Watch the video above and talk about it with a friend or mentor.

The Bible calls God our “Heavenly Father”. What does it mean that we are his children?

The Bible refers to God as our “Heavenly Father”. He is the creator of everything that exists, and he loves and cares for us. The Bible teaches us of the great blessing of being considered a “child of God.” But what does it mean to be a child of God?

  • We are not the same “species” as God. We are made in God’s image, but we are not the same as God and never will be. We are not literally born of God.
  • Not everyone is a child of God. No one is born a child of God. The Bible teaches that many people are definitely not children of God.

1 John 3:10 (ESV) By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil.

Even Jesus made this clear to the priesthood holders of his day.

John 8:43-44 (ESV) “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.”

These verses don’t teach that people are literally born of the devil, but they do show that the way we behave identifies who we are following.

  • We can be adopted into God’s family. In the Bible, the family of God are not those who are born as his spirit children, but those who are adopted by him.

Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Our first (physical) birth does not qualify us as children of God, so we must be born again.

  • How can we become children of God? Belief in Jesus – as he is revealed in the Bible – is the only way to become a true child of God.

John 1:12 (ESV) But to all who did receive [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Galatians 3:26 (ESV) For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

It is not possible for us to receive this adoption apart from Jesus.

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV) In love, [God] predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.

God provides a way for each of us to be adopted into his kingdom. By believing in the one he has sent, you can acquire the full inheritance he has promised for his children. Apart from this adoption, no one can ultimately be called a child of God..

[Related: Being a Child of God After Mormonism]

[Related: Adopted by God]

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Key Points:

  • We Are Not the Same “Species” as God
  • Not Everyone Is a Child of God
  • We Can be Adopted into God’s Family
  • How Can We Become Children of God?

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Talk About It
  1. Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
  2. What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
  3. What metaphors can you think of in everyday language where “child of…” is not meant to be taken literally? (Give examples if needed: “child of the streets”; “child of destiny”)
  4. Read 1 John 3:10. When the Bible calls someone a “child of the devil”, what do you think it is saying? How does that apply to the phrase “child of God”?
  5. Read Galatians 4:4-5. What does the metaphor of adoption tell us about what it means to be a child of God?
  6. Read John 1:12-13. Why do you think faith (believing) in Jesus is the only requirement for becoming a child of God?
  7. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.

This is part of the Clarifying Salvation After Mormonism series.