Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

10 March 2025

Reading From Mark 12:1-27

“Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

—Mark 12:24-27

     The question of marriage in the afterlife was an unusual one for the Sadducees to ask because they did not believe in a literal resurrection.  They were only asking the question to attempt to stump the Lord Jesus.  Some might be saddened by His answer in that spouses who truly love each other might want to be together in Heaven.  If husband and wife are born again and continuing in the faith, then they will be together but the relationship between all of the sons and daughters of the Most High God will be a deeper bond than any human relationship we experience on Earth.  The eternal family of God is deeper than human marriage.

     In the New Heaven and the New Earth none of the corrosive, divisive effects of sin will be present.[1]  There will be no disagreements, fights, arguments, battles or wars.[2]  We will enjoy perfect harmony and unity with God and with one another in the Body of Christ as we all partake of His divine nature[3] on a level we were not able to in the fallen, limited state of our present reality in time and space.[4]  From the moment we are born again until we see God face to face, we are on a journey of becoming more and more like Him from glory to glory.[5] 

     As we decrease and He increases within us, our unity with each other and with Him becomes greater and purer.[6]  Each child of God is sealed to Himself and His eternal family by the Holy Spirit of promise.  As each of us surrenders more and more of ourselves to the control and authority of the Lord, His Presence increases within us and we become more united as one Body.  

     Corrie ten Boom likened this process of sanctification and the infilling of the Holy Spirit to a house where a home church is meeting.  If there were ten people in a small house, you would say the house is full.  At the next meeting, people have invited more to come so the owner of the house moves a china cabinet outside in order to fit more people.  Again we would say that the house is full.  If this happens every week, then eventually there will be nothing in the house but people and the house is full. 

     So it is with our lives.  As we ask the Lord to search us and if there be anything offensive to Him within us, please remove it and replace it with more of Him.  When we’re saved, we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  As we are sanctified, our sinful desires are gradually removed and replaced with more of the Presence of the Living God.

“Lord, I pray that I would decrease that You might increase in my life.  Remove anything about me that does not honor You.  Open my spiritual eyes to my sin and guide me with Your kindness to repentance.  Holy Spirit, lead me deeper into all truth.  Teach me Your ways that I would walk in them.  Increase the unity of Your Body in the Name of Jesus Christ I pray.  Amen.”

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

—I Corinthians 1:10

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

—I Peter 3:8

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[1] Revelation 22:3

[2] Isaiah 2:4, II Peter 3:13, Revelation 22:1-5

[3] II Peter 1:4

[4] I Corinthians 13:12

[5] II Corinthians 3:18

[6] John 3:30, Ephesians 4:3, Romans 15:5-6, Matthew 18:20, Philippians 2:2