Are You a Child of God?…

1.0 Introduction

Many people casually say, “I am a child of God,” but not everyone deeply understands what that truly means. Often, it’s used as a phrase of comfort or identity, but it carries far more depth than we sometimes realize.

To say I’m a child of God means recognizing a personal relationship with the Creator—not just as a distant figure, but as a loving, involved Father. It implies that I am known, valued, and accepted not because of what I do, but because of who I am. In many religious teachings, being a child of God suggests that human beings are created in His image, with inherent worth and purpose.

However, not everyone who says it lives out its implications. If I truly believed I am God’s child, it would affect how I see myself and others. I would treat people with more compassion, strive to live with integrity, and lean into a sense of divine purpose. It would challenge me to act with love, forgive more easily, and trust that I am not alone.

In a world filled with self-doubt and division, claiming to be a child of God should be a source of hope and responsibility. But unless I reflect on what that identity means and let it shape how I live, the phrase risks becoming just another empty slogan. Knowing I am a child of God isn’t about words—it’s about understanding, relationship, and transformation.

Biblically let us know what it is says about being a child of God.

2.0 Biblical interpretation of being the children of God

2.1 We Are God’s Creation — But Not Automatically His Children

In Acts 17:28–29 we read, ^“For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” Paul uses the term offspring here to mean that all humans come from God as Creator. But this is not the same as being spiritually adopted as sons and daughters. It describes our origin, not our relational status with Him.

2.2 We Become Children of God Through Faith in Messiah

John 1:12–13 and Galatians 3:26 emphasize that becoming a child of God is not based on human effort, ancestry, or personal merit, but on faith in Yeshua the Messiah. John 1:12–13 declares that those who receive Messiah and believe in His name are given the right to become children of God, born not of natural descent or human decision, but of God Himself. This reveals a spiritual rebirth—a divine act that brings people into God’s family. Similarly, Galatians 3:26 affirms that all believers are children of God through faith in Messiah Yeshua. Together, these verses highlight the central Christian (believers’) truth that faith, not religious heritage or good works, is the pathway to divine sonship. This identity as God’s children brings believers into a new relationship with Him—marked by grace, love, and belonging—and unites them into one spiritual family regardless of background, status, or ethnicity.

This mean, only those who receive Yeshua and believe in His name are given the right or authority to be called children of God.

2.3 Before Faith in Messiah, We Are Not God’s Children—But Children of Wrath

Ephesians 2:3 and 1 John 3:10 present a sobering view of human nature apart from God and the clear distinction between God’s children and those who are not. Ephesians 2:3 reminds us that before knowing Messiah, all people lived according to sinful desires and were by nature “children of wrath,” deserving judgment due to disobedience. It emphasizes humanity’s fallen condition and the need for salvation. In contrast, 1 John 3:10 clearly states that the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil is revealed by one’s actions—specifically, doing what is right and loving others. These verses highlight that being a child of God is not just a title but a transformed way of living. They call for self-examination: true spiritual identity is shown not by words alone, but by righteous living and love—evidence of being born of God and walking in His light. In fact, it can be stated that before being redeemed through Messiah, we are spiritually lost, under judgment, and described as not God’s children.

2.4 Adoption Happens through the Messiah

Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:4–5 beautifully describe the believer’s adoption into God’s family through Yeshua the Messiah. Romans 8:15 tells us that those who are in Messiah have not received a spirit of fear or slavery, but the Spirit of adoption, by whom they cry out “Abba, Father.” This intimate term reflects a deep, personal relationship with God—not as a distant ruler, but as a loving Father. Galatians 4:4–5 explains how this adoption became possible: at the right time, God sent His Son, born under the law, to redeem those under the law so they might receive adoption as children. These verses affirm that salvation is not just about forgiveness—it’s about belonging. Through Messiah, believers are no longer outsiders or servants, but full members of God’s family, with the right to call Him Father and live in the freedom, love, and security that come from being His sons and daughters.

This can be understood that, becoming God’s child is not automatic—it’s a supernatural act of adoption that happens when we are united with Messiah.

Are We God’s Children Without the Messiah?

3.0 Conclusion

The beauty of the gospel is that God invites all people to become His children—but that adoption happens only through Yeshua the Messiah.

1 John 3:1 is a powerful declaration of God’s extraordinary love, which calls believers His children. The verse begins with awe: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Being a child of God is not something earned, but a gift of divine grace and love. The depth and generosity of God’s love, which transforms sinners into sons and daughters. This identity is real. However, the world does not recognize believers because it does not know God. This shows a clear distinction between those who belong to God and those who do not. Therefore, believers need to live in wonder, gratitude, and confidence, grounded in the truth of their identity as deeply loved children of God.