Understanding Christ's Family with Adler's Family Model

As a graduate student at Liberty University, I knew I liked Adler's family theory relating to the understanding of identity formation. As a new believer, something about Adler's model explaining how the family origin relates to a self-concept or human personality made sense to me. (If you'd like to read more about this: look at my theory paper published a few years ago). Yet, as I have deepened my walk with Christ, I started to understand just how much family means to God, and I have a newfound explanation for why I loved Adler's model.

Adler believed an individual's family was a large part of identity formation and perception of life. The Bible confirms this, because when people are born, they are born as sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." As Adam and Eve sinned against God, they were given a sin nature that was reproduced to their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on. People are the products of this sin nature from birth, because humanity inherited it from our ancestors long ago in the Garden of Eden.

Children are born sinners. This is evident early on for all of us who have been around children. Children want their own way, and they frequently do things like hit, lie, or steal and eat the last cookie they were told to leave for someone else. They sin without thinking twice, and their sin nature isn't taught, because it is something they are born with. John 3:3 says, "Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”" If a person must be born again to inherit heaven, then they will make a decision to change or leave their root family stemming from the sin nature.

Children need parents, educators, and other adults around them who will intentionally drive this sin nature out of them by leading them into righteousness. Adults are responsible for teaching children there is another way. This knowledge is not inherent, and children will do the wrong thing if they are not corrected, disciplined, and made to stop. Without the knowledge of good and evil, children will fall prey to the devil. They will be unable to distinguish right from wrong. Proverbs 13:24 explains, "He who spares his rod of discipline hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines diligently and punishes him early." The rod of discipline does not mean spanking. The rod of discipline is a tool (there are many tools), that can be used to correct a child and get them to repent from sin and turn from sinful behaviors and desires.

The rod of discipline is implemented through instruction, correction, and turning the child away from sin and folly, in order to save his or her soul from hell. This can be done in a variety of ways, and it may or may not include spanking the child. A child who is made to go to bed early, because they hit their sibling, will get the message, and the parent doesn't have to spank the child to properly discipline them. If you want more information about this topic, I highly recommend John Rosemond's book Parenting By The Book.

When people grow in a family, they learn concepts relating to the world, their identity, and the expectations and etiquette for others and themselves. They also have a projected future, based on the things that they have experienced or seen. The family of sin inherited by all people when they are born seems to be natural, normal, and proper for humanity, because it is the way that people naturally relate through the human senses to the world around them. It takes a person being reborn to change the trajectory of a life. New perception of self and new behavior requires new eyes, new ears, a new sense of smell, a new taste, and new experiences from a new creature.

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior, he is a new creature reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit; the old things the previous moral and spiritual condition have passed away. Behold, new things have come because spiritual awakening brings a new life."

When a person accepts Jesus Christ, they are a new creature. They become a part of a new family. The old passes away and the new springs forth life. Just like a newborn baby the new believer must learn how to relate to the world around them. And although the new believer has a lot of learning and growing to do our Heavenly Father understands the human condition, and He gives grace to us if we want to be in His family. God teaches, protects, and disciplines the new believer as they begin to prosper and develop as Christians. He shows new believers the etiquette and manners of the new household of faith.

When Jesus died on the cross for humanity, He gave all people access to the family of God. As Christians, we are in the family. There is no doubt about this. We are not simply servants or life-long sinners saved by grace. Instead, we are made righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ, and we are new creatures. Creatures who are apart of God's glory. God makes us a royal priesthood and makes us into royal members of the house as we accept His son.

We are God's children. Children who should expect all perfect, all knowing, and all loving Father to provide and guide us into perfection. From the very first day we say yes to Jesus we are loved and received by the Father. Corinthians 1:28-30 explains, "And God chose the small things, things that people despise. Yes, he chose even the things which seem to be nothing. He did this to destroy the big things. He did this so that people would not be proud before God. You are God's children through Christ Jesus. Christ came from God and made us wise. He put us right with God. He made us holy. He set us free from our wrong ways."

There is a difference between God's children and the children of the world, the children of the devil. As God's children, we are separate. We have been taken out of the world. We have been separated from the curse and from the control of Satan. We have been joined into the Kingdom of God, and we are no longer sinners. We are children of God. Children who have been redeemed, set free, and joined to God Almighty. We have a new name, and a new purpose. Thank you, Jesus! Hallelujah.

1 John 3:10-18 teaches, "By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother his fellow a believer in Christ. For this is the message the announcement which you have heard from the first, that we should love one another, And not be like Cain who took his nature and got his motivation from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds activities, works were wicked and malicious, and his brothers were righteous virtuous. Do not be surprised and wonder, brethren, that the world detests and pursues you with hatred. We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides remains, is held and kept continually in spiritual death. Anyone who hates abominates, detests his brother in Christ is at heart a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding persevering within him. By this we come to know progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand the essential love: that He laid down His own life for us; and we ought to lay our lives down for those who are our brothers in Him. But if anyone has this world’s goods resources for sustaining life and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? Little children, let us not love merely in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth in practice and in sincerity."

All Scripture has been quoted from the Amplified Bible.