We Are All God’s Children

Introduction

There are many sayings, quotes, and truths that people think are in the Bible but actually are not. Some are harmless, but others can do great damage. This series will explore some of these and look at what the Bible says about them.

Quote: The Bible says we are all God’s children

Surface message it conveys

We are created by God, created in his image, and created for his purposes. Therefore, he is our father.

Problem messages it conveys

A living human being is part of God’s family, thereby ensuring their entrance into heaven.

Universalism — Hindu concept that means everyone will receive spiritual salvation

Removes action or liability on our part

Measure against Bible

Everything and everyone is God’s property

Genesis 1

Colossians 1:15–17“15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Human life is no assurance of spiritual life

As a matter of fact, due to Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, we are born into a world and life of sin.

John 3:16–19 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

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“Just because you were born into this world does not mean you are born into the Kingdom.” — KM

Ezekiel 18:4 “4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.”

Deuteronomy 7:6 “6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Numbers 14:12 “12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.””

Hosea 1:9 “9 And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.””

Romans 5:12–19 “12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man …”

Joining God’ s family is a volitional act

Becoming part of God’s family is a deliberate choice, both initially and perpetually

John 1:9–13 “9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Galatians 4:5–6 “5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!””

Romans 8:16–17 “16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Children bear their parent’s qualities

For better or for worse, we display and pass on many of our parent’s qualities: height/weights, hair & eye color, receding hair line….but also temperament, positive/negative attitudes, religious propensities, habits, hobbies, and the like.

Generally speaking, you can tell who a child belongs to by both their actions and those of their parents

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“Our actions give away our lordship.” —KM

1 John 3:10 “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

Matthew 7:16 “16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?”

James 3:8–12 “8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

Conclusion

In a simple sense, there are two large families in existence at once: the family of God and the family of the devil

Which family we belong to comes down to a decision

The family we belong to will be evident by our behavior