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Within the last decade, I woke up one day to the realization that every person I knew who said they were saved, was born again, and made a decision to follow Christ was my eternal relative.

I think up to that point I had never thought about the people that I did ministry with as my “current” brothers and sisters. All those people I had gone to church with were more than just my “church family.” It is interesting I think that in all my “church exposures” no one really talked about it or taught on it.

Looking at Jesus we see him as he is raised from dead from a mortal body into an incorruptible body. (No, I did not say that Jesus was corrupt). However, earthly bodies are much different from those immortal bodies that Christ followers will one day transform into.

Think about our earthly bodies, eventually they wear out. Our body will breakdown and one day will not work anymore, and then it will decay. An immortal body lives on forever. Jesus allowed himself to have a body just like ours and to walk the face of the earth as a mortal man. But, when he was raised from the dead he was changed.

Piper explains, “Our hope for future fellowship with him is not hope for a ghost-like floating in the same vicinity. It is the hope to see him face to face. Paul said this in words that would anticipate this passage, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

If we see dimly now and later hope to see face to face, then what we are seeing dimly now is the face to face Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

One of my absolute favorite things about having fellowship with God and being a Christ follower is that I do not have to wait to get to know him. Because of the Holy Spirit that dwells within me and dwells within my brothers and sisters, I get to know Christ even before I slip into eternity. Why? Simply, I am already grafted into eternity. My brothers and sisters are already a part of it too. There is the very beginning of “Yes Lord, have your way” to a never ending “Yes Lord, have your way.”

As you interact with your brothers and sisters this week think of them in terms of eternity. They are here now and will be with you forever and ever in the fellowship of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are your always and forever family.

Yvette Perrin is a columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.