Luke 8.19-21 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
According to Jesus, His family consists of people who hear the word of God and put it into practice. Now that sounds pretty non-denominational to me. Those who hear God’s Word and apply it to their lives are in the family of God. That presupposes that they believe God’s Word to be true. For, if a person says that they believe the bible is the Word of God, but live a life that contradicts that “belief”, they are deceiving themselves.
James wrote, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. God promises a blessing to those who hear and obey His Word.
Beloved, there is a lot of religious “noise” of well-meaning Christians who are seeking to “convert” you or “conform” to their particular tribe’s philosophy of the Christian life. They have their own unique vocabulary and “catch phrases.” But here is the bottom line. Love and obey God supremely. Love all those who love and obey Him, regardless of the “religious uniform” they wear. Pray for the lost and share the gospel with them with your lips and your lives. The family of God is much wider than you think.
