ARE YOU A CHILD OF GOD?

ARE YOU A CHILD OF GOD?

 

I want to quote from John 1:12+13: “ But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” In Galatians 3:26 we read that we are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. In the letter to the Romans 10:9 it says in a little different way. It says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. That means that you become a child of God. There are many people in the world that believe in a god, but we become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

We are all born into an earthly family, but we are now becoming members of another family with God as our Father and Jesus as our brother. We have millions of sisters and brothers all over the world. They look different from us, might speak another language and might behave a little different, but we have a common Father. I have travelled to other countries, and I meet sisters and brothers wherever I am. One can feel that we have the same spirit. Sisters and brothers might not always agree, but we have to go to our common Father and ask Him to help us to solve the problems. We read in 1.5:5-6 that we should humble ourselves before God. He resists the proud but shows grace to the humble. It also says that God should exalt the humble in due time. Let us humble ourselves and show love for our sisters and brothers.

If you have had a good relationship to your earthly father, it should be easier to think of God as your heavenly Father. Some people get a bad feeling and might get problems when they hear the word daddy. The fact is that God is our heavenly Father and we have rights here on earth as well as rights of inheritance as long as we are children of God. I will quote Romans 8:14-18: “For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Just think that you are a child to the One Who has created heaven and earth and as a child we have inheritable rights, not only in heaven, but here on earth. We might not always use our legal rights. God has given us promises, but sometimes we live and toil in our own power without using the means God has given to us. In Matthew 28 Jesus promised to be with us all our days till the end of the world. He has given us His authority, and we can use His name both when we pray and when we resist the devil. In Colossians 2:15 we read that Jesus disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them. Jesus has also taken our sins and sicknesses. (Isaiah 53:4+5)

In Luke 18:15-18 we read that small children came to Jesus so that He could touch them. The disciples tried to stop the children from coming to Jesus, but Jesus said: “Let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.” He continues to say that if you do not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, you will not enter it. What does Jesus mean by this? What is typical for a small child? A child is often pure and a little naive. They are simple and do not make things so complicated. They usually trust their parents and God wants us to trust Him. We should believe and trust what He says in His Word and we should come to God as a daddy and be sure that He loves us and wants to help us. Knowledge might sometimes make it more difficult to receive in a simple way when one gets older. We might also start to doubt and make things more complicated than what they really are. A child isn’t always so diplomatic. They might say what they want without thinking if it is correct. They are more honest and direct. If Ceasar doesn’t have any clothes they say so.

In Matthew 18 Jesus says that the greatest in heaven is like a little child. Jesus is actually talking about being humble. He says in verse 5 that whoever receives one little child like this in My name, receives Me.

What is more characteristic for a small child? Children are playing. I believe that we Christians sometimes get too religious. It is possible to become too spiritual. We can never come too close to Jesus, but we might act very differently than Jesus. People criticized Jesus for eating with sinners and publicans. Jesus had a relationship with people. He transformed water to wine in a wedding. Many have been destroyed by excessive drinking, so I have full respect for those abstaining from alcohol, but we cannot take this story out of the Bible. Jesus was a pure man, but He was not afraid of speaking to women. Maybe He could do that because He was pure. The Bible doesn’t describe a religious Jesus. No, He was very much alive, and He participated both in joy and sorrow. I believe that God our Father wants His children to be well and enjoy life. King David danced and why have so many Christians stopped dancing? Maybe because the devil has misused the dance. That doesn’t mean that we have to use it in a wrong way. Children play and dance.

LET US BECOME LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN!

Mother Else