On Being a Child of God

This post will be totally my friend's explanation of what being a child of God means, backed by Scriptures.

His explanation is beautiful and must be allowed to speak for itself, for Joseph is a very precise Bible teacher.

All words and choice of Scripture are his.

First and foremost, a person who believes in the One True God must also believe His Word together with its proper interpretation.

A passage in Revelation says: 

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: 

If anyone adds anything to them, 

God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 

And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, 

God will take away from that person 

any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, 

which are described in this scroll.”

Revelation 22:18-19 NIV

So how does one become a child of God?

Jesus Himself said:

“Jesus replied, 

“Very truly I tell you, 

no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” 

“How can someone be born when they are old?” 

Nicodemus asked. 

“Surely they cannot enter a second time 

into their mother’s womb to be born!” 

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, 

no one can enter the kingdom of God 

unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 

Flesh gives birth to flesh, 

but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 

You should not be surprised at my saying, 

‘You must be born again.’”

John 3:3-7 NIV

The moment we are physically born in this world, we also spiritually dead.

We have to go back to Genesis to find out why we’re born spiritually dead. (No true relationship with God, i.e. not a child of God).

“And the Lord God commanded the man, 

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 

but you must not eat from the tree 

of the knowledge of good and evil, 

for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Genesis 2:16-17 NIV

God gave our first parents, Adam and Eve only one command and yet they blew it. The consequence was spiritual death and all mankind inherited such death, no exceptions.

Because we are spiritually dead, we must be spiritually born again to enter the kingdom of God. To be born again also means to belong to the Family of God, to be a child of God, to have Salvation, to have Eternal Life.

How?

“Yet to all who did receive him, 

(Jesus) to those who believed in his name, 

he gave the right to become 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 NIV

The formula is easy but many miss it and many even refuse to believe it because it is too simple. Man’s tendency is to add or subtract to God’s formula and that’s how new religions are created. Man wants to always interfere with God’s Word to their own detriment. But we must leave His Word alone because it is Truth.

Jesus said,

“Sanctify them by the truth; 

your word is truth.”

John 17:17 NIV

To believe, to have faith, in Jesus for who He is and what He has done for you is all it takes to have eternal life. No more, no less.

This popular verse says it all, the GOSPEL in its simplest form.

“For God so loved the world 

that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish 

but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

This verse and several others make Believing the requirement for Salvation and nothing else. Salvation is not earned, it is not worked for. It is given as a gift to those who believe.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this is not from yourselves,

it is the gift of God— 

not by works, 

so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

Here’s a version coming from AMPC.( Amplified Bible Classic Edition):

“For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]”

Ephesians 2:8-9 AMPC

Salvation is 100 percent God’s business. He does everything. Our only contribution is believing or having faith and nothing else. Unfortunately, Roman Catholicism has tampered with this truth big time. They have tampered with God’s formula or requirement for Salvation. Keep in mind, Revelation 22:18-19 and the following:

“I am astonished 

that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you 

to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. 

Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion 

and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, 

let them be under God’s curse! 

As we have already said, 

so now I say again: 

If anybody is preaching to you a gospel 

other than what you accepted, 

let them be under God’s curse!”

Galatians 1:6-9 NIV

That was written by Paul to the Galatian church. Here’s the pure Gospel which he reminded the Corinthians of and this is all what we must believe.

“Now, brothers and sisters, 

I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, 

which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 

By this gospel you are saved, 

if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. 

Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: 

that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 

that he was buried, 

that he was raised on the third day 

according to the Scriptures,”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NIV

Of course, nobody can accomplish this but only Jesus, God the Son, Himself.

That’s the Gospel, the Good News!

 All that’s needed is a firm, honest, and sincere belief to the truth of the Gospel.

With that, you have Jesus in you forever. It’s a one-time happening just as it takes to be born only once physically. With that, you are a child of God and you KNOW that you are a child of His.

“Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. 

Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, 

because they have not believed 

the testimony God has given about his Son. 

And this is the testimony: 

God has given us eternal life, 

and this life is in his Son. 

Whoever has the Son has life; 

whoever does not have the Son of God 

does not have life.”

1 John 5:10-12 NIV

Align yourself with these truths if you haven’t yet and you’re a child of God forever!

And here’s a divine BONUS:

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, 

and those who lead many to righteousness, 

like the stars for ever and ever.”

Daniel 12:3 NIV

This is one of the rewards for those who lead people to righteousness, especially to believe in the Gospel and get saved.

Of course this reward is obviously figurative.

Updated 18 January 2022