From Belief to Belonging: Living as Children of God

Scripture

John 1:12–13 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (NIV)

Devotional Reflection

Our passage today speaks to the path of maturity to which the Lord has called us. We receive the gift of salvation by faith when we choose to believe in Him. But in our passage today, we are taught that this gives us the right to become children of God. We tend to think differently. We very often join together salvation with being children of God, and this is not untrue. But John is making a distinction between different types of children.

Paul teaches that when we put our faith in Christ, we become the children of God by faith (Galatians 3:26). However, let’s consider Christ’s parable of two sons, one a prodigal son and the other a son living as a servant.

Jesus tells the parable of a man whose youngest son doesn’t want to remain to do the work of his father. He asks for his inheritance, which his father gives him, and then he goes off and squanders it away in wild living. After reaching a place of desperation, he returns, saying he is not worthy to be a son, but asks to be a servant. The father rejects this idea, putting his own robe and ring on his son and throwing a party celebrating the return of his prodigal son. The older son, who has remained faithful this whole time, is upset by what has happened. He expresses frustration that his father has never thrown him a party, to which his father says, “All I have has always been yours.”

In other words, the father was telling the older son that he could have lived in celebration of all the father had given to him at any time. This would have created joy and gratitude, not to mention a closeness between the father and son. But instead, he had lived his life like nothing more than a servant.

The returning prodigal was seeing the difference between being a son who lived like a servant and a son who lives in a loving relationship with his father. This highlights what it truly means to live as the Children of God—not merely in position, but in relationship and experience.

When we only obey, but never seek intimacy with the Lord, the pressure we put on ourselves to serve the Lord without deepening our love can burn us out on God. But if we would understand that we are sons, not servants, then we live as sons. We will enjoy all our Father has for us. We will be grateful. We will enjoy honoring the Father who has been so good to us. This is what it means to live as a son.

When we accept Christ, believing in His name, we become a son, but we also receive the Holy Spirit who helps us to actually live like a son so that our life of serving the Lord is also fun, fulfilling, and pleasant. This is the ongoing work of becoming the Children of God in how we live each day.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for giving me the right to become Your child. Help me not to live like a servant, but to walk in the fullness of being Your son. Teach me to enjoy Your presence, to trust Your love, and to live each day in close relationship with You. Through Your Spirit, form Your character in me. Amen.