The Child of God

Identity Found in God

The Father and His Child
The Father
The Child of God
The Family of God
The Father of Compassion
The Love that Endures
The Heavenly Home
Living as a Child of God

The Child of God
 
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”  I John 3:1
 
A child of God.  What does it mean to be a child of God?  I would like to take us on a tour of scripture as we embrace who we are as a child of God.  First, let’s see what the Word says about how we become a child of God.  John 1:12-13 describes how we receive this right, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
 
Paul writes about being a child of God in his letters to the churches.  In Ephesians 1, he describes the blessing God gives us because He picked us.  God chose you.  He placed you to be adopted as His child!
 
Now let’s go to I John3:1 where John makes this beautiful exclamation.  “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”  Now that’s a lot of love being poured out on His children!  Speaking of love, I John 4 continues to give perspective of the type and the degree of love God has for us.  God loved us first.  No “which came first, the chicken or the egg” game here.  He loved us first.  Out of His love for us, we cannot only experience love, but we have the ability to love others.
 
Sometimes we go through seasons of life where we are seeking our identity.  We often will naturally identify someone by either who our family and ancestors are, or we might define ourselves as our occupation.  Maybe there are labels we have settled into because of what others have identified us to be.  During this time, as we dig into who God is, what Jesus has done for us, and who we truly are, I invite us to give something up.  Not chocolate or pop, not Candy Crush or Facebook…I challenge us to give up all labels and all definitions of who we are that are NOT of God.  Let’s step into a new and fresh identity as _(your name)_, a dearly beloved child of God.  For that is who and what we are.  As we set aside everything else, and stand tall in this new identity, all that we say and do and think will be changed – will be made new. 
 
Have you ever noticed how children just love when you address them as a “big boy” or a “big girl”?  I remember clearly the stage that each of our children went through where they so wanted to do things by themselves.  In a sense, they wanted to be independent when they weren't quite ready for the responsibility that came with that.  The younger ones want to stay up as late as the older ones.  They don’t want to be left out.  We are a bit like this.  As a child of God, we have some growing up to do.  There are seasons of growth and steps that God leads us on as He teaches us.  Times when He prepares us, and then we reach a point when He acknowledges we are ready to accomplish certain tasks with Him. 
 
On the other hand, I believe each of our children went through a stage of “talking like a baby”.  They were old enough to know better, but they would fall into the trap of baby talk.  I wonder how often we do that?  As a child of God, we have a responsibility to grow and mature.  In Ephesians 4:14 Paul challenges us that we need to be equipped and learn so that, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”
 
May we, as His child, continue to receive the abundant amount of love our Father lavishes on us, and continue to grow and mature in our relationship with Him.
 
Consider what areas of life you, God’s child, need to grow in.  Write what God is teaching you about.  What other labels or names do you need to give up?  Describe what it would mean to look at yourself as a child of God.