“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” – John 1:12
Consider what it means to be a “child of God.” First, let’s consider God’s perfection. He is all loving, all powerful, all knowing, perfectly patient, completely just, infinite in wisdom, abundant in mercy, abundant in grace, He is the source of all things good, He holds no record of wrong, and He is always everywhere. In contrast, let’s consider that there are no perfect human parents. They battle sin and therefore love imperfectly. They are in control of their choices but have no control over anything else. They are bound by time and the need to eat, sleep, and care for themselves. Their patience has limits. They only know what they have learned, and even then, they are bound by their limited capacity for knowledge and wisdom. They can only be in one place at a time. They cannot fully discern the inner workings of the heart or mind. They have the capacity to forgive and understand truth, but too often judge according to their own standard. Parents are simply not God; they cannot fulfill for their child what only God can.
Regardless of the human limitations of parents, the relationship between parent and child is truly special and is the best example of unconditional love that God gives us on Earth. The parent, child relationship is used to give a picture of how God loves us, and our role as the child, trusting and obeying our Father and being safe and at home in His presence. The importance of the parent child relationship is so prevalent in the New Testament it is impossible to overlooked. God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son; two eternal pillars of the Trinity take the names Father and Son, that we might better understand them. Some of the Bible’s most famous and important verses hinge on this relationship, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16). “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one,” (John 10:29-30). “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them,” (John 14:23). “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11). “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” (Luke 23:34).
To be called a “child of God,” is to accept the place God intended for us before the fall. It is to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,” because we belong in His presence (Heb. 4:16). It is to belong to Him, we have been adopted “to sonship,” and as sons and daughters “we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,” (Eph. 1:5, Rom. 8:14-17). As heirs we must trust God when He says, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11) As a toddler climbs into their Father’s arms and as a teenager freely enjoys the food in the ‘fridge, we should rejoice and grow comfortable with the fact that we belong to God and that He loves us.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for saving us. Help us to embrace our identity in You and to know fully that we are under your loving care. Help the special relationship between a parent and child give light to the way you see us.
Susanville Christian Fellowship 