Lesson 7, May 11-17
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 33:12-14, Ruth 1:16-18, John 17:21-26, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 2:11-22, 5:21-6:9.
Memory Text: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21, NKJV).
Family life represents different seasons of life for different people. For the mother and father, the introduction of children in their lives represents a major change, one that will last their lifetimes. And for the offspring, of course, going from nonexistence to existence is, indeed, a major transition. Then, too, children go through the various stages of life until they leave home and, indeed, might have children of their own.
Yet whether as parents or children in a family, we all struggle with the same thing, and this is our sinful fallen natures, which can make unity in family life very challenging, to say the least.
Yes, in the body of Jesus Christ on the cross all humanity has been reconciled to God and to one another (Ephesians 2:13-16, Galatians 1:21-23), but on a daily practical level we must appropriate for ourselves the grace of Christ, which alone can make family unity a living experience for all who seek it in faith. This must be a daily experience in our lives. Fortunately, through the grace of Christ, it can be.
