What does being part of the family of God mean?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

To be part of the family of God means to have God as Father. Many people think God is everyone’s Father. However, Scripture teaches that while God is the Creator of all, He is not the Father of all. Since the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), humanity has been born in sin and is, therefore, alienated from God (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:12; 4:18; Colossians 1:21). In Old Testament times, the Israelites were given the Law to distinguish them as a “light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6), children of the Holy God (Deuteronomy 14:1). After Christ came, those who, through the powerful working of the Spirit of God, believe upon and receive Him and His sacrifice for their sins are reconciled to God and adopted into His family (John 1:12–13; Romans 5:10; 8:15–17; Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:4–7). In short, Scripture teaches that the only way to have God as our Father is to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior (John 14:6; 1 John 2:23).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Genesis 3 records the fall of humanity into sin. That alienated humankind from God, but God provided the solution through Christ (Genesis 3:15; cf. John 3:16).
• God told Moses to identify the Hebrews as His “firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22–23).
• The Mosaic Law was meant to highlight God’s holiness to the Israelites He chose as His own, distinguishing them from the pagan nations’ practices: “You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead” (Deuteronomy 14:1). Some unbelievers today enjoy mocking Old Testament laws like the one in Deuteronomy 14:1, but they fail to realize that those laws were meant to make Israel stand out as children of the living God, children of light.
• David recognized his own sin, even from birth: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Though Mosaic Law separated Israel from the nations, it also showed that we cannot keep the Law perfectly in thought and deed (Romans 7:7). Christ alone, our sinless Lord, could fully keep the Law, so through faith in Him, we are saved, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8–9).
• Those who are born again by faith in Christ are adopted as children of God: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13).
• Jesus identified His family this way: “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). Those whose family reject them for becoming Christians can take comfort in being part of a greater, eternal family.
• Even our suffering has a purpose, making us Christ-like, adopted children of God: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16–17).
• The only way to have God as our Father is to have Jesus Christ as our Savior (John 14:6; 1 John 2:23).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Despite your sister’s annoying spending habits, your cousin’s tendency to interrupt every sentence, and your mother’s way of offering an opinion on every adult decision you make, family loyalty remains.

But that idea takes on new meaning when we realize that Christ’s blood has made us adopted sons and daughters of God. We are actually part of God’s family—-children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No privilege could be greater.

Do you conduct yourself as the son or daughter of the King? Think about your daily interactions—in traffic, at work, in a crowded grocery store. Would people know that your Father is God? If not, confess your sins to God and pray that you can glorify Him in how you lead your life. Our conduct in the world reflects on the family we’re part of.

UNDERSTAND

• Those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior are adopted into God’s family.
• Believers become children and heirs of God, united with Christ and each other.
• Our daily lives should reflect our identity as God’s children.

REFLECT

• How does knowing you are a child of God shape the way you live?
• In what areas of your life do you struggle to live like someone who belongs to the family of the King?
• How have you experienced God's love and care as your Father, especially in times when earthly relationships fall short?

ENGAGE

• What are some ways our identity as God’s children should change how we treat one another in the body of Christ?
• How do the Old and New Testaments together give us a fuller picture of what it means to belong to God's family?
• What challenges or blessings have you seen in living out your identity as a member of God’s family in your everyday life?