Becoming A Children Of God
"That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Rom. 9: 8)
Those who are "children" or "sons" of God are also known in scripture as the "people of God" (Rom. 9: 26) or "family of God." (Eph. 3: 15) Not only are saved people the "children of God," but are "children of the day," and "children of the light."
"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." (I Thess. 5: 5)
It is inconsistent to be a child of the light if one is still in darkness, if one is still worshipping false gods, and if one is a stranger to the gospel.
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." (Eph. 5: 8)
When were the Ephesians "darkness"? Was it not before they were converted? Before they heard and believed the gospel? Paul speaks as if the Ephesians knew the time when they were once in darkness and when they came into the light. But, if as the Hardshells teach, most of the children of God do not know the time when they were born again, then they of course would not know when they went from being children of the night to children of the day. Most Hardshells would acknowledge that they know when they were converted, when they became believers in Jesus. Thus, if Paul is speaking of a time when the Ephesians knew that they became children of the light, then they must be referring to their conversion experience, and this conversion experience is when they went from being children of the darkness to children of the light.
"Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (I Peter 2: 10)
Again, what point in time is Peter alluding to? A time when his audience was regenerated in the womb? A time that his audience does not know anything about? Was it not the time when they were not Christians? When did Peter's audience become the people of God? Was it not when they became Christians?
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Cor. 4: 3-6)
Obviously Paul taught that the work of God in making children of light involved the gospel. Those who are unbelievers in Christ and the gospel are those who are yet darkness and children of the night. Those who are gospel unbelievers are "blind" and have no light in them. Jesus said:
"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them." (John 12: 36)
Jesus taught that God given faith was a medium through which God begets children of light. Paul taught the same, writing:
"For ye are all the children (sons) of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3: 26)
In C. H. Spurgeon's commentary on Galatians, he wrote:
"Those only are the children of God who are “the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
John taught the same when he wrote:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1: 12)
Thus, it is impossible to say of any unbeliever that he is a child of God. Hardshells, however, teach that many are children of God who do not believe in the God of Israel and who do not believe in Jesus.
"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." (Gal. 3: 7)
To be the "children of Abraham" is all the same as being the children of God, spiritually speaking. "For he is not a Jew," said Paul, who is one outwardly in the flesh, but one is a Jew inwardly, by the work of the Spirit in regeneration and conversion. (Rom. 2: 28, 29) A person without faith in God and in Christ is no child of God, no child of light.
To be a child of God, one must bear some likeness to God, the Father, and some resemblance to one's mother, which is the "church of the firstborn" and "general assembly," composed of the "spirits of just men made perfect." (Heb. 12: 23) In the Hardshell system, however, the child of God has no mother, for they teach that the church is no means in the divine begetting. But, it is absurd to speak of one being a child without both a father and mother. God says by the prophet to his children:
"Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." (Isa. 51: 2)
Paul teaches in Galatians that the child of God has Jerusalem for a mother, which includes the gospel of the new covenant. This was the issue in the writings of Hosea, where God says to some "you are not my people." And why were they not his people? Because they did not recognize Jehovah as their father and Jerusalem as their mother, but gave these honors to other deities. Those who are the children of God are "children of Zion," people who own the teachings of Zion. (See Heb. 12: 22)
"They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." (John 8:39)
This verse throws a monkey wrench into the Hardshell scheme of things. How so? They affirm that many are the children of God but who do not do the works of Abraham, do not believe in the one true God and in the promised seed through whom all the world will be blessed. Jesus said to those who pretended to be children of God and Abraham - "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me." (John 8: 42) Hardshells teach that there are many who are children of God the Father but who do not love and believe in Jesus.
"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." (Eph. 2: 2, 3; 5: 6; Col. 3: 6)
Those who are the children of God are contrasted with the children of the devil. The children of God are children of the light and of the day, while the devil's children are children of the darkness and of the night. Further, the lost are "children of disobedience," while God's children are children of obedience. But, how can Hardshells say that those who "obey not the gospel" are children of obedience? Are they not rather children of disobedience? Paul identified the children of darkness as being "children of wrath." Are they not the unbelievers? Did Jesus not say that "the wrath of God abides" on him? (John 3: 36) Peter called the children of the devil, the children of the night, "cursed children" (II Peter 2: 14) Why are they cursed? Is it not because they love not the Lord Jesus as Paul said? (I Cor. 16: 22)
"And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God." (Zech. 13: 9)
Those who have been begotten of the Father are people who not only bear a likeness to him but who recognize him as such. God's people are they who say "The Lord is my God." They say to God "Abba." They know their Father, are not ignorant of him, as the Hardshells teach. (Gal. 4: 6) If one is a heathen and says to a false God - "you are my God and my father," then he is not a child of God.
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." (Heb. 8: 10)
Those who are the children of God are those who have been given understanding of the one true God. Gospel laws, new covenant rules, are written into their hearts and minds. Regeneration produces cognition of the truth about God. The true people of God are they with whom God has made covenant. Making agreement with a person involves cognition.
"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (II Cor. 6: 16)
The people of God are described and identified as being those who have God, the true and living God, dwelling in them, and walking with them. But, those who worship idols and acknowledge other gods are not the temple of God. Hardshells teach, however, that many who worship false gods are nevertheless indwelt by God the Father!
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