What The Bible Says About The Children Of God

Last updated on: October 19, 2018 at 4:30 am by Jack Wellman

What The Bible Says About The Children Of God 2018-10-05T12:56:22-05:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Bible has a lot to say about the children of God, and it’s totally encouraging.

Become Like Children

When Jesus was speaking to the disciples, they had just been arguing who would be the greatest in the kingdom, but Jesus told them who would actually be the greatest. He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3), and so, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:4). When the disciples tried to keep children away from Jesus, meaning they wanted to see Him, He was not happy. He rebuked them for that, saying, (Matt 19:14). Do not prevent children from coming to Christ if it is their idea, but it must be their idea and not ours. Jesus never forced Himself on anyone and neither should we. Jesus never crammed religions down anyone’s throat because He came to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Milk to Meat

When Jesus said that we must be like children, He was more specific than that. We must become as little children, meaning small, humble, and teachable. My own children and grandchildren are like sponges. They soak up things faster than we realize, so when a person is born again, or born from above (John 3:3-8), they begin feeding on the milk of the word, or the basic elements of the faith (Rom 10:9-13; 1 Cor 15:1-4). Later, they are ready for more spiritual meat. Even though Paul said they should have been teachers by now, they will still in the elementary things and had not grown in the grace and knowledge of our Lord as they (and we) were instructed (2 Pet 3:18), and as the author of Hebrews writes, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child” (Heb 5:12-13). The Apostle Paul chastised the Church at Corinth by writing, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready” (1 Cor 3:2). They were not being child-like but childish (1 Cor 3:3). One thing about children…they grow, and if they don’t, something’s wrong. Believers should grow too. Whatever is not growing is dying.

God Acted First

No one can come to Jesus Christ unless the Father has drawn Him (John 6:44), so it is true that we “were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13), and then “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Just as a child has no choice or control over when or where they were born, neither do we have that choice. When God grants us repentance (Acts 5:31, 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25), and we put our trust in Christ, we have the right to be called the children of God. It was God Who acted first, and loved us before we ever loved Him (1 John 4:10, 19), just as He did Israel while still under Egyptian bondage. To have the right to be called a child of God requires that we have the righteousness of God, and that happens when we trust in Christ. Paul wrote that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

Inheritance Rights

In Paul’s humble way, he spoke of the riches that are found in Christ, writing, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8), so what are these unsearchable riches? It is the heritage of being a child of God, and we know that “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Rev 21:7). The riches include the gospel itself, hidden through many ages, but now revealed for us and for our children to know. The unsurpassed riches of having the wrath of God removed, and now being at peace with God since the former condemnation has been lifted (Rom 5:1, 8:1). Now we await the day when God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). Even greater will be the fact that “the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev 21:3), and believers, for the very first time, “will see his face” (Rev 22:4).

Conclusion

Paul made it clear that we can know if we are a child of God. He wrote, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Rom 8:14). That means “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom8:16), so you and I “have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father” (Rom 8:15)! That means if you are a child of God, then you too are “heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8:17). God made a sovereign act of the will by saving us, so “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1a)?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is a writer at Christian Quotes and also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

Previous Post

October 17, 2018

9 Powerful Bible Verses When Facing A Crisis

Next Post

October 22, 2018 Rock Of Ages Or Rock Of Offense?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am a sea that parted to let my people cross on dry ground but drowned their enemies. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The Sea of Galilee The Jordan River The Red Sea The Mediterranean Sea