Are you a child of God?
Many people claim to be Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, children of God! But the Bible, the Word of God describes God's children as: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are indeed sons of God" (Romans 8:14 New Romanian Translation - NRT). Also in Romans 8: 9 (NRT) it is said: "However you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to Him." Behold, who are sons of God! Here's who are Christians, those who belong to Christ! Those who have the Spirit of Christ and are led by Him in their life!Are you dear reader, led by the Spirit of God? Are you a child of God?
If you realized that you are not God's child, lacking the Spirit of Christ, you may ask yourself: what can I do to become a son of God? What should I do to be led by God?
First of all, it should be noted that there is no divine guidance than only for ones who love God and truly want to do His will (John 7:17). For those who want solutions to their problems or advice to make decisions in their life, but do not want a life lived for God, to be obedient to Him, a relationship with Him; those who have not devoted their life to Him, they cannot receive God's guidance! God's guidance cannot be separated from God; those who doesn't accept God and His law, cannot have His guidance!
God has a plan for our lives (Ephesians 3:11), He determined in advance the good works we must walk in union with Christ (Ephesians 2:10). Therefore, God promised to lead us (Psalm 48:14; Isaiah 58:11) and He gives divine guidance to His children through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). Sons of God receive Heavenly Father's guidance, because the Spirit of God is in them and so they are taught by God, as Scripture says in John 6:45: "It is written in the Prophets: "They will all be taught by God." So everyone who has listened to the Father and has learned from Him, comes to Me."
Also, Jesus promises them guidance of the Holy Spirit, as He says in John 14: 16,17; 16:13: "And I will ask the Father and He will give you another comforter TO BE WITH YOU forever, the Spirit of the truth, which THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, because He remains with you and is in you... When that comforter comes, the Spirit of the truth, He will GUIDE you into all the truth; for He will not speak of His own initiative, but what He hears He will speak, and He will reveal to you the things to come." What a wonderful promise! Christians are not alone, Jesus is with us through the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, but only those who have faith in the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 1: 13,14)! Therefore, let us see further:
How can you become a child of God?
To receive the guidance of the Spirit of God, first of all, you must become a son of God!
Primarily, you must know that there can be only sons of God or sons of the Devil; the mankind is divided into these two categories of people, there isn't a third category of people (1 John 3: 8-10). Thus, if you are not led by the Spirit of God, you are not a son of God, then you are a son of the evil! The Bible says that all people through their sins become enemies of God (Romans 8: 6-8; James 4: 4), only those who make peace with God through the sacrifice of Jesus, receive forgiveness of their sins and become sons of God!
The act of reconciliation with God starts when we hear the Gospel (the message of Christ), which testifies that mankind is sinful, lost, wicked, guilty, under the rulership of the evil (Romans 3: 9-23; Ephesians 2: 1-3). People not only inherited sin from Adam, but often they have sinned by themselves, even when they could restrain from sinning. Only when the Spirit of God through the Word of God reflects and reveals the true state of our own, our sinfulness (John 16: 8), it will make a regret, a deep and sincere repentance to be born in us (Acts 3:19; 2 Corinthians 7: 8-11), which will lead us to humble ourselves and ask forgiveness from God through the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 2: 1,2).
Through the Gospel we understand that not our works, neither our religious group to which we belong, can make us to receive forgiveness and reconciliation with God, but it is the blood which was shed on the cross for us (Ephesians 1: 7), it is the Son of God who bore our sins on the cross and was punished in our place to give us salvation and cleansing of sin (Isaiah 53: 4,5; Romans 3: 24,25). Only exercising faith in Him, not in our good works, neither in our religious accomplishments, but into the person who was sacrificed for us, can make us receive forgiveness, justification and the status as sons of God (Romans 5: 12-19; Galatians 3:26)!
Our faith in Jesus must not be kept only inside, in our heart. We must confess our faith in Him publicly (Romans 10: 9,10) and then be baptized in water in the Name of Jesus where we become one with Him, identify ourselves with His death and resurrection (Romans 6: 3-5; Colossians 2:12). Thus through water baptism we have the opportunity to make a public witness for our salvation, and after coming out of the baptism water we will experience the adoption as sons of God, as it is written in Romans 8: 15-17 (NRT): "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: “Abba”, namely „Father!” The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. If, then, we are children, we are also heirs, heirs of God, but joint heirs with Chris if we suffer together, so that we may also be glorified together." Thus, if we walk being guided by the Spirit of God, in obedience, we will eternally remain in God's love as sons and inherit the kingdom of God where we will be glorified with Christ!