According to the Bible, God has one son, Jesus Christ. Jesus allows us to be forgiven of our sins and become children of God by adoption (check John 1:12-13).
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The term “children of God” has lost its original meaning along the years. Nowadays, it is common to hear people saying that “everyone is a child of God”, but that is not true (check this post for more details).
The Bible says:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:14)
Another fact about our relationship with God is that God doesn’t have grandchildren. What I mean to say is that, if a person is a child of someone who has a relationship with God, that doesn’t mean that this person is saved.
Salvation is personal, and so is a relationship with God. It is not inherited from our parents.
We have many examples in the Bible of godly parents whose children got away from God. And unfortunately, that is a common fact nowadays too.
One of the greatest challenges of raising children is to show them the way so they can pursue a relationship with God themselves. They need to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior in order to be saved. It is not enough to be children of saved people.
A few weeks ago, a couple of young men robbed my father. They took his car and wallet. The car had a locator device, so as soon as my father notified the insurance company, they contacted the police with the location of the vehicle, and the police was able to arrest the criminals inside the car (leaving them with no arguments to explain themselves out of it).
When my father was called to the police station to recognize them in the line up, he was told that his car was the third one those young men had robbed in the same day.
While he was waiting in the police station, my father met the father of one of the robbers. The father told him that he was a christian, and he was devastated by what his son had done.
He told my father that his son has always been a good person, he didn’t understand why he did it. He also said that his son went to church regularly.
The fact is that being the son of a christian and going to the church doesn’t mean that the person has a true relationship with God. This episode proved it.
I pray that those young men have a reality check and realize what they’ve been missing: Jesus. I pray that they will find Him somehow, and can finally become children of God, not just children of christian parents.
May we all feel challenged to pursue God more and more, and respond to the life calling that He has for us individually. Not our parents, or our pastor, but you and me. He has a special plan for each one of us, as His beloved children, and He is calling us to fulfill it. May we respond as Samuel did when God called him:
“Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
You’re right. That’s what counts. I must confess that one of my heartaches in this stretch of time is my kids and grandkids not walking with the Lord the way I had already hoped. I’m walking and praying and seeking the Lord for what has broken into their lives, either generically or by their own choices, and standing up for them against our enemy so their lives can change. That’s my goal right now.
Joanne, I learned that a mother’s prayer is very very powerful. Believe me, God is listening. He is just waiting for the right time to make His move.
In the meantime, keep praying for them. That’s the best thing you could ever do for them. And if you allow me, I will add them to my prayer list as well.
I’m dropping back into your life for a while…. so much on my blog/post plate I miss my regular friends for toooo long.
Anyhow, I would welcome prayer for my dear ones from anyone. My daughter will be 43 in October, my son 40 in January. Then the g-kids are 7 to 17, the oldest turning 18 in November. Been so mixed in with two sets of parents and different lifestyle stuff. Again, all I can do is lift them up and I always say that if the Lord could break into my life, as horrible as I was, He can do it for/to anyone. Both of my kids came to the Lord when younger, but addiction and affliction broke into their lives and they’ve just come and gone many times.
You’re much appreciated, Cris. And a blessing.
Thank you, Jo, and I am praying for your family. The Lord will do wonders with them, I am positive about it!