Understanding Who Really Are God's Children

Many people say we are all God's children. You hear it in churches, speeches, and everyday chats. It sounds nice and promotes our shared humanity and equal worth. But we should think more about this claim. The New Testament does not say that everyone is a child of God.

This doesn't take away from anyone's value. The Bible teaches that God created humans in His image. Every person comes from Him and is under His care. No matter your race, class, or achievements, you have worth because God made you. But the Bible makes a clear difference between being created by God and being His child. Creation shows where we come from, while being a child of God is about a relationship we need to accept.

John makes this point early in his Gospel: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” , John 1:12. The word become is key here. John is not saying that everyone already has this sonship. Instead, he explains that those who accept Christ are given the right to become children of God. You can't be given the right to be what you already are.

The following verse expands on this idea. These children are born “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Being born into a family doesn’t automatically make someone part of God's family. You need a birth that comes from God.

Nicodemus is a good example of this. He was a Pharisee, a leader among the Jews, and a respected teacher. He had family background, education, and moral discipline. But Jesus did not see these as proof of his place in God's kingdom. “Except a man be born again,” Jesus said, “he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus had been born into Israel and studied its Scriptures, yet he still needed to be born of the Spirit.

Paul writes similarly: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” , Romans 8:14. God's children are not just those He created or those with religious titles. They are known by the Spirit guiding them. Being a son or daughter of God is not a polite title for everyone. It is about a relationship with God that starts through Christ and shows in a life guided by His Spirit.

The idea of family resemblance runs through this teaching. Children often take more from their parents than just their looks. They learn their language, habits, and even their likes and dislikes. The Bible sees spiritual parentage in a similar way. A person resembles the father whose desires they adopt.

This idea is serious in John 8. Jesus spoke to people who thought their link to Abraham guaranteed their place among God’s people. They knew the Scriptures, followed the Law, and considered themselves heirs of the covenant. Jesus did not deny their ancestry but said it was not enough. “If God were your Father, ye would love me… Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him… for he is a liar, and the father of it.” , John 8:42, 44.

They argued based on their family tree, while Jesus looked at their behavior. Abraham acted on God's word and obeyed. These men opposed the One sent from God and plotted His death. Their hatred for truth showed they were connected to the father of lies. Their murderous intent revealed their true allegiance.

Jesus spoke to people who were very religious. They were so confident in their faith that they failed to see God when He was right in front of them. Their knowledge of Scripture did not lead them to love the One it spoke about. Their belief that God was their Father could not stand against their actions and desires.

John later says clearly: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” , 1 John 3:10. He puts the children of God and the children of the devil together, not to split people into good and bad, but to show that who you are spiritually is shown in your character. Righteousness and love do not earn you sonship, but their absence shows you might not have it. Someone can talk about God but not reflect His nature.

Cain is John's first example. Genesis tells of Abel's murder, but John calls Cain one “who was of that wicked one.” Cain was not literally a child of Satan, but his hatred showed the spirit he belonged to. The first murder in the Bible showed the character of the first murderer.

Paul uses similar words when he speaks to Elymas, calling him a “child of the devil” and an “enemy of all righteousness.” Elymas opposed the truth and tried to lead another man away from faith. His actions revealed his spiritual parentage.

None of this should make Christians feel proud. Paul reminds the Ephesians that they once walked “according to the prince of the power of the air” and were “by nature the children of wrath.” The difference between a Christian and a non-believer is not that one was born ready for God's family. Every believer was once lost and needed mercy. What changed their status was not their goodness but God's grace.

This is why Paul talks about adoption in salvation: “Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” , Romans 8:15. Abba is sometimes seen as just a childlike term for “Daddy,” but it means more. It is how a child lovingly addresses their father, showing trust and belonging, while still respecting him. Mark records it in Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee.” Paul uses the same term for those who have received the Spirit of adoption.

The importance is not only in the word but in the relationship behind it. Jesus is the Son by nature. He alone can call God Father by eternal right. But through Him, those who were outsiders are welcomed into the family and learn to speak to God like the Son. They are not just forgiven sinners who escaped punishment. They are welcomed as sons and daughters, given a seat at the Father’s table, and made heirs with Christ.

This adoption does more than change a person's legal status. It starts to restore the family resemblance. Those whom God accepts, He also shapes to look like His Son. Lies must turn to truth, hatred to love, pride to humility, and self-will to the Spirit's leading. This change does not happen overnight, but the direction of life changes.

So, the common claim that we are all God's children needs clearer expression. We are all His creations, made in His image and reliant on His goodness. But the New Testament calls those who accept Christ, are born of God, and are led by His Spirit as children of God. John did not write that Christ came to affirm a sonship everyone already had. He wrote that those who received Him were given the power to become the sons of God.

God created us, but in Christ, He does more: He accepts us, gives us His Spirit, and teaches us to call Him a name that belongs to the family He has brought us into: Abba, Father.