My New Brother!

Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2Cor.5: 16-18)

It’s hard to forget the eagerness of awaiting that first-born child. It is a time of growth, responsibility, and hard work. It seems the anticipation increased when number two was on the horizon. Looking back at it, my son Elliot was very excited about becoming a big brother. One of the books we read often was “I’m a Big Brother Now!” This assisted in preparing him to have an accepting, kind, and helpful attitude toward the baby. When we brought the newborn baby, Charlotte to our house, in those first weeks, Elliot would gleam with pride as if to say, “That’s my little sister. I’m a big brother now!” In a similar way, Rose and I are rejoicing over another addition to the family. However, this is not another child in the Cole family, but in God’s family.

My wife’s brother, Pat, has recently (in the past six months) been born-again. That is, he has come to know Jesus Christ, trusting in the finished work of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection alone for salvation. He is my new brother! It is an exiting and fearful time. It is a time of growth, responsibility, and hard work. I take pleasure in watching as my new brother takes his first steps. Pat is disciplined, committed to, and diligent in reading (I should say studying) his Bible, praying, meeting with a local church and sharing his faith with others. He asks good questions, some of which I can answer, some which challenge me, and some just stump me. This is the way a Christian grows and matures in the faith.

I truly delight in his joy and satisfaction in our Savior! I also feel his sorrow for those in our family that are lost. We have loved ones who cling to a dead religion of works righteousness, or who have become complacent and indifferent about their eternal destiny and their present gloom. There are other people we know who think that they are right with God because they “made a decision when they were five,” “walked the isle,” and/or were “baptized” - yet there is no fruit - no evidence of conversion - no desires to meet with other believers, read the Bible, or pray.

May I remind those of us who are heaven-bound to pray that the Father would draw lost loved ones to Himself, and that they would respond to His offer of salvation. Also, I pray that our Savior would enter afresh into the lives of those who have by God’s grace “become new”.

It is such a delight to see someone being transformed by the renewing of his mind, not reformed by a different set of practices. I am so encouraged by my new brother that I had to pass this story onto you. Is there a new brother or sister near to you that you wish to comment on? Perhaps you are a new creature and you want to tell us what Jesus did for you, so others may rejoice with you too. Q & A always welcomed.