What does it mean to be a part of the family of God?

By faith in Christ and His work, the believer receives as a gift of God eternal life, which is Christ himself (1 John 5:11). Having put off the "old man", the believer puts on the "new man" (Ephesians 4:23). He becomes a child of God (John 1:12), and is made part of the family

Yes. When one, hearing the gospel, believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as his own personal Saviour, he then becomes one of the family of God.

"Then God says that is how you receive Him: and receiving Jesus, you become a child of God; for, again, it is written, 'Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus' (Gal. 3:26). The moment you believe in Him really, you receive Him, and become a child of God."

But the question is asked of us, When does one become a babe in God's family? We reply in the words of Scripture: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26). And every child — whether babe, young man, or father — has eternal life. Faith in the Son of God puts the one who has it into the Christian position and privileges, such a one has the Spirit of God dwelling within him because he is a son by faith in Christ Jesus, and as such he can address God as Father (Gal. 4:6). The indwelling of the Spirit means much more than being born of the Spirit: the one is the preparation of the house, the other the occupation of it.

It is only by the surpassing riches of the grace of God that any of us are His children; and because it is wholly of grace, it must be therefore on the principle of faith, and not of works. Hence we read, "Ye are all the children [sons] of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:26.) It is, however, very blessed to know it on the authority of the word of God as a divine certainty; but more blessed still to have the enjoyment of this new and everlasting relationship by the truth brought home to our hearts in the power of the Holy Ghost. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Another inspired apostle says, "Beloved, now are we the sons [children] of God." (Rom. 8:16; 1 John 3:2.) It is scarcely possible that anything can be more simply or more definitely stated. There is no "if" or "but" in the sentence; no "hoping to be" or room for the shadow of a "doubt." The fact is unmistakably set forth, that all who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are "children of God." Let us never forget that this is what the Spirit of God teaches, and it is therefore God's truth, and not man's opinion. Till we receive what God says about the death and bloodshedding of His own Son, and because He says it, we are not believers, not children of God. But having been born of the Spirit, and having received the forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit is given to indwell us as God's seal, His anointing, the earnest of the inheritance, to lead us also and teach us, so that we might know and enjoy, on the authority of Scripture, our new and everlasting relationship of children. He witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God; and it is a never-ending source of holy enjoyment, thanksgiving, and praise. In this way the soul begins to know God as Father. "Because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4:6.)

This prepared the way for the manifestation of a new thing, men from out of the ruined world separated to a new and incomparably nearer relationship with God, to whom, as many as received Christ (for it is no question of "every man" here), He gave right or title to enter the place of God's children, to those that believe on His name. Nor is this a mere external position of honour, into which sovereignty might choose, so as to maintain by adoption family name and grandeur. It is a real communication of life and nature, a living birth-tie.16 They were τέκνα Θεοῦ, God's children. It is not that they had been better than others. They had been once alienated, and enemies in mind by wicked works. They believed on Christ's name; they were born of God. It was a work of Divine grace through faith. Receiving the Word, they were begotten of God. Natural generation from either side, effort of one's own, influence of another however exalted, had no place here.

Believers are brought to God. They are made His children, formed in His nature, and graced in His life. They are constituted righteous as He is righteous. They know God, and they know that they know Him by keeping His commandments. They are in God, and they know that also by keeping His word. These things are not merely by stated communications, although they have it on the authority of holy scripture. Such communications are received in a new nature, and by the Spirit of God, and bring a certainty beyond anything in the sphere of nature. For man in nature such words could have no meaning, but for those brought to God in Christ, they are spirit and life. To man at his best the Lord had to say, "Ye must be born again," and later it was said to the saints, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Peter 1:28). By this mysterious work of the Spirit in the soul of man, there is planted a new nature which gives a capacity to know and love God, the One who has thus acted from His own side, and from Whom all the blessing comes. In this new nature we come into the relationship of children of God, from which we can know the blessedness of holding communion with Him, and "at-homedness" with divine Persons, in all the sweetness of the home of everlasting love.

I want you really to see tonight that we are in reality born into the family of God. This word "children" is intended to bring us into the reality and intimacy of our position with God. David adopted Mephibosheth, brought him into his own family, and he sat at the king's table, but you can all clearly see that Mephiboshth could never be David's child; he was Jonathan's son and must remain so. That is adoption, but here we have something much better than that — "born of God," "quickened by his Spirit." The thing for us to do is to believe it. Being born of God the sense of relationship is given to the soul, "and the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." The word "sons "implies heirship, but is there not something sweeter in being brought into the family of God? There is a blessedness in that that no one can describe. The witness of the Spirit comes in here just at the right place. It would be a valuable exercise to trace out the varied blessings given to us through the indwelling of the Spirit. We have the Spirit dwelling in us here, and an Advocate with the Father in the heavens. God, in His matchless love, has fully provided for us. Surely we shall be brought safely through when this is so.

"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." One believing is a different creature from what he was before. When you believe, there is the witness of your own spirit that you are changed. But the matter is of such supreme importance that it is not enough to have that witness, therefore "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit." He gives and maintains in us the sense of this relationship into which we have been brought; that we are in very deed and truth children of God. He is our Father, loving us and caring for us. Many people have never got beyond "Almighty God." That was very comforting to Abraham, but we are brought into the family of God. A young convert may be very ignorant of the truth, but in his simplicity he very soon cries, "Abba, Father." And this is very beautiful. Somehow he naturally addresses the Father; it is the Spirit leading him unconsciously. Nothing delights Him more than for us to fully believe that He is our Father. And so "the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Do we really believe that tonight? Everyone must see that if this is true there is in it an unmeasurable amount of blessing. Children of God. We have received this witness of the Spirit teaching and enabling us to cry, "Abba, Father." The love of God flows to us in all this, and should be enjoyed by us. What a claim this gives us, you see, upon His love, His care, His watchful eye. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him." Good things! all manner of good things! God will never give a bad thing to one of His children, you may rely upon that. Always good. Alas! how often we allow unbelief to keep us from opening our mouths wide to Him. It is "a supreme privilege to be allowed to come to Him as our Father with our wants.

Now, rather than being strangers (unknown) and foreigners (unrelated), believing Gentiles are "fellow citizens with the saints, and members of the household of God" (v.19). Being fellow citizens, we are of the same city, that is, the New Jerusalem (Rev.21:9-10), so we have the same future prospect in view. Our citizenship is there now, though the manifestation of this is future. Being members of the household of God is a matter for our present enjoyment: we are welcomed within the house as having our proper dwelling there.

"Brother-loving" is a plain call, as belonging to the same family of God. Are we not to love them personally beyond our affection to our natural kin, as the bond is deeper and of divine nature and everlasting? Assuredly the enemy strives continually to bring in contention and misunderstanding, and every other means of hindrance; but the duty is as incontestable as the relation. How it is to be exercised depends on each case, for which we need the word and Spirit of God. For as John clearly shows, it is no mere human impulse and must not clash with the truth of God or with obedience.