John 1:12-13 (ESV)

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.

You have heard the familiar refrain time and time again. You may have even said it yourself in an attempt to calm a tense situation or bring a unifying hope to a disparate group. It is often used as a way to communicate the common bond of all mankind, again…usually with a noble goal in mind. But, despite the good intentions behind the use of the phrase, its misapplication gives a false sense of security that can be the difference between heaven or hell.

“We’re all God’s children.”

There are two “families” on earth and every single human being belongs to one but not the other—the family of God, or the family of the devil (Jn 8:44). Of course, we are all a special creation of God, distinct from all other living things, made in His image, and imbued with an eternal soul. Indeed, that is a powerful and unifying factor and a distinct blessing for all of us. But the use of the term “child” not only implies intimacy but denotes a special kind of relationship. In Scripture, the lost are never referred to as God’s children because they do not have that kind of relationship with their Creator. In fact, it is the opposite.

Ephesians 2:3 tells us that before we were saved, we were “by nature objects of wrath”.  Romans 9:8 says that “it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” Instead of being born as God’s children, we are born in sin, which separates us from God and aligns us with Satan as God’s enemy (Jas. 4:4; 1 Jn. 3:8). We are born dead, spiritually, and the only way to escape that condition’s ultimate destiny (hell) is to be made alive spiritually…to be born again (Jn. 3:3).

John 1:13 puts us on the path to becoming a part of God’s family, rather than just remaining a special part of His creation. Being born of human blood marks you as that special creation, but that’s all. Your will—your efforts—will not grant you entrance into God’s family, no matter how hard you try (Eph. 2:8-9). Neither will the efforts or good intentions of your parents through things like infant baptism or church attendance as a child. No, it is only the will of God that makes the new birth possible. He calls you. He gives you the ability to understand your plight and the faith to believe in His Gospel. You, then, choose to accept His generous invitation through confession, repentance, and acting on that faith. Or, as I like to say, you choose to put every single one of your eggs into His basket. THEN, you are “born again” as a true and eternal Child of God.

Have you been born again? Are you a Child of God? If you are still not sure, please visit the webpage I created especially for you. It’s simply called “Heaven” and you can reach it HERE.