CHILDREN OF WRATH

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience,  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath,

like the rest of mankind.

Ephesians 2:1-3

If you ask the average professing Christian on the street; “are we all children of God?” I would wager that more than ninety percent of them would say “yes.” It is always interesting the response I get when I correct those individuals who claim that “we are all children of God.” The Bible never claims as such. In fact, it is quite the opposite. This is important because many people have been misled over the years with this incorrect New Age message.

Indeed, God wants for all to come to the saving knowledge of Christ, but this knowledge requires some understanding and reverence for a holy God. There is every indication that God fully intended for his crown of creation to be as his children (Gen. 3:8). The first humans were given dominion over the animals, and they had access to whatever they needed to nourish their bodies (Gen. 2:9-17). Most Bible students are familiar with the rest of the story. Eve then Adam were confronted with deception and they doubted their Creator which then set off a spiral of consequences. Their choice to believe a lie over their Creator was a rebellious act. It was their choice to walk away from Truth (Gen. 3:1-7).

What Does History Show?

In God’s unwavering mercy and commitment to his image bearers, he waited for well over a millennium to find the person through whom he would officially bring the world back around to him. This would require the individual’s desire to either be a part of God’s family, or to remain under the armpit of the devil. The Old Testament explains how God chose Abram of Ur to be the father of His future nation, Isarael. Ur was a city in the Mesopotamian region that was known for its vast pagan practices. Worshipping false gods was commonplace in this time in history. There was no such thing as Israel, much less any entity thought of as the God of Israel. Perversion was rampant and worship rituals included child sacrifice to their gods, castration as part of the worship of Ishtar, and temple prostitution. The people living in Mesopotamia saw nothing wrong with their culture because it was their way of life.

The gods that they believed in were feared and it was alleged that these gods and goddesses had to be appeased in order for the people to have good fortune. There is no evidence in history that people thought that they were children of any god. There are accounts of humans attempting to make a deal with some imagined deity in order to become god-like, but not a “child” of god.

Nebuchadnezzar saw himself as god and he was confronted with the real Master of the universe and suffered the consequences as he was subjected to seven years of living in the wild as an animal until he came to his senses (Dan. 4:32-34). King Herod, also saw himself as god and was struck down with worms (Acts 12:20-25). It is not until after the formation of the nation of Israel that there is a mention of God considering his chosen to be like children to him (Deut. 32:43). Even in so doing, there is a clear delineation between those whom God considers his children and those who are not.

Jesus and The Status Quo

The idea that we are all children of God is so deeply embedded in our modern-day culture that many may argue that God’s Son, the Messiah, changed the status of everyone from Gentile to son or daughter of God. It is a fact that Jesus did die for the sins of the world, but one must accept God’s invitation to be covered by this merciful act of love of salvaging humanity. Jesus was very clear, however, that to be saved required a love for God which would be manifest as obedience to God as well as love for the Son (John 8:42, 14:15-16) and that is where salvation would become sealed for those individuals.

Jesus pointed out that not everyone was considered to be a child of God. He was particularly strict with the religious leaders of the day and pointed out that they were children of the devil (John 8:44-47). The leaders were well versed in the Scriptures and considered themselves sons of God, yet Jesus said that they were sons of the devil. One of Jesus’ recorded parables was about those who hear the word and feel the joy of the LORD for a time and then return to their old ways because the word never really took root (Matt. 13:1-23). Much like today, many love the church atmosphere and worship service and community, but they prefer to live like the rest of the secular realm around them.

Jesus called Judas the son of perdition (John 17:12). In other words, Judas had lost his soul. He cared more about power and wealth than he did about following a man (Jesus) whose message was living out the words of the Scriptures. It does not appear that Judas was considered a child of God.

Jesus’ sacrifice did not change who is or is not a child of God. In fact, there are many recorded words of Jesus that clearly warn those that followed him that not everyone would be saved. (Matt. 5:29, Matt. 7:13-14, 25:1-13; Luke 10:19-21; Rev. 21:7-8). It should be noted that most of Jesus’ audiences were Jewish people (Matt. 23:36-38). If Jesus would warn his own people that not everyone would be saved, then why would those who are not of Jewish heritage believe that they have some sort of special privilege? Jesus’ sacrifice made it possible for all people to be given the opportunity to be considered as children of God. The key word is opportunity. This status comes with certain privileges and responsibilities.

Imposters

Jesus opened the door to the world to come to know God. His work on the cross won the spiritual battle for humanity, as now God’s Spirit would be accessible to those who accept God’s offer of salvation. Moreover, the disciples never intimated in their writings that everyone was considered to be a child of God. The apostle John pointed out that there were infiltrators who were not part of the family of God (1John 2:18-20). Many progressive pastors have a very difficult time with Paul’s writings (which make up about two thirds of the New Testament) because he is also clear that there are those who do not receive the Gospel and as a result will only devolve into a state of self-deception and corruption, disqualifying them for salvation and eternity with God (Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:8-10). How can one claim that these too are considered children of God?

The fact is, that God is clear that all are invited, but few will be chosen (Matt. 22:13-14). He will pursue those who seek Him. For those who are anchored here to the ways of this world, God allows them to pursue their own passions which will inevitably leave them empty and at the hands of Satan. It is not biblical to claim that all are children of God. God is just and requires that there be a repentant heart and a real desire to serve him and live in obedience to be considered his children (John 8:34-36).

Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’

Matthew 7:20-22