There’s an old word that we don’t use a whole lot in our language. And as I’ve been thinking more about this word and learning more about this word, it’s really blown my mind how deep and how rich this word “kindred” is.
Kindred is an old-school word that only referred to a certain group of people. It wasn’t just family and friends. It wasn’t just neighbors. It wasn’t acquaintances. You were only called kindred if you were one of three things. If you weren’t these three, you were not kindred. You were something else. You were a buddy. You were a good hang.
The three things were this: you were family by blood; you were family by marriage; you were family by adoption.
Tweet This: You are the KINDRED of God. We are family by blood, family by marriage, and family by adoption. @aaronivey #asw13
This is one of the reasons that our relationship with God is not just so unique but is so completely bizarre and unbelievable and rich and deep and beautiful is because it’s the only relationship that you have or ever will have that is all three of those.
It’s all three.
You’ve been infused with the blood of royalty. You are a royal priesthood blood bought by the Lamb of God. You’re family by blood. You as the church, you are the bride of Jesus Christ. You are family by marriage. You’ve been adopted as sons and daughters of God. You are family by adoption.
You are the kindred of God. It’s only by understanding that you’re the kindred of God that Ephesians 2:10 would ever make sense in your head. You’re the workmanship of God. You’re the poem of God.
It’s only understanding you’re the kindred of God that Isaiah 43 would ever make sense when he says, “Fear not. I have redeemed you. I’ve called you by name. You are mine because you are precious in my eyes and honored. I love you and I give men in return for you.”
You’re the kindred of God that God gave the blood of Jesus for. It’s only by understanding you’re the kindred of God that 1 Corinthians 15 would encourage you to stay in the fight when it says “Be steadfast. Immovable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that in him, your labor is not in vain.”
It’s only by trusting you’re the kindred with God that Proverbs 18:24 could be more than just a wise statement when it says that there’s a friend, Jesus, that sticks closer than a brother. You are the kindred of God and it’s with a deep, abiding sense of this that you’ve got to believe him when he says, “I am with you.”
Every single one of us will have seasons of discouragement. Wether it’s discouragement in ministry, or a season of suffering in life, all of us will have moments where we feel distant and disconnected from God. But knowing and trusting that we are the kindred of God is what dispels the darkness of discouragement.
This truth has been stirring my affections for God lately, and causing me to worship Him with gratitude and wonder. I pray today you’d also be reminded that if you’re in Christ, you are the kindred of God… You are His by adoption, marriage, and blood.
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