Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

10 April 2025

Reading From Luke 10:25-42

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

—Luke 10:25-28

     Jesus asked the expert in the law, “How do you read it?”  Christ Himself was asking an individual how they interpret Scripture.  Scriptural interpretation should involve the person humbly and earnestly seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a rigorous engagement with the written text of Scripture, and receiving wise counsel from the collective, consistent knowledge and experience of other faithful believers. 

     The Lord revealed to us in John 16:13 that we receive prophetic direction and instruction from the Holy Spirit, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”  It is vital to discern the difference between the voice of the Spirit and the emotions of our flesh.  We do this by testing the spirits against the written record of God’s revelations, the Holy Bible.

     The Church is blessed to have the treasury of spiritual knowledge and wisdom called the Bible.  The sixty six books of the Old and New Testaments form the only rule of faith and practice for followers of Jesus Christ.  In order to posses this knowledge and wisdom, we must first prayerfully read the Scriptures each day.  If we think that physical food is important to our health, how much more vital is a balanced diet of spiritual food?  As I read, I ask the Spirit to show me patterns and common threads of truth systematically woven throughout the text to form the breathtakingly gorgeous, harmonious tapestry that is the Word of God.  Numbers 23:19 tells us, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”  He will never contradict what He has already said in His written Word.

     As we read the Bible, it is good to seek the counsel of commentaries that were written by trustworthy men and women of God.  While we value their insights, we need to carefully consider their writings, listen to the witness of the Spirit within us, and check it against the whole counsel of the Word of God.  Looking up the meanings of the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic words brings clarity and vibrancy to study.  Follow the treasure trails made by the cross references and footnotes to gain a broad perspective of the panoramic narrative.  II Timothy 2:15 instructs us, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

     We need the doctrinal accountability that comes with solid leadership and strong relationships with fellow faithful believers.  Not everything that human beings say or do is trustworthy, which is why we need to, “hate what is evil and cling to what is good.”[1]  Choose wisely who you will allow to speak into your life.  Has God blessed them with wisdom that comes from experience and study?  Do they bear good spiritual fruit in their lives?  Are their beliefs and practices consistent with the totality of the Word of God?  If so, then you will benefit greatly from discussing the truths of Scripture with them and putting them into practice together in the context of your local faith community.  Proverbs says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”[2] And, “Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”[3]  It is vital to our spiritual health to have balanced and harmonious interpretation of Scripture.

     The Great Commandment is foundational to our faith experience and obedience to it shows where our eternal destiny will be.  Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, the power of physical death has been broken.  Every human who has ever lived will be resurrected when He returns.[4]  By believing and receiving Him in this life, we are born again and experience His victory over spiritual death as well.[5] 

Those who make the decision to follow Him will be resurrected unto eternal life in the family of God,[6] enjoy perfect harmony with Him,[7] and reign with Him for eternity in the New Heaven and the New Earth,[8] the celestial kingdom of God.[9]  Tragically, those who reject the Gospel will depart from His Presence and experience the second death in Hell.[10]  How do we know if a person is born again or not?  They will bear good spiritual fruit.  The Lord is the Spirit,[11] the Spirit bears good spiritual fruit,[12] and the fruit of the Spirit is love.[13]  Jesus told us, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”[14]  If we do not love God, love others and love ourselves, we will not inherit eternal life.

“O Lord Jesus, thank You for who You are and the priceless Word of Truth You have given us.  Through You we have life, abundant and eternal.  You fill us to overflowing with Your love and empower us to share Your Good News with others.  May we be faithful to live according to Your Word, function in the power of Your Spirit, and overcome evil with good.  We are imperfect, but You are perfect.  Your perfect love casts out all our fear.  We love You.  Help us to love others and love ourselves.  In the strong and mighty Name of Jesus Christ I pray these things.  Amen.”

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

—I John 4:7-12

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[1] Romans 12:9

[2] Proverbs 27:17

[3] Proverbs 11:14

[4] Acts 24:15, John 5:28-29

[5] Romans 5:12-21, 6:1-11, Revelation 20:6

[6] John 1:12-13, I John 3:1-2, Ephesians 2:19-22, Galatians 6:10,

[7] John 17:11, 20-23, Galatians 2:20, John 15:4, Psalm 23:6, Acts 17:28, Ephesians 4:3, I Corinthians 1:10, Philippians 2:2, II Peter 1:4

[8] Revelation 21-22, Romans 8:19-22, Isaiah 65:17, 66:22, II Peter 3:13

[9] Psalm 11:4, 103:19, I Kings 22:19, Isaiah 6:1, 63:15, Matthew 5:34, Acts 7:49, Hebrews 8:1, Revelation 4:2, 21-22

[10] Revelation 20:14, 21:8, Matthew 7:21-23

[11] II Corinthians 3:17

[12] Matthew 3:8, 7:17-20

[13] Galatians 5:22-23

[14] John 13:35