Sibling rivalry is as old as Cain and Abel, and sometimes is as dangerous as what happened to Abel. But in the family of God sibling rivalry does not exist. God the Father has given to each of his children the same relationship he has with the only unique Son Jesus. God the Father is as friendly to us as to His own Son. Paul described the relationship this way.
For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom 6:10-11).
After Jesus was risen from the dead, his relationship with God the Father was fully restored. On the cross he was forsaken as he became our sin, and he substituted for us. But after his resurrection and ascension to Heaven, he has an open, loving and trusting relationship with God. That is the nature of the friendship with God that we have in Christ. So we are told to ignore sin within and fully embrace the friendship and sonship that we have in Christ. As Christ is alive to God, so are we, and we should presume it, we should take it for granted, we should enjoy it, we should assume it, we should count on it. It should be the foundation of our Christian life: as Christ is alive to the Father so are we!
