What it means to be a child of God
This past weekend, I spent time with my niece and nephew. We made their dad’s favorite banana nut bread, wrapped ourselves in “blanklets,” and played hotel among many other games. Bonus, my nephew got baptized.
But, as I watched them play, observing the pure joy in their faces, the Holy Spirit pointed out that this is what God wants for us. Oftentimes we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.
We worry about how, when, and where things will happen. For many people, it’s only when they go on a vacation that their minds are free and burdens feel lifted. For others, they still find themselves consumed with the cares of the world unable to turn it all off.
Can you relate to this?
In this article, I want to remind you that it’s not only during vacation that you should feel free or unburdened. It’s every single moment of your life because you are a child of God. Jesus bought your freedom with His life.
God sits as your Heavenly Father. Just like a good parent takes care of their child’s needs without them having to worry, God is more than capable of doing the same for you.
This is the benefit of knowing that you are a child of God. And when you are aware and walk in this truth, you are unstoppable to the enemy.
How do I know that I am a child of God?
When we think about the typical relationship between a parent and a child, we think of two individuals who share the same DNA and possibly similar facial features among other things.
Yet, we aren’t exactly born of God (at least not physically). So, how are we his children?
The answer is we actually are born of him…in the spirit. He is our creator.
The Bible tells us that when He made man, he made each and every one of us in His own image.
Genesis 1:27 (NIV) states,
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
No matter one’s race, we are all created in God’s image. In addition to forming us in His image, God also gave us His breath of life.
Genesis 2:7 states
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Although God is our creator, now everyone accepts Him. Nevertheless, He invites everyone to be a part of His kingdom and to live as his son or daughter. He’s been doing it since the beginning of time. The book of Ruth is a perfect example.
Ruth was a Moabitess (from the country of Moab). The people of Moab were known to be an enemy of Israel (God’s people). They were also known for worshiping Chemosh, a false god. And in their worship, human sacrifices were a common practice.
Ruth married an Israelite. When it came time to choose between going back to the cultures and practices of Moab or seeking a new life with God and her mother-in-law, Ruth chose the latter.
God accepted her faith, loyalty, and obedience. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus.
And just like God did with Ruth, when we choose God, we are adopted as His son or daughter through Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to be a child of God?
As adopted sons and daughters of God, we receive certain inheritances and are able to stand on the promises of God. We know this because scripture tells us so. Here are a few.
1. As a child of God, you have eternal life through Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 (NIV): 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 10:28 (NIV): I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
1 John 5:11 (NIV): And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Romans 6:23 (NIV): For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 3:5 (NIV): He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit marked the beginning of the Fall. Sin entered the world and with it death.
Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross cleanses us of our sin allowing us to be reunited with God as He originally intended.
2. As a child of God, you receive the inheritance of God’s peace.
Matthew 8:23-27 tells the story of Jesus calming a severe, life-threatening storm by speaking to it. This story has always amazed me. While everyone else ran panicking, He was asleep initially.
He had that much peace because He trusted God and walked in the authority that God gave Him. That same peace he had sleeping through His storm is the one He promised us.
Take a look at these scriptures.
John 14:27 (NIV): Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Romans 5:1 (NIV): Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV): You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:15 (NIV): Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Imagine the worries and cares we could release when we trust God and walk in our authority as His child.
3. As a child of God, you are never alone.
The spiritual season of winter can feel cold and isolated. The enemy would love to convince you that you’re alone during what seems like your darkest hour. He will do his best to make it feel like God has abandoned you.
But, this is not what God’s word says. Take a look at the following scriptures.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV): Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Joshua 1:9 (NIV): Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV): Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV): So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV): Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
4. As a child of God, you are provided for.
Just as God will never leave you, He will always make sure you have what you need.
During those times when it seems like God isn’t moving fast enough and fear sets in, be encouraged by the following scriptures.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV): And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:26 (NIV): Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Psalm 23:1 (NIV): The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Genesis 22:14 (NIV): So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said,”’On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
James 1:17 (NIV): Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV): So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Don’t make the same mistake the Israelites made. If God guided you fire by night and cloud by day, parted seas for you and provided for you in the wilderness before, what makes you think He won’t do it now?
Don’t be deceived by the enemy. God is always for you and never against you.
5. As a child of God, you are loved beyond human understanding.
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV): “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 (NIV): 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.
1 John 4:9-10 (NIV): This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV): But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
6. As a child of God, you have authority over the enemy.
This is a big one. The Holy Spirit recently made me aware that I had been living as if I was afraid of the enemy.
I hate going through trials and tribulations. I thought if I just skated under the radar, maybe I wouldn’t have to. This is far from the truth.
If Jesus had to go through trials and tribulations, so do we. But, the great thing is, that He fights with and for us. He has given us authority over the powers of darkness.
And when we walk in that power and authority, we threaten the kingdom of darkness. They are afraid of us and we never have to fear because God is with us.
1 John 4:4 (NIV): You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Luke 10:19 (NIV): I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
Mark 16:17-18 (NIV): And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
James 4:7 (NIV): Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Final thoughts on the benefits of knowing that you are a child of God.
I hope this article has encouraged you to stand firm in your inheritances and the promises God has given to you as His child.
May you walk in boldness, peace, and joy.
Until next time,
-Dr. Jay.
