Children of God

Romans 16-17 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.  17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. AMP

     John never questioned who his father was. All he had to do to verify the answer was to look in the mirror. Ever since he was a small boy, everyone had told him that he was the "spitting image" of his dad. After he was married and had children of his own, John came across a picture of his father as a young man and showed it to one of his sons. "Who do you think this is in the picture?" he asked. His son looked at the image in the photograph for a moment and then smiled suspiciously, wondering if John was trying to play some kind of a trick. "It's you, Dad," his son said. "Who was I supposed to think it was?"

Sean's case is different. The fact that he resembles his parents physically is purely coincidental. Sean was adopted. Still, it isn't hard for him to call his adoptive parents "Mom" and "Dad." He has daily proof that they are his parents in the loving way that they care for him. And he also has it in writing. Sean's parents have the papers to prove their love for him. If someone were to suggest that a blood relationship might make a difference in their feelings for their son, they would be quick to point out that they became Sean's parents by choice. No one forced them to adopt him.

Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ are more like Sean than John. They belong to God by adoption. Gal 4:5 tells us that God's purpose in sending Jesus Christ into the world was "that we might receive the full rights as sons." Rom 8:15 in the King James Version even refers to the Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of adoption."

In Greek and Roman culture, adoption was initiated by the father—usually to provide himself with an heir—and was often accompanied by the making of a will. A similar practice existed in Hebrew culture, as is seen in Scripture. Abraham adopted his servant Eliezer of Damascus (Gen 15:2). Moses was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter (Ex 2:10). After her parents died, the Old Testament heroine Esther was adopted by her cousin Mordecai (Est 2:7).

The most important example of this practice in the Old Testament, however, was God's choice to adopt the nation of Israel. In Rom 9:4, the apostle Paul includes "the adoption as sons" in his list of Israel's privileges. When God called Israel out of Egypt, He referred to the fledgling nation as "my firstborn son" (Ex 4:22-23). God also used the language of adoption when He entered into a covenant with David and promised to establish his throne forever (2 Sam 7:13-14).

What was true on a national level for Israel has now become a personal reality for those who are in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ, we have been given the right to address God as Father. Because of this, an important part of the Holy Spirit's ministry is to provide us with the assurance that we are children of God. Rom 8:15 says that through the Holy Spirit, we find the confidence to address God as "Abba," an Aramaic term that is roughly equivalent to the term Daddy, or Poppa. According to the Talmud, "Abba" was one of the first words spoken by a child. It was used as a term of endearment, but only by family members. No slave or servant would have referred to the head of the house as "Abba."

Adoption into God's family brings with it both reward and responsibility. As children of God, we have become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. As co-heirs with Jesus, we share in the inheritance that is coming to Christ, one that Christ Himself has guaranteed for us. But what exactly is it that we will share with Christ?

We will share His life (Matt 19:29). By dying on the cross, Jesus Christ became the "source of eternal salvation" for us (Heb 5:9). Through the Holy Spirit, He makes that life available so that our daily actions reflect the fact that Christ is living through us (Gal 2:20).

We will share His kingdom (Matt 25:34). Christ promised those who followed Him that they would also rule in His kingdom. Christ's work has made us qualified "to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light" (Col 1:12).

We will share in His glory. Because we have been given a new status as God's children, we have access to our heavenly Father and "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom 5:2).

We will share in Christ's likeness. We know relatively little about what life will be like in Christ's presence, but we do know that we will bear a "family resemblance." In 1 John 3:2 we are told: "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

There are many benefits in being a child of God, but along with these blessings comes the responsibility of sharing in Christ's sufferings. Those who belong to Christ really cannot expect to be treated better than Christ was. If our lives reflect His to any degree, we will be an uncomfortable reminder of Christ to those who have turned their hearts from Him. Those who are moving toward Christ will move toward us, but those who are moving away from Him will turn away from us. But our motivation in bearing such suffering is that we will one day share in Christ's glory when we come into our full inheritance.

It has been said that God has no natural children on earth, and that is true. All those who have the right to call God "Father" are children by adoption. Like Sean, they have objective proof of this fact. They have the papers to prove their status as sons because the record of their adoption has been preserved forever in the Scriptures. But they also have subjective proof of their right to call God their Father, because each day they have the inner assurance that comes from the Holy Spirit, who testifies with their own spirits that they are the children of God.

Holy Spirit, speak to my heart the reassuring promise that God has accepted me as His own dear child. Work in my life so that I may reflect the image of the Christ who has become my brother. Grant me patience each day as I endure adversity for the sake of the Son, and help me to focus on the glory that is to come. Amen.

Thanks to John Koessler for allowing us to publish his material.www.johnkosessler.com
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John Koessler serves as chair and professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jane and has two sons, Drew and Jarred. John is the author of ten books and numerous articles. He also serves as a contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where you can read his monthly “Theology Matters” column. You can contact John via email at John.Koessler@moody.edu or by phone at (312) 329-4077.