Who’s Really Part of the Family?

Today’s inclusivist, politically correct, religious atmosphere tends to see everyone as God’s children. Everything from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s book God Is Not a Christian: And Other Provocations (2011, New York, HarperCollins) - in which Tutu makes it clear that he believes all people are God’s children and should therefore readily be accepted into the Church - to Alan Jackson’s song We’re All God’s Children - in which he equates Baptists, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, and Catholics as “all God’s children” and asks “Why can’t we be one big happy family?”. The sentiment that all human beings are God’s children and should share in a common bond as a result is seen prevalently in societal and theological circles; a sentiment which permeates global religious thought today.

The question is simple, who are God’s children? Are all human beings God’s children? Who’s really part of the family of God? There are three things which require discussion when answering these questions.

Humanity In General

Nowhere does the Bible speak of humanity in terms of being God’s children. Humanity as a whole is spoken of as being God’s creation (Gen. 1:21; 5:1-2; 6:7; Col. 1:16), but not specifically as God’s children. When the Bible does speak of humanity en masse, it never uses flattering or positive terms. Truth be told, the Bible paints a pretty bleak picture of humanity as a group. Ephesians 2:3 says that mankind are “children of wrath,” Romans 9:8 says that natural born children (as opposed to spiritually reborn children) are not God’s children, and Romans 1, James 4:4, and 1 John 3:8, 10 remind us that mankind, in its natural state, are not the children of God, but are the children of Satan – something even Jesus reminded the Pharisees of in John 8:42, 44. The Bible never, ever, paints mankind in terms of being God’s children just because they are His creation. Creation does not equal children.

National Israel

In the Old Testament, national Israel is spoken of by God as being his children (e.g. Deut. 14:1; Psa. 82:6). Even though Israel is spoken of as God’s children on occasion, God warned them that if they violated the Law that God would disinherit them (Num. 14:12); something God apparently did, even if temporarily, to the northern 10 tribes of Israel after centuries of idolatrous rebellion (Hos. 1:9-10). God could not disinherit (notice I did not say “disown”) children that were not His children. Though the Bible does refer to national Israel as God’s children, it prefers to speak in terms of Israel being God’s chosen people, the children of Israel, the seed of Abraham, and the like. God does refer to Israel as his children, however infrequently the moniker is used.

Christians

The relational language of father-child is nowhere seen more clearly in the Bible than in the relationship between God and Christians (the Church). Sinners are born into God’s family through repentant faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12; 3:16-17; Rom. 8:16; 1 John 3:1-10). Sinners are “born again” as Christians; being born spiritually after having been born physically (John 3:3, 7; Gal. 3:26; 1 Pet. 1:23). Christians are also spoken of as being adopted in God’s family by virtue of the redemptive work of Christ (Gal. 4:5-6; Eph. 1:5; Rom. 8:14-17). The Bible really knows nothing of “potential believers” or “potential sons” of God either. The line, in this regard, is quite clear; either someone has already believed and been adopted into God’s family, or he is still in his sin and remains in the family of Satan.

How This All Plays Out

Mankind as a whole has been created by God. He owns it; He is sovereign over it; and He controls it. Mankind, however, is not God’s child, nor does God consider it such. From the language used of national Israel, they are, in a certain sense, considered God’s children; though they are not routinely referred to as such. Yet, when one examines the New Testament truth, it becomes clear that the only way a person can truly be considered God’s child is to be born again, and thus adopted, into God’s family. This rebirth/adoption only comes through personal repentant faith in Jesus Christ. No one becomes the child of God on the virtue of creative position or general religious dedication. People at large are not God’s children and should not be considered such. This truth ought to impact the way we view and evangelize others.