Becoming a child of God starts with believing in Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that all people are separated from God because of sin (Romans 3:23). But God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to provide the way for us to be reconciled to Him (John 3:16). When we place our faith in Christ, trusting in His death on the cross as the payment for our sins and His resurrection from the dead, we become children of God (John 1:12).
The Bible uses various images to describe what happens when we become Christians. One of those word pictures is adoption. When we trust in Christ, God adopts us into His family. He becomes our heavenly Father, and we become His children: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-7).
The doctrine of adoption beautifully illustrates how we become children of God. Adoption confers all the privileges of sonship on those who were not born into the family. When God adopts us, we receive a new identity. Our primary status is no longer “slaves to sin” but “dearly loved children of God” (1 John 3:1). And because we have been adopted, we receive all the inheritance blessings promised to God’s children, including eternal life: “And if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
Becoming a child of God is not based on anything we do – it’s all because of what Jesus did for us. We simply need to accept God’s offer of salvation by faith. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13). Faith in Christ makes us God’s children.
When we are adopted into God’s family, He begins a lifelong process of conforming us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). The Holy Spirit works in us to nurture our faith, help us overcome sin, produce spiritual fruit, grant us spiritual gifts, and empower us to carry out God’s will. Our adoption has practical effects on how we live.
Becoming a child of God means we now have a new family. The church is made up of all God’s adopted children, so other believers become our brothers and sisters: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). We now have a spiritual family to love, encourage, pray for, serve, and do life together with.
When the Bible talks about becoming “children of God,” it is not implying that we are all literal children or offspring of God. We do not share in the divine essence as Christ does. Through faith in Him, we are adopted into God’s family, but we remain finite, created beings. Our new status as God’s adopted children is a legal designation that grants us the privileges of salvation.
In summary, the wonderful truth of Scripture is that through trusting in Jesus Christ, sinful people can be reconciled to holy God. By God’s grace, we can go from being enemies of God to adopted children of God. If you have not already, we encourage you to trust in Christ today so that you can become a child of God.
Here are some key Bible verses about becoming a child of God:
John 1:12-13: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Romans 8:14-17: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Galatians 3:26: “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”
1 John 3:1-2: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
John 3:3-6: Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
1 Peter 1:22-23: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”
Through faith in Christ, we experience new birth into God’s family. Though we were once distant from God because of our sins, we are now His dearly loved children with access to the heavenly Father. This precious privilege is open to all who turn from sin and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1).
Becoming a child of God is a free gift received by God’s grace. The apostle Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can’t work our way into God’s family or earn the right to be His children. It comes only through believing the gospel of Christ.
When we place our faith in Jesus, God credits Christ’s righteousness to our account so that we are declared holy and blameless before Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our adoption into God’s family was purchased at the high cost of the life of God’s Son (Galatians 4:4-5). But salvation is free for us – the steep price has already been paid through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Becoming a child of God brings great assurance. God promises that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). God will complete the good work He began in us at salvation (Philippians 1:6).
The Holy Spirit guarantees our adoption and the eternal inheritance that awaits us in heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14). So we can have confidence in our new identity and status as God’s children. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
When we become children of God, we are made new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God begins transforming us to be more like His Son. Though this lifelong process of sanctification has ups and downs, we can be assured of God’s constant love and provision for His children (Hebrews 12:5-11).
Becoming a child of God means joining a new family. The church is God’s household, consisting of all His adopted sons and daughters from diverse nations, ethnicities and backgrounds (Ephesians 2:19). So we gain brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the world. We are connected spiritually to all who call God “Father” through faith in Jesus.
Our adoption also means we inherit all that belongs to our Father (Romans 8:17). As children of the King, we have access to our Father’s infinite spiritual riches (Ephesians 1:18). God supplies His children with living water that quenches our spiritual thirst (John 4:14). He provides the bread of life to nourish our souls (John 6:35). And He gives the Holy Spirit to empower and guide us (Acts 1:8).
As God’s children, our primary purpose is bringing glory to our Father. Jesus taught that we should “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The way we live as Christians should point people to the love and holiness of our God.
Knowing God as our perfect heavenly Father moves us to honor and obey Him. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Though we cannot earn salvation by good works, our new life in Christ will produce actions that please God. As dearly loved children, we aim to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (Colossians 1:10).
Another incredible privilege of being God’s child is access to Him in prayer. We can come boldly and confidently before God’s throne at any time (Hebrews 4:16). Our prayers are powered by the Holy Spirit and offered in Jesus’ name (Romans 8:26-27; John 16:23-24). We have the ear of our Father in heaven, along with the assurance that He hears and responds to His children’s prayers.
As adopted sons and daughters of God, we are given the most noble mission – sharing the gospel message with the world. Our Father wants all people to hear the good news and come into a saving relationship with Him through Christ (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4). So we devote our lives to spreading the light of Christ through word and deed wherever God calls us.
In summary, anyone can become a beloved child of God by turning from sin and trusting in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This free gift of salvation makes us part of God’s family and heirs of all His spiritual blessings. If you have not already believed in Christ, we pray you will make that life-changing commitment today.