Virtual Devotions

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to be called children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” – John 1:12-13

There are certain terms that tend to get under my skin when they are being used inappropriately and without proper understanding.  One of those terms is “children of God.”

Often I hear people say, “We are all God’s children.”  They normally use this phrase in the sense of universalism that all people are going to spend eternity with God because we are all his children.

The Bible tells us differently.  True, we are all God’s creation, but we are not all God’s children.  The apostle John teaches us that it is only through belief in Jesus Christ that we have the right to be called children of God.  The Greek word that John uses for “right” has a definite legal connotation.

The apostle Paul helps us to better understand the legal nature of this right.  Paul explains that God adopts us into his family.  This further emphasizes that we are not born into the family of God, but by his grace through faith he adopts us.

Jesus uses this truth in his argument with the Jews in John 8.  They claim that they are God’s children simply by virtue of being descendents of Abraham.  Jesus confronts their assumption and tells them that they are in fact children of the Devil.  He tells them that if they were children of God, they would love him.

Today, the people who are relying on salvation based on the assumption that they are God’s children by nature are as misguided as the Jews Jesus confronted in John 8.  We need to be willing to confront that assumption and correct their misunderstanding if we are to lead them to Christ.

There are two fathers, the father of lies, the Devil and the father of truth, God.  We will all spend eternity with one or the other.  This Father’s Day, make sure you and those you love know who the true Father is.

In Christ,

David