In Christ, We Rise Above Our Raising

Some of us are blessed with the best of parents.


Some of us are unfortunate enough to have endured abusive or distant parents.


Some of us may never have known our parents.


No matter how diligent or painstaking our parents may have been in rearing or raising us, we must all eventually rise above our raising.

In fact, through Christ, we are adopted into the best family:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1: 12-13)

Jesus confirmed the new family status of His followers when He revealed Himself to Mary:

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20: 17)

Because of the Holy Spirit within us, we have forevermore the certainty within us of whose we are:

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 14-15)


We no longer  depend on the learnings and lessons of our elders:

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:24)


The Holy Spirit supplies us with all the direction that we need:

"Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." 1 John 2:20)


John later writes:


"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27)


Jesus never despised his parents, but He did have to remind them not just who He was, but whose He was:


"And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49)


In now wise should we feel that we are betraying our Lord when we attach our calling, our very lives, to Him at the expense of our parents:


"And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." (Luke 8:21)


Later, Jesus gives a more caustic calling:


"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)


Of course, the exhortation here is to love everyone with the love that God gives us through the Holy Spirit, forever breaking away the old, fleshly attachments to our parents and relatives.


We are called even to excel above Christ Himself in the works that believers will do by faith:


"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12)


How is this possible? We are made to rise not just above our human raising, but raised with Christ Himself!:


"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12)


We are risen with Christ, those who believe on Him. We sit in heavenly places with Christ, in the place of highest honor, at the right hand of God our Father: (Ephesians 2: 4-6)


There is no better reason to rise above one's raising!