuter and inarticulate usage suggests
an active force rather than a personal
identity.
Furthermore, it is said that
the Spirit can be quenched ("Do not quench the Spirit," 1 Thessalonians 5:19),
which is difficult to apply to a person, but makes sense if understood as a
divine force or influence. It is also stated that the Spirit unites with our spirit (Romans 8:16), testifying that we
are children of God. This reinforces the idea of a dynamic, living spiritual
connection between God and humankind, rather than an interaction between
separate people.
All of this points to a more
biblical and coherent understanding: the Holy Spirit is the active presence of God, His power that transforms,
guides, comforts, and engenders in us a new nature, preparing us to be born as
spiritual children into His eternal family.
Exegetical note on the symbolic language of the Holy Spirit
An analysis of the Greek text of John 1:32 and Acts 2:3 reveals the
consistent use of the adverb "hōs" ( ὡς , Strong's G5613) , meaning "like" or "in the manner of" ,
indicating a symbolic, not literal, comparison .
·
In
John 1:32 , John the Baptist
states:
"I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on
him."
In Greek: εἶδον tὸ piṇeṇa katvaῖon ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν
o
The
verb καταβαῖνον is a present participle, neuter singular (coinciding with πνεῦμα, neuter), which reinforces that the Spirit is not presented as a male person, but as a
visible action or manifestation.
o
The
adverb ὡσεὶ ("as though it
were") implies that John saw the movement of
the Spirit descending like the gentle flight of a dove, not
that the Spirit took the bodily form of a literal dove.
·
In
Acts 2:3, during Pentecost:
"And there appeared to
them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them."
o
Again
ὡσεὶ appears, indicating that the tongues
were not literally fire, but that
the manifestation had a similar appearance.
o
This
comparison points to the symbolic and powerful
character of the spiritual manifestation, without personifying
the Spirit as such.
These passages show how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself visibly in symbolic ways, without attributing to Him
corporality or independent personality. The grammar and style used in the Greek
text reinforce the idea that the Spirit is a divine, active,
and visible force, but not a "person" in the
classical human or Trinitarian sense.
Final Reflection
Jesus lived an ordinary and discreet life before his
manifestation as the Messiah, even in the eyes of his own cousin and prophet of
God.
Jesus and John: Human Knowledge and Spiritual Revelation
In John 1:31, John the Baptist
states:
"And I did not know him, but that he should be made manifest to
Israel, therefore came I baptizing with water."
This may seem contradictory, considering that John and Jesus were
related (Luke 1:36 mentions that their mothers were related). But the text
becomes clearer when we understand it this way:
John did know Jesus as a relative,
as a man, as the son of Mary, a carpenter (or builder, tekton) from Nazareth, and an older brother to others (Mark
6:3).
However, John did not know Him as the
Anointed One (Messiah) until the moment he saw Him coming at
baptism and received divine confirmation through the sign
of the Spirit descending like a dove (John 1:33-34).
This is also explained in Matthew 3:14, where John recognizes something
special in Jesus, probably because of his righteous and upright life:
"I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?"
Here we see that John, being a prophet filled with the Spirit from the
womb (Luke 1:15), perceived Jesus' righteousness,
but had not yet received the full prophetic revelation that he was the Son of
God. This occurs at baptism, when God confirms it with a visible sign (John
1:33).
Conclusion:
Jesus was fully human and lived among
his own people without exhibiting supernatural signs or messianic pretensions
before his time. This highlights his humility and the fact that his manifestation as the Christ came through revelation from the Father,
not for fame or spectacle. It is a profound lesson about how God works: in what is hidden, just, and true.
Share and
comment if this message inspires you to deepen your relationship with God and
accept the call to become part of His great family.
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