Children of God

I don’t remember the day my parents brought me home, the day my adoption was finalized, but I know it changed my life forever. I also don’t remember all the things that I complained about growing up, but I’m guessing among the complaints were words like: “Do I have to eat this?” “All the other kids have such-and-such a toy.” “Why is my curfew so early?” “I don’t want to run errands with you.” “Why can’t I have store-bought clothes instead of second-hand?” “Why do I have to practice the piano?” “Why do I have to brush my teeth every day?”

I had been adopted into a loving family. I was given a name. I was provided for. I never went without food, clothing, or shelter. My parents loved me and cared for me, and even gave me many toys I wanted (I still have some of them). However, it is a safe bet that my complaints outweighed my gratitude, that my focus was more on what I didn’t have than what I had been blessed with.

Our pastor began teaching on the Gospel of John. As we went through 1:6-13, my thoughts stayed with verses 12-13, and our pastor’s question, “Is there anything greater you can receive than becoming a child of God?” stuck in mind. The answer is a resounding, “No!” But like my childhood, we often live (I know I do) as if being a child of God were not enough, as if there were other better options for us to chase after.

12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. [1]

John 1:12-13

There is much we could cover in this verse, but there are two points I want to discuss today. First, for those who have put their faith in Jesus’ atoning work on the cross alone for salvation, God gave. Becoming children of God was not our own doing. There is nothing we could do to ever earn the right to become God’s children. We were sinners and enemies of God (Romans 5:8, 10). Paul makes it clear that our salvation, our becoming children of God, is a gift of God and not a result of our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

As a newborn baby, there was absolutely nothing I had done to earn the favor of my parents to adopt me. I didn’t pay rent. I didn’t contribute in any way. In fact, it cost my parents not only to adopt me, but to care and provide for me. They gave, and I became their child. They sacrificed to make me their own. This is a mere picture of what God did for us. My parents sacrificed their time and money to give me a home and make me their child. God sacrificed His own Son to make us His children. Jesus willingly suffered and died in our place, bore the Father’s wrath, and was separated from the Father, so we could be sons and daughters of God, so we would never know God’s wrath, so we would never be separated from God, and so we would have an eternal home with God. God gave.

Second, God gave us the right to become children of God. How often do you think about what this means? I don’t know that we can fully wrap our minds around it this side of heaven, but I’m going to list several of the blessings that have been lavished on us as children of God. I’d encourage you to look up some of the verses yourself and spend more time meditating on them.

• I am a child of God. (John 1:12)

• I am a branch of Christ, the True Vine, and His channel to bear fruit. (John 15:1, 5)

• I am a friend of Christ. (John 15:15)

• I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)

• I am Christ’s witness to the world. (Acts 1:8)

• I have the righteousness of God through faith in Christ. (Romans 3:22)

• I am justified by His grace. (Romans 3:24; 5:1)

• I have been reconciled to God. (Romans 5:11)

• I am freed from being a slave to sin and am now a slave to righteousness and God. (Romans 6:6-7, 18, 22)

• I am dead to sin and alive to God. (Romans 6:11)

• I am dead to the law in order to bear fruit for God to whom we belong. (Romans 7:4)

• I am free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)

• I am a child of God and a joint heir with Christ. (Romans 12-17)

• I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. (Romans 8:28)

• I am called by God for His purposes. (Romans 8:28)

• I am being conformed to the image of Jesus. (Romans 8:29)

• I am free from any condemnation brought against me, and I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:31-39)

• I am a member of the unified body of Christ. (Romans 12:5)

• I am accepted by God. (Romans 15:7)

• I have received the Spirit of God to understand the things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)

• I have been given the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

• I am God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

• I was characterized by those sinful things, but now I am a washed, sanctified, and justified. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

• I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

• I am not my own. I was bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

• I am a member of the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

• I have victory over sin and death through Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

• I share in Christ’s Suffering and am comforted by God to be able to comfort others. (2 Corinthians 1:4-5)

• I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

• I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• I am a minister of reconciliation for God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

• I am the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

• I am justified by faith in Christ. (Galatians 2:16-17)

• I am a child of God through faith. (Galatians 3:26)

• I am a child and an heir of God. (Galatians 4:6-7)

• I am blessed with every Spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)

• I was chosen before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)

• I was predestined for adoption. (Ephesians 1:5)

• I have been redeemed through Christ’s blood and forgiven by His lavish grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

• I am sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of my inheritance. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

• I have been taken from death to life. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

• I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)

• I am God’s workmanship created to do good works that God has prepared. (Ephesians 2:10)

• I have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

• I have access to the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)

• I am a fellow citizen and saint of God’s household. (Ephesians 2:19)

• I am being built into a dwelling place for God. (Ephesians 2:22)

• I am a fellow heir, member of the body and partaker in the promise (eternal life). (Ephesians 3:6)

• I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)

• I am righteous and holy, created anew after the image of God. (Ephesians 4:24)

• I am forgiven. (Ephesians 4:32)

• I am equipped with the armor of God and through prayer. (Ephesians 6:14-18)

• I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me. (Philippians 1:6)

• I have Christ’s righteousness through faith. (Philippians 3:9)

• I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

• As I trust everything to God in prayer, I can have peace and my heart and minded guarded. (Philippians 4:7)

• I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me (context of contentment in all circumstances). (Philippians 4:13)

• I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. (Colossians 1:13-14)

• Christ Himself, the hope of glory, is in me. (Colossians 1:27)

• I am being rooted, built-up and established in the faith. (Colossians 2:7)

• I am filled in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

• I am buried, raised, made alive with Christ, and am totally forgiven. (Colossians 2:12-13)

• I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

• I will be with Christ in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

• I am chosen, holy and dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12)

• I am a child of Light, not of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

• I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-control not fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)

• I am saved and called to a holy calling because of God’s purpose and grace. (2 Timothy 1:9)

• I am strengthened by Christ’s grace. ( 2 Timothy 2:1)

• I will be persecuted by the world for living a godly life. (2 Timothy 3:12)

• I am justified by His grace and am an heir to eternal life. (Titus 3:7)

• I am sanctified and one with Christ; He is unashamed to call me His own. (Hebrews 2:11)

• I am a holy partaker of a Heavenly calling in Christ. (Hebrews 3:1)

• I am share in Christ. (Hebrews 3:14)

• I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

• I am sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10)

• I am equipped to do God’s will for His glory. (Hebrews 13:21)

• I am called to be impartial. (James 2:1)

• I am born again to a living hope (Christ) through the resurrection of Christ. (1 Peter 1:3)

• I am like living stone being built up as a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:5)

• I am an alien and stranger in this world. (1 Peter 2:11)

• I am example of suffering for doing good just as Christ suffered for me. (1 Peter 2:20-24)

• I am healed by Christ’s wounds. (1 Peter 2:24)

• After a short time of suffering, I will be restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established. (1 Peter 5:10)

• I am loved by God and called His child. (1 John 3:1)

• I am born of God and protected from the evil one. (1 John 5:18)

[2]

Reflection

1. Do you tend to have an entitlement attitude, prone to complaining and taking God’s blessings for granted or an attitude of gratitude for all that God has given to you as His child?

2. Do you view being God’s child as the greatest blessing? What have you chased after as if being God’s child was not enough?

3. As you read through the above list of blessings of being a child of God, which made you most grateful. Spend time in prayer thanking God for specific ways He has blessed you as His child.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 1:12–13. [2] This chart can be downloaded on my website under “Free Resources,” “Identity in Christ.”