Are You a Child of God?

John begins his gospel in a very different way than the other gospels. John doesn’t talk about Jesus’ birth; nor does he list any genealogies. Rather, John begins in a very theological way, equating Jesus with the “Word” and telling us that Jesus has been God from before the beginning of time. You can read this first chapter here: John 1. In this first chapter is what I think is a very important verse regarding salvation. In today’s pluralistic world, it is fashionable to say that everyone is a “child of God”. This phrase is often used to describe everyone who is born. Is everyone a “child of God”? Not according to the Bible. Here is how Jesus describes becoming a child of God: 10 He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John says that “as many as received Jesus, to those, He gave the “right” to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. Those who have not received Him, who have not believed in His name, are not “children of God”. Other parts of the Bible reveal to us that because of our sin, we are born in opposition to God, with a broken relationship because of our sin. Through Jesus and only through Jesus can we become a child of God. This is obviously very important to understand and communicate. Only a child is able to share in the inheritance that God has, including heaven. The most important question each person needs to answer is “Am I a child of God?”