How Do Christians Know They are the Children of God?

God calls and converts His elect people at various times in their lives. They hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling to them, when the Spirit-filled Christian bears witness with the Word of God. It is the Word of God that is the seed of faith, which finds good soil in the heart of God’s chosen people. The Holy Spirit opens their hearts to respond (Acts 16:14).

The child of God walked in concert with the reprobate sons of disobedience, walking in a manner of the godless Gentiles. She set her mind on the flesh, walking in the futility of her mind. She was outside the commonwealth of Israel; so, outside the covenant, having no promises, without God and without hope in the world (Eph 2:12).

But God, the Spirit, found His way to her unregenerate, unbelieving heart, as one of God’s elect. Her walk in the darkness was interrupted, as she stumbled over the rock, that is, Christ, the stone of offense. Instead of rejecting the foolish wisdom of God that tripped her up this time, she received the Word of truth for what it is, the Word of Christ, who is the Word of God (Jn 1:1, 14). Her surrender, in humility, was the result of God’s grace visiting her at the opportune and appointed time.

The child of God is the graced recipient of the Spirit of adoption (Rom 8:15). The rebel orphan, from the orphanage of sin, is legally brought into the family of God. Having been appointed to eternal life (Acts 13:48), by God’s eternal election (Eph 1:4, 5), it was Jesus Christ who came into the world to pay her debt of sin in full (1 Pet 2:24). He did this by redeeming her with His precious blood, in His substitutionary death on the Cross. In time, the Spirit of God came for her while she remained spiritually dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1).

The natural born son of sin has died to sin (Rom 6:11), having died with Christ (Rom 6:8). The sinner having been made alive in Christ (Col 2:13), by the Spirit, has a new life as a child of God (1 Jn 3:1, 10). She is born again of God (Jn 3:1–8), by the Spirit (1 Pet 1:3; Gal 4:29), and made to be a citizen of heavenly Zion, the kingdom of God.

The Law of God serves her as a tutor, with the Holy Spirit being her Teacher. The Spirit teaches God’s child the holiness of God, the sinfulness of sin, and causes the saints to walk in the statutes of God (Ezek 36:27). Jesus said, “If you love Me, then keep My commandments,” and it is the Holy Spirit, who is our Helper (Jn 14:16).

The adopted child of God bears witness of her God, who she calls, “Abba, Father (Rom 8:15).” She tells of how great a love He has had for her (1 Jn 3:1), in that while she was yet a sinner, Christ demonstrated God’s love to her, by dying on the Cross, in her place (Rom 5:8). Having received the Holy Spirit, who has poured out the love of God in her heart (Rom 5:5), she now shines, as a new creature in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Her light, the light of the world, joins with her brothers and sisters around the world and across history, to declare the excellencies of Him (1 Pet 2:9), who bought us for a price (1 Cor 6:20; 7:23). Together, they are like a city set on a hill, illumined in the dark of night.

The child of God is not ashamed of her family, the family of God, nor the family story, known as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us — His brethren and His people (Mt 1:21). We are the undeserving objects of grace from our Father. We are the blessed beneficiaries of God’s will, revealed in Christ Jesus, who is the Son of God and heir of God. We are co-heirs with the only begotten Son (Rom 8:17), being adopted sons, sharing in the inheritance, which is reserved for us in heaven (1 Pet 1:4), where Christ, our brother, has gone to prepare the place for us in mansions of glory (Jn 14:2).

Christian, rejoice in God’s choice to adopt you, and His decision to redeem you. Rejoice in His intimate token of love and blessed assurance, the Holy Spirit given to us (Rom 8:9). For this is how we know we are God’s children: the indwelling Spirit bears witness with our spirit (Rom 8:16).

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

November 3, 2021