Does my family tree really matter?

Years ago we had friends whose interests were not like ours. To build a relationship, I began searching family history and trying to discovery our genealogical roots, a hobby of theirs. At first, it was interesting but I soon became bored. No one in our family wanted this information except one cousin who was trying to find a living relative, not any who had died.

Since then, I’ve met folks who do this research for other reasons including health. Our friends are still looking into their roots, speculating what might have happened to this uncle or that great aunt. Aside from historical interest, I’ve wondered if there is any spiritual  value to this, realizing that at least one religious group are heavily involved in genealogies.

Even though I’ve read this passage many times, I never noticed what it said about this topic until this morning. Paul writes to the pastor of the church in Ephesus with these instructions . . .

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane . . . . (1 Timothy 1:3–9, emphasis mine)

False doctrine was a problem in that early church. So also was being side-tracked by non-issues, even myths. A myth is a “traditional story that usually concerns the early history of a people or explains a natural or social phenomenon typically involving supernatural beings or events.” It can also be a widely held but false belief or idea.

Interesting that myth and genealogies are tied together in this Bible passage. A genealogy is a line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor. My experience is that even finding ancient birth and death records, newspaper clippings, and other visible evidence, most of the study of ancestors winds up with more myth to it than provable facts. This study, as Paul says, side-tracked them and me from more deeply knowing Christ and growing in faith.

From this passage, I can see a link that is not strong yet makes me wonder. The largest group involved in genealogy have a reason for doing this. They trace family trees to find ancestors who died without learning about their version of the gospel, wanting all relatives baptized by proxy into their faith. For them, genealogy is a way to save more souls and family history is a requirement for getting to heaven. They believe they will meet all their ancestors and be part of one giant, eternally bound family. Since everyone is related to everyone, their research is incredibly vast.

This belief system goes beyond what was happening in Ephesus yet something like it was side-tracking those early Christians. This indicates that genealogy is just another one of the liar’s devices to keep people from realizing and living out the truth that is in Jesus. As Paul says, they wander away into vain discussion with their rules and laws, not understanding the reason God gave the Law, nor the grace that brings us into a productive relationship with Jesus Christ.

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Lord Jesus, You showed me again that my curiosity can be both a good thing and not. I can easily be drawn into endless pursuits that are a total waste of time, genealogy being one of them. As I said to my friend (who is also losing interest), I want to think more about where I am going than where I have been. Family history can be fascinating but knowing the family of God and the joy we will share together in eternity is far more exciting. One day heaven will be filled with the sons and daughters of those who have put their faith in You. Our family tree is not the issue because what we do with Your offer of forgiveness and eternal life will determine our destiny.

Today’s thankful list . . .

Heaven’s population will be people related by faith in Christ, not by blood or DNA.

I enjoy being with God’s eternal family right now.

A day to work on a charity quilt.

Hubby has Fridays off to golf, catch up on household stuff, and just relax.

Thinking today how God supplies all my needs.

Bondage or Freedom?

I can think of dozens of time-wasting activities that vacuum up hours and days with very little return. Of course watching television is one of them. Another one is drifting through Pinterest or just aimlessly surfing the Internet. I can also use up many hours searching for new information to add to my family tree.

I’m not against TV, or looking at pictures, or gathering information, or even genealogical research, but I’ve learned these things are not the best focus for my free time – and if I do any of them very often, there is none of that left either!

Some Christians in the New Testament needed to watch out for the genealogy thing. They didn’t have ancestry.com back in those days, but some of them were hooked on something like it. Without the details, I will not speculate about what this means, but I do notice that Paul put it in the same category as false doctrine, myths and empty discussion! Obviously this pursuit was not good for them . . .

“As I urged you when I was leaving for Macedonia, stay on in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to spread false teachings, nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. Such things promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan that operates by faith. But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently. But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately, realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane . . . .” (1 Timothy 1:3–9, NET)

If Paul were writing today, he may have said something like this: “Tell false teachers to stop it, and to stop their preoccupation with stuff that doesn’t matter. It only gets them speculating about stuff that they cannot know or prove. Instead, their focus (and yours) should be on God’s plan of redemption through faith. This wonderful Gospel message promotes purity, a clear conscience, and genuine faith, all our goal for everyone. When any of you step away from goal into empty talk and vain ambition, you demonstrate that you don’t really know what the Gospel is all about. Not only that, false teachers become hung up on law-keeping the law without realizing its purpose. God gave it to convict those who are not saved. It needs to be used for that, not to put guilt trips on God’s people . . . .”

This is about freedom as well. Because Jesus set me free from the power of sin, my heart is now free to love others as God loves them. Also, my conscience is free from self-accusation and crippling guilt, and my faith is real, not pretense or hypocrisy. Freedom is not about doing what I want, or what pleases me. The only way I can be totally free is keeping my focus on God’s plan and what pleases Him.

To be realistic, the descriptions in that previous paragraph have a caveat. I cannot enjoy Gospel freedom if I choose the other kind that says freedom is living without self-discipline or restraint. Once I go there, I’ve lost my power over sin and all love for others. Before long, I’m feeling guilty about sin and wondering if God is even real. Such ‘freedom’ pulls the plug and true freedom goes down the drain.

True freedom means being filled with the Holy Spirit. Here is a list of what He produces and particularly notice the last item: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control . . .”

The passage goes on to say that when the Spirit governs my life, I do not need Law. Because I belong to Jesus Christ, I have crucified the old nature with its passions and desires and now live by the Spirit and God’s grace. Most important — I need to stay in step with the Spirit, not pull the plug and go back to being conceited, or to provoking people and envying them, losing my freedom to the bondage of sin. (Galatians 5:22–26)