Here is a question from one of my blog readers:
Jim,
I have a question regarding “child of God.” Growing up, and still to this day, I have heard the term “child of God” within the context of those who are saved by Christ. But you seem to be using it in your article “In Christ I See You as You Really Are” as a universal statement for all those created by God. Can you explain that to me? I don’t have a problem, but I know many people use the term child of God in the way I grew up understanding it as a title based on salvation, but I’ve also heard many use it like you did for all created by God. How would you further explain this?
I’d love to understand more! Thank you!
– N
N,
Thank you for your question!
Jesus tells people who have not yet received the Spirit and who are beginning to follow him to call God Father. (Matthew 5:43-45, 6:9) These beginner Disciples are being taught to pray and behave like the children they are. When he says “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” he is not saying that loving an enemy transforms our identities. He rather is saying , “Behave according to your identity.” He then goes further by giving all of his disciples the Spirit which enables us to cry “Abba. “In sin-under it’s power we stop crying out to our Father.We lose the ability to cry Daddy and have no power to recover our kinship apart from the Spirit.
This way of looking at all of us gives greater significance to our created natures as children of a creator Father God than it does to any rebellion which may lead us into a mistaken identity and demonic influences. We may be talking like and behaving like the devil’s children, but we are not. The Devil has no children. If we do not see who we really are as created children we become victims of identity theft. We literally describe ourselves with accusatorial and deceived language. Jesus was very frustrated by religious leaders who did not recognize their Father’s revelation of himself to them and the Son’s kinship with them, thereby acting as children of the devil.
Setting Jesus’ words within the context of Creation-New Creation clarifies who the real Daddy of humankind is and his heart to welcome all of his children into his house. (Luke 15) If we were essentially and fundamentally children of the devil we would be unredeemable. We are messed up and sometimes demon possessed but because we are the Father’s children we hear his voice and come home.
So in summary I want to make certain I keep all persons identities clear. All are God’s beloved. All are divine image bearers at birth. All are created by a heavenly Father-therefore children of that Father.
That being said, there are unredeemed and redeemed children. Redeemed children, in the power of the Spirit, cry “Abba.” Unredeemed children often do not. But our unalterable nature as divine image bearers and children of a creator God remains. Sin damages our persons, but does not alter our identities.
I think this is why Roger Williams, a devout disciple of Jesus, loved and respected Native Americans. Today some Christians are speaking of nonChristians in ways that suggest they are aliens, someone fundamentally different and unworthy of our respect and love. This confusion justifies all sorts of bad behavior. We slide into name calling and worse.
Our fundamental difference is only one-some of us have been redeemed and some have not.