This past year has definitely been different from every other year in our lives, especially for our children. We are still living currently through a Pandemic and uncertainty. Our children need growth in Christ and it is not based on what the world does or say, but on us as parents. It all starts at home and introducing Christ into their lives to prepare and protect them in their future. I have learned as a parent we can’t protect our children from everything in this world or from what they see or hear. The majority of the world is lost and blind but our children must live in it until his return. We must teach them the truth and pray to God to protect and guide them. Proverbs 22:6, Start a youth on out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it. It starts with us as parents and in our homes.
Matthew 18 (Mark 9:33-37, Luke 9:46-48), the disciples are asking Christ, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus calls a child and had him stand among them. Verse 3-5, “Truly I tell you”, he said, “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child – this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.” Mark 10:13-15, the disciples tried to keep children away from Jesus to bless them. “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
We are all God’s children. Christ has paid the price for our sins to welcome us as his children into his heavenly kingdom. We have been adopted by him. John 1:12-13, But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. Romans 8:16-17, The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs – heirs of God and coheirs with Christ – if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. John 14:18, I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. He has adopted us as his children and we are never alone when we have faith and believe.
So, what must we do to be called children of God?
1. Truth
We must teach our children about the Truth and that starts with the Bible. 3 John 1:4, I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Christ is happy when we as his children walk in his truth. 2 John 1:4, I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with the command we have received from the Father. Without the truth we can’t combat the forces of Lucifer and will not be able to tell the difference between the Shepherd’s voice or the wolves. Without the truth we will not know what sin is or repentance. We will not know how to find salvation with Christ, accept him as Savior and be baptized. John 14:6-7, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also my Father. John 14:17, He is the Spirit of truth – the Comforter that Christ sent to us when he ascended when he gave us the Holy Spirit. Without the knowledge of the truth how can we plant the seed in others and help introduce them to our Lord and Savior Christ.
We as Christians have become even more of a minority in this sinful world. Our children must know the truth for them to have a chance to defeat all the weapons Satan attacks them with. Now more than ever children have access to anything and everything. Satan has used Social Media to hurt so many children, affecting their mental, spiritual and even physical health. Satan has attacked the eye and our vision to disrupt our relationship with Christ. Matthew 6:22-23, The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness! Our children’s eyes must be protected from the devil’s attack. He is more cunning and evil and knows how to draw attention away from our relationship with God. Social Media has become an idol to many and has blurred and blinded their eyes. That is why the Belt of Truth is part of the armor of God. Satan is the deceiver and fights with lies, but only God’s believers have the truth to defeat him.
2. Obey
Once we know the truth this will cause us as children of God to obey his commands. John 14:15, If you love me, you will keep my commands. Ephesians 6:1, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Colossians 3:20, Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. I Peter 1:14, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. I John 5:2, This is how we know that we love God’s children; when we love God and obey his commands. Obedience to God and his commands pleases him and blesses your life. When the truth is conflicting with the world and are against God’s truth, we must obey God. Traditions and politics are not commands from God and don’t be lost in them like the Pharisees. In the end it will work out when we put God first. He usually has a way of making everything work out in his own time.
2 Samuel 15:22, Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. Saul, David and Solomon’s great and powerful kingdoms fell because they did not obey God. They sinned and made mistakes but thankfully our God is a forgiving and merciful God. Israel over and over again did not obey God and was punished throughout history for their sins. Even now the world rejects God and does not obey his commands. Churches ignore God’s commands to please the world and we wonder why the world is chaotic as it is now! God does not care about your opinion or your feelings. He is a jealous God and will not tolerate us not following his commands. Hebrews 12:8, But if you are without discipline (can’t have discipline without obedience) – which all receive – then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Those who do not obey become rebellious to God. Isaiah 30:9, They are rebellious people, deceptive children, children who do not want to listen to the Lord’s instruction. Lucifer rebelled against Christ and those who do not obey will also be grouped with sinners. Hell is their destination if they do not turn from disobedience.
3. Light and Salt (Matthew 5:13-16)
Once we know the truth, obey God commands we become light and salt to the world as Children of God. Jesus said in John 12:36, While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become children of light. Ephesians 5:8, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. I Thessalonians 5:5, For you are children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or darkness. We go from darkness to light when we know the truth and believe. We are to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), let our light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Those who live in the light have nothing to hide. Sin hides in the darkness/shadows and avoids the light. We are to do our best to be blameless, pure and faultless in this crooked and perverted generation, and be among them shining like stars in the sky (Philippians 2:15). You can’t hide the brightness of a star and the world needs our light now more than ever. Our light should be acting in a way that glorifies Christ to the world. If you ever hold up a candle that is lit to a wall or surface, the light does not cast a shadow. A flame of light can’t cast a shadow, for it radiates light and is pure. There is no shadow inside of it. We are to be a guiding light to those lost in the shadows which is a symbol of sin. Once light touches the shadow, the shadow disappears. So as children, be a bright light to everyone you meet, whether in school, at work or anyone in the world. Shine like the stars, for the glory of God.
Salt is used for flavor and preserving food. Most food, especially fast food probably would not taste so good if it did not have salt on it. Salt can also be used to clean things and is widely used in the chemical industry. Christ is saying as children of God we must be tasty and flavorful to the world. We must preserve our purity in Christ. If we lose that taste/flavor and function to preserve it is no longer good for anything. Salt is made out of Sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl). More than 70% of the world is covered by ocean and this combination is the reason of the salinity of seawater. Without the salinity most, if not all of the life in the ocean could not survive and that would be catastrophic. About 60% of the human body is made up out of water. Disruptions in sodium and chloride can cause mental changes and other pathologies in humans. A balance is needed and salt is a very important part of our diet, body and survival of many, if not all living things.
4. Imitator
As children of God when we have the truth, obey, become light and tasty as salt, we start to now IMITATE CHRIST! Ephesians 5:1-5, Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and walk in love, as Christ also loved us, a sacrificial and fragment offering to God. But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as proper for saints. Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Christ is the complete opposite of all sin and we need to imitate him like that in our lives. The world will also not know us the same way they did not know Christ when we imitate him. I John 3:1-2, See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children – and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now and what we will be has not yet revealed. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is. (See previous posts for further insight on Imitating Christ)
5. Power/Boldness/Confidence
Once we start to Imitate Christ, the Holy Spirit can rest on us and we begin to have Power In the Name of Jesus. Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” We will have confidence and never be ashamed of being a follower of Christ. 1 John 2:28, So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. We must proclaim to the lost about Christ before it is too late. Acts 4:13, When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. Jesus said himself we would be able to do miracles like him when we become true believers. The Holy Spirit is able to educate us in the word and give us power. In Acts 9, we can see Peter prayed to God and raised a woman named Tabitha from the dead. As children who believe in God we have power In the Name of Jesus.
(Read more in depth Post: In the Name of Jesus)
6. Forgiving
This one may be a little more difficult for Children of God, but it is so important. The world will hate us and even now persecution is occurring in other countries. Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how many times should we forgive someone for sinning against us. As many as seven times? Jesus replies in Verse 22, “I tell you, not as many as seven, but seventy times seven. Jesus speaks about the kingdom of heaven as a king who wants to settle accounts with his servants. There was one servant who owed ten thousand talents (equivalent of $3.48 Billion now) and did not have the money to pay the king back. He would have to sell his wife, children and all his possessions. The servant fell facedown and begged for mercy. The King forgave him his debt. Now this servant who was just forgiven 3.28 billion dollars went out and found a servant who owed him a hundred denarii (equivalent of $11,733 now) and started choking him and tell him, “Pay what you owe!” That servant fell facedown and begged him to also be patient and he will pay him back. But instead of forgiving like the King, which was a much more substantial amount, he threw him into prison instead. The King finds out and throws the wicked servant into jail and to be tortured until he pays back everything. Verse 35, “So also Heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart. There is no limit for forgiveness and we don’t keep score. Matthew 6:14-15, For if you forgive others their offenses, your Heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses. Luke 23:34, Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing. Even while suffering and dying on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive the soldiers.
The Holy Spirit will teach us and guide our words in those difficult times. The world has become unforgiving and that is what Lucifer wants. Without forgiveness we can not be children of God. Matthew 5:43-45, “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and you’re your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Stephen in Acts 7, while he was being stoned to death for his belief and preaching the truth, he asks “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he died. Mark 13:11, So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time, for it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. John 16:8-15 explains that the Holy Spirit guides us to the truth and speaks whatever he hears from God and Jesus. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus and will take what is from him and declare it to the world. Everything the Father has is Jesus’ and the Holy Spirit takes from what is Jesus’ and will declare it to us. If God did not forgive us of our sins and if Christ did not die for the sins of the world, we would never have been given the chance to enter God’s kingdom and become his children. The world does not want to forgive and they have hardened their hearts like Pharaoh in Egypt. But we as children must love our enemies, pray for them and forgive without limits.
We don’t realize how powerful it really is to be adopted as a child of God. There was no adoption process in the ancient Jewish culture. When a man died, usually a brother would become the head of the household. The Romans did have a concept of adoption and it has a powerful meaning. In those times, parents could disown their biological children if they desired. But adopting a child meant something completely different in those times. The child was chosen freely by the parents and that child was a permanent part of the family. This meant that once they were adopted that the parents could not disown them like they could their biological children. As an adopted child they became a new person. Their prior commitments, debts and responsibilities were all erased. A new beginning and a new mission or task was taken on. Once adopted it made them heirs to their father riches, blessings and possessions. It fully united them as one. Doesn’t that sound amazing as a Christian? We are adopted in Christ’s family and become heirs (Romans 8:16-17)! We become as one people, the Church his bride. We have been chosen by God and it is a constant reminder that He desires us, loves us, created us for His purpose! We are children of God because of Jesus himself. His sacrifice on the cross and dying for our sins has caused us to be able to be adopted as children of God. How amazing and wonderful to know that we will never be alone and we are adopted into God’s Kingdom. These are just a few attributes to being a “Children of God.” Daily we must commit to God’s word and to search and know him.
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