Are We All Children of God? Part 2

Last Updated on December 4, 2022 7:20 PM by herald

In part 1 of this series, which can be found here, we put forward the idea that Christianity differs from all other religions in that it claims that to awaken that “dead” part of self, the individual must be “born again” or more precisely “be born of water and of the Spirit” according to Jesus (John 3:6 BSB).

But before we address that claim in detail, we must examine another fundamental but highly related issue, that is: What is the nature of this “death” of the spirit?

In part 1, we suggested that different religions and metaphysical analyses perceive this “death” differently and therefore, offer different paths to the “quickening” (“making alive”) of the spirit.    

As result, there is movement in our time to argue that all paths (meaning primarily, all religions) lead to the same destination. 

Among Christian churches, this concept finds expression in the idea of ecumenicalism which has been given tangible manifestation in the establishment of the World Council of Churches. The stated goal of this organization is as follows:

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures, and therefore seek to fulfil together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  https://www.oikoumene.org/about-the-wcc

If it is what is says it is, there is no fundamental fault with this ecumenical enterprise because it is founded on the principle of unity among Christians as espoused by the Bible as the website does go on to say:

It is a community of churches on the way to visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ. It seeks to advance towards this unity, as Jesus prayed for his followers, “so that the world may believe.” (John 17:21)

Fostering unity among churches, or more precisely, between different denomination of the church is one thing but unity among different religions is another.  As author of the article, Do all religions essentially lead to the same destination? emphasizes:

There is no agreement on the destination, neither is there agreement on the problem nor the solution. The Republic April 21, 2018.

The authors of the article then summarize what they perceive to be the points of departure among Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.  We agree totally with the writers’ conclusion and their proposition about Christianity:

Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that your problem is sin, the inborn tendency to go your own way apart from God. The solution is forgiveness, by which God restores the broken relationship, and the goal is a resurrected life in a renewed heaven and earth.

That statement is quite on point because the scripture tells us in no uncertain terms: 

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.  Ephesians 2: 1 – 2 BSB

Missing the Mark

When people engage with the word sin, they think in terms of its various meanings and synonyms such as “evil”, “immorality”, wickedness etc.  In so doing they nicely confuse the cause and the effects or symptoms of sin.  The Christian scripture presents a pretty simple, yet “positive” account of the consequences of sin:

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23 NIV

But how can this scriptural view of sin be “positive”?  The answer is to be found in the deeper meaning of the Greek word translated as “sinned” in this verse.

According to Strong’s Bible concordance “sinned” is derived from the Greek ἥμαρτον (English transliteration, hēmarton). It literally means to “miss the mark”.  In other words what God is saying is that sinning is missing the mark. 

Missing the mark is analogous to firing at a target and failing to hit the bulls eye.  In another sense, “missing the mark” is falling short of a standard or required grade. It is important that we catch the significance of this.

We often see sinning as offending God. That’s true in a sense but what is not readily understood is that sinning is a repudiation of our true status as beings “made in the image and likeness of God”.  In fact, there is a sense in which we “sin against ourselves”.   

As an example, the apostle Paul, in talking about sexual immorality, portrays it as sinning against one’s own body, in other words, operating below the standard set for it.

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV.

This is of particular relevance to the modern motion that a woman’s body is her own and therefore she has the “right” to do with it whatever she pleases such as engaging in sexual immorality and abortion.

Of course, it true that women DO have sovereignty over their bodies. Sovereignty is partly what makes us like God. But it is also true that failing to use our bodies as God intended is missing the mark or the standard set for it.  That is God’s assessment, not mine.   

Coming Short of the Glory

Interestingly (and I dare say, excitingly), ‘hēmarton” is the same Greek word used in Matthew 27:4 (Judas’ remorse at betraying Jesus)  and Luke 15:21 (The Prodigal Son coming to his senses in the pig pen).  

Judas’ remorse is quite easy to understand. As he himself said, by betraying Jesus, he had betrayed “innocent blood”.  But the case of the prodigal son is deeper and more enlightening.

Prodigal means “reckless”, “wasteful”, “squanderer”.  The prodigal son wasted or squandered his inheritance.  Then he descended into a state where he lived far, far below the standard of those in his father’s household.   

Remember that Jesus is speaking this parable to a Jewish audience. Jews were taught that pigs (swine) were unclean. Therefore, for a Jew to be feeding pigs for a living was unthinkable; with the possible exception of eating the flesh of the pig, there could be nothing lower!

But at the lowest point in his descent, the wasteful son recognized the glory of his father and his household and his former position.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  Luke 15:17 NIV.

We tend to metaphorize everything out of practical existence.  But glory is about practical things such as power, greatness, prestige, authority, wealth, abundance.  You can’t get more down-to-earth than this. That is what the prodigal son left.  

Furthermore, what is of more than passing interest, is that in making a turnaround, the prodigal recognized his unworthiness to be called a son.  What this underscores quite clearly is that, “sonship” or being a child does not necessarily have to do with a “biological” relationship, the very point we made back in part 1.  

Rather “sonship” is about a spiritual relationship of peace with and reconciliation to the Father.  We have to use the word spiritual because “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24 BSB).  Spiritual death is really a state of being alienated from God. 

Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds. Colossians 1:21 BSB

Notice that even though the son recognized his unworthiness and would have settled for the lower position of servant, he was restored as a son with all the glory, that is, the greatness, power and authority of that position.  

When that reconciliation occurs we enter into a state of plenty, into abundance, into glory.  In material terms this does not necessarily mean that we have a huge bank account and several mansions and private jets. What it does mean is that since we are in his household, the Father guarantees supply all our need “according to his riches in glory”.

Betraying God’s Brand

In the two passages we have dissected so far, we have also elicited the idea that “sin” is an act of betrayal; namely, a betrayal of God.  But how have we betrayed God? We betray someone by “letting down” or disappointing that person.  

Another way to look at the concept of the betraying God is to use the idea of “brand” and “branding”. Branding serves several purposes. Two of them are to give the product an identity and the other is to signal a certain level of quality that might expected of the product.

Now, in the same way that a product might fall short of its brand expectations, sinning is falling short of God’s brand. By sinning we betray and repudiate God’s “brand image”. This is exactly what the prodigal did by descending to the level of minding “unclean” pigs. 

Despite the fact that we seldom think about it, our sin must pain God because from one perspective our sin makes God seem “less than He is”.  

Notice the choice of words “perspective” and “seem” to make it clear that no blasphemy is intended.  However, the analogy does partly explain why God, portrayed as the prodigal’s father in Jesus’ parable, was ready with open arms to restore the biological son to his relationship of glory!  The restoration was good for the father and even better for the son!

Summing Up

So then there is a sense in which WE ARE NOT all children of God. Being a child of God is not a STRUCTURAL statement arising from the fact that He created us. Rather, it is a SPIRITUAL relationship with him.  But it is a relationship which we can only recover if we follow the advice given to Nicodemus:

Then he [Jesus] said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Matt 18: 3 NLT.

Regrettably and contrary to what is popularly believed, THERE ARE NO MULTIPLE PATHS TO THIS RELATIONSHIP.  

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.  John 14:6 NLT 

This is underscored by the Apostle Peter:

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved. Acts 4: 12 CSB

While repentance may be somewhat painful, it is the start of a loving, joyous relationship:

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. I John 3:1 BSB

But as we say in the field of Marketing: there is more!

Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.  We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.  I John 3:2 BSB

Dear reader, if you cannot make any of the above statements boldly and truthfully, you are not a son or daughter of God.  But that can be rectified.

But those that received him [Jesus], to them he gave authority to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name John 1: 12 Aramaic Bible in Plain English  

To receive Jesus means to accept his authority as the sinless son of God to offer the ONLY valid way back to a relationship with God the Father.  Make the change now with this simple prayer:

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Dear God I recognize I am operating far below your expectation and capacity as your creation because I have sinned. Like the prodigal son I am hereby turning around and heading back “home” to you.

Even though I may not fully understand what it involves, I want to receive Jesus because I understand He is the only way to return to you and your glory and be restored as a son / daughter. 

I accept these terms of repentance now in Jesus’ name and I ask you to help me understand all that this means and requires from today onwards. Amen.   

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Heavenly Dad, I ask that all those who humble themselves to make the prayer above will be saved and restored. I ask that they find true peace even in the storms of life and amidst the potential ridicule of their friends and family.

Let none who start on this journey ever turn back and help them to assist others to make the change. Let none be lost and let it be that we will all meet some day in heaven. Amen.

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 “Herald” can be reached at  herald@thekingiscoming.net  or on Whatsapp 246-846-3191