What is a child of God? Let’s start by looking at one of the most startling scriptures in the Bible: “‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty’” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). Imagine the extent of God’s love for us—that He should want to make us His sons and daughters! The Bible reveals that God’s ultimate objective is to expand His own family, by creating human beings with the awesome potential to become members of His family—His children! The apostles understood this. John tells us, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). Paul concurs, “Walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). God wants us to be His sons and daughters. What an amazing objective to work toward! God wants to welcome us into His family. However, God will not give this awesome gift to just anyone. In order to receive such an inheritance, we must meet God’s criteria. God has to be sure of us—sure of our love for Him, sure that we will obey Him and be faithful to Him through thick and thin. God created everyone with free moral agency, the ability to choose. He wants us to choose the way that brings benefits to us and those around us—the way that develops His righteous character. He does not want us to choose the way that makes us and those around us miserable. So God will not accept anyone into His family who may decide he or she no longer needs to obey God, and who may choose to go his or her own way. Trust plays an enormous part in this process. Before giving us eternal life on the God-plane level of life, God must know that He can eternally trust us 100 percent.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 02:41:45 +0000
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