Are You a Child of God?

Maybe you think this is a silly question. We are all children of God, aren’t we? After all we call Him Father. But what does it mean to be a child of God? Some would say that since we were created by God that all of humanity are God’s Children. But is that true? Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created man in His own image. But it is in Ephesians 1:3-6 that Paul lays out the idea that we have been adopted by God as sons through Jesus. The Jews considered Abraham to be their father. During Jesus’ ministry the Jewish leadership thought it was blasphemous for Jesus to call God Father. All things considered it is easy to see that humanity is MADE in the image of God but that does not make us God’s children. Again, according to Paul, we become adopted as children of God through Jesus, specifically because of the redemption that comes through the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7).

So, what does it mean to be a child of God?

To be a child of God we must believe in God and that Jesus is His son. We also need to confess our belief and then be obedient. That obedience includes being washed in the blood of Christ by the waters of Baptism and then living our lives according to God’s Will. Living according to God’s Will is not always easy. In fact, Jesus told His disciples that they WOULD be persecuted and thrown in prison on account of their confession. The question is not, “Will being a Christian be difficult?” the question we need to ask is this: “Is the cost of living my life for God worth the eternal reward that God has promised?”