Written by Beliza Patricia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Joao Pessoa, Brazil.
In Brazil we have an expression: “But I’m also a son/daughter of God!”
Usually, people will say this after spending more money than they should, or after reacting badly to a situation. In other words, they will use this expression in an indirect way, when what’s really being said is: “Because I am a child of God, I have certain rights…”
The fact is that not everybody is a son/daughter of God, even though we are all His creation. And indeed, His children receive privileges, but none of it is because of our own merits. So how do I know if I am a child of God or not?
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)
What makes us children of God is the belief in Jesus Christ. It is receiving Him as Lord and Savior of our lives. And the truth is that God was the one who made all of this possible.
While some people will use the expression “I am a son/daughter of God” as a fundamental and inalienable right, the Bible tells us something different.
“among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Eph. 2:3)
Sin pushes us away from God. We were deserving of God’s wrath because we disobeyed. We didn’t obey His will. But God’s love is so immeasurable that through Jesus, He saved us! And there’s more! There was nothing we could do to obtain that through our own efforts.
Through Jesus, He redeemed us: He resurrected us and promised us eternal life while we were dead in our transgressions. He justified us: He declared we were righteous even though we didn’t deserve it. He adopted us: He received legally as His children, part of His family. Adoption is a blessing decreed by God.
The adopted ones receive guidance, instruction, protection, correction, and safeguarding from God. And one last gift that is so important: He gives us eternal life.
Try to comprehend how big God’s love is for us: He could give us eternal life through Jesus and still reserve for us the role of being just servants. That would already demonstrate mercy from Him. But He does more than that!
We cannot forget that our adoption into God’s family happens only by His grace, not by our works. But what we receive freely had a high cost for God.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5)
Redemption is a rescue that means obtaining or freeing, upon the payment of a price. Our adoption was very costly to God. It cost His Son’s life. Yes, Jesus had rights, but He never sinned (1 Pet. 1:22). Through Him all things were created (Col. 1:16). Without Him nothing would have been made (John 1:3). And yet, because He loved us, He emptied Himself and became like us to pay the price for our sins (Phil. 2:6-8). We can never forget that free adoption for us was costly to God.
I said that the adoption (that is undeserved) gives us privileges. Some of the privileges for those adopted by God are:
- Having a Father/son or Father/daughter relationship with God. (1 John 3:1)
- Knowing God takes care of our necessities. (Matt. 6:32)
- Knowing God blesses us (Matt. 7:11)
- Being guided by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14)
- Being disciplined by God (yes, discipline is a privilege!) (Heb. 12:6)
And returning to the famous phrase: “But I am also a son/daughter of God!”, those who claim to be sons and daughters must remember that the adoption as His children comes with a transformation guided by the Holy Spirit. Our actions, our thoughts, desires, words, everything is modified when we become children of God. Our behavior must be like our Heavenly Father’s (Eph. 5:1).
“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Gal. 3:26)