Be A Child Of God

How does one become a child of God? What are the benefits of being a child of God? What do we gain if we are a child of God?

The answer on how to become a child of God is found in John 1:12. It says: “But as many as received Him, to them gave he the power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (KJV).

The most significant benefit that one gains by being a child of God is eternal life and abode with God in heaven, the home prepared by God (Jesus Christ is God himself [John 1:1]) for all his true disciples or believers. Thus, the Word of God says, “Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3 KJV).

The Lord Jesus Christ about two thousand years ago, had gone to God the Father’s kingdom and prepared the many mansions where the true believers will reside when they reach their final destination called HEAVEN. “… for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading (or interceding) for us” (Rom. 8:34 NLT).

The new Heaven is described in part in Revelation Chapter 21:1-27 and Revelation 22:1-5. Why new? Because there is an old one. The old one is this world where we live now. But soon, this will be dissolved and all the elements will melt by extreme heat and fire (2 Pet. 3:10).

There are very rich people who live in beautiful mansions here now on earth. Those of us who are fortunate to have entered upon the mansions of rich people at least have an idea of the beautiful mansions prepared by Jesus Christ [John 14:2] which must be exceedingly more beautiful than any mansion designed and made by human hands. It must be the very best - - beyond the imagination and comprehension of the finite human mind. We have to be there to know the beauty and experience the comfort of mansions made by God.

In a human made mansion, we see beauty of design and the materials used are durable and very rare and expensive. Everything we find in that mansion are made either in U.S.A., Germany, Italy, or England, and are extremely luxurious and very beautiful and comfortable and where everything one needs for a comfortable living is in place by this world’s standards. It is wide and cool more than like a centrally airconditioned place. It should be more than the centrally airconditioned atmosphere of our Baguio City in the 1980’s in the mountain province in Luzon. It is probably like springtime in four-season countries like the United States and Australia, to mention places where I have personally gone to and stay for some months. Imagine now that these descriptions of extraordinary beauty, comfort and durability of the mansions and all things that could be found in heaven, are eternal, unlike the present mansions and things of this world which will decay by the passage of time. Who then is not excited to be in heaven as against the place of eternal torment?

In heaven, one will travel from place to place like how Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after his resurrection. Those who will be in heaven will no longer be under the control of the Arab people for there is no more need for oil and other petroleum products to fuel Jet planes. They won’t even be at the mercy of airline companies to hook up for a promo fare. One can enter any enclosed premises having glorified bodies like Jesus Christ. There is even no need of door locks because there are no more secrets. Everything is transparent, and there are nothing anymore confidential or to hide. No more thieves for these class of people can’t enter heaven. Everybody is equal – no more poor, middle class or rich people! Everybody is perfect in everything, loving, courteous and humble. Everybody is Christlike in other words!

If we could appreciate this great blessing, what an advantage it would be to us! We are given the power, privilege or right of choosing or electing to be sons of God and thus save our soul and live eternally with God in heaven. Believing and receiving is our part of the contract. We are to believe and receive Christ as our personal Savior, and are to continue to believe in Him till our last breath. This means abiding in Christ, showing in Him, at all times and under all circumstances, a faith that is a representation of His character – a faith that works by love, and purifies the soul from all defilement.

We must each obtain the salvation of our soul for ourselves. No one can depend for salvation on the experience or religious practice or prayer or any human act of any other individual. We must each personally become acquainted with Christ, believe, repent, and accept him as our Lord and Savior during our lifetime. God has revealed to King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived on earth, that, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything. Neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. And also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 KJV). And so, he added, “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy night; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest” (vs. 10).

So that our hasty temper, our misshapen character, our selfishness, envy, jealousy, pride and arrogance, or any impurity of soul, body, or spirit can be transformed into Christlike character and virtue. For us or others to work for our soul’s salvation after our demise will be too late. Impossible! No more hope at that moment. God has called us to glory and virtue.

Our canonized Bible relates the story of the angel Lucifer whom God created to be full of wisdom and perfect in his beauty and in his ways, but his heart was lifted up because of his extraordinary beauty and was corrupted in his wisdom due to his powerful intellect.

Because of his self-exaltation beyond measure, he thought himself equal with God. He said in his heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the North: I will ascend about the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:12-14 KJV). Notice the numerous “I” in his ambitious dreams. This caused his downfall. Be careful of the ambitious dreamer who has numerous “I” in his conversations. You might fall down with him.

We are to walk as Jesus Christ walked on earth, following closely in His footsteps, manifesting His meekness and lowliness.

Thus, Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians and to all of the peoples of the world as well,

“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God,   he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. (Phil. 2:5-11 NLT)

The service of Christ is pure and elevated, so must all believers strive to do. The path He traveled is not one of self-pleasing and self-gratification, but self-sacrifice for the sake of the sinners. He speaks to the people and to His disciples, saying, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34 KJV). Jesus Christ demonstrated His supreme sacrifice by His crucifixion in Calvary to save sinners who believe, repent and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. He did not use silver and gold which all belong to him (Haggai 2:8) to purchase the soul of men but his own precious blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Heb. 9:22).

The price of heaven is submission to Christ. The way to heaven is obedience to the command, “Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow Me”. As Jesus journeyed, so we must journey. The path He followed, we must follow; for that path leads to the mansions He has already prepared for the true believers and Christians, otherwise known as “CHILDREN OF GOD”.

Be a child of God and be with Him eternally in his abode – HEAVEN. (FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin May 12, 2012)