Offspring or Child of God?

“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26.

We have seen in previous sessions that all belong to God and are owned by Him. However, Listen! all people belong to God, and God owns all because He is the creator of all, which does not mean all are the children of God. When we study the Bible the distinction becomes clear to us. When Paul talked to the Philosophers in Athens, he used the term “offspring.” He said to them, “from one man (from Adam) He (God) made all the nations that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands… As some of your own poets have said, “we are his offspring.” Therefore in a general sense, all are the ‘offspring of God’ because He created all, and they belong to him.

The Bible also says a direct father-child relationship between God and man is possible. The Bible also reveals God extends the gracious offer to become His children to all people. Do not think you cannot become a child of God. You don’t need to remain as an offspring of God. You can become a child of God. God wants and invites you to become His child.

Our today’s insight says, “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. So how do you become the children of God? By faith in Christ Jesus. It says in verse 28 that there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. Why? Because they have the same status –”For you are all children of God because of their faith in Jesus.” You see, you may be a Jew or a gentile. You may be rich or poor. You may be a manager or an ordinary worker. No distinction -they are all the children of God through Jesus Christ.

How is this possible? Let me explain. Bible says Jesus, who came into this world to die and rose again for your sins, to pay for your sins and reconciles you to God, is the only begotten Son of God. He is the one and only Son of God, as revealed in the pages of the Bible. (John 3:16). Now, if you want to come to God, Jesus said, and it is recorded in John 14:6 that “No one comes to Father except through Me.” 

How do you become the child of God? Those who come to Jesus and accept his death, burial and resurrection for their salvation are adopted into God’s household as God’s own children. John 1:11-13 says, “many have not received Jesus, however to those who believed in the name of Jesus Christ, God gave the right to become the children of God.” God gives the right to become His children. This is how we get the status of the ‘children of God.’ Romans 8:14-23 also shed light on how this adoption to the sonship of God happens. Now as we are adopted to God’s household as God’s children by our faith and trust in Jesus, we become heirs. We become the heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

Ephesians 1:5 says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” NLT. Listen! It gives God great pleasure because God decided in advance to adopt you into his own family by bringing you to Him through Jesus Christ. You become an adopted child of God in God’s family and become God’s heirs and co-heirs with Jesus Christ, he being the only one begotten Son of God.

“Father in heaven, I understand you invite me to come and accept Jesus as my savior and Lord and become an adopted child in your family. I want to become your child. I learned you have the great pleasure of adopting me to your household because you have already decided to adopt me as your child. I come now and place my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, who died, buried, and rose again for my sins. Please save me today. In the name of Christ, I pray. Amen.”