True Children Of God

August 2, 2020 Morning Service

Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK

Rick Boyne

Message Point: Not all people are God’s children; only those who have been adopted by faith in Jesus Christ.

Focus Passage: 1 John 3:1

Supplemental Passage: "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18)

Introduction: I’ve heard it said many times, “We are all God’s children.” Well, that is a nice sentiment, but it simply isn’t true. We are all God’s creation, But we are not all God’s children. We are God’s creation by default. We are only God’s children by adoption. The only way we are adopted is through faith in Jesus Christ.

I. We are all God’s creation

a. Created in His image: God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)

b. Created for His pleasure: "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

c. We are separated from God by sin: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

II. We are NOT all God’s Children

a. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:21-23)

b. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

c. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:5-6)

III. Adoption is through Jesus Christ only

a. Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)

b. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT)

c. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT)

Application/Invitation: We are separated from God by sin. But God loves us enough that He sent Jesus, His Son, to take the punishment for us, even while were still sinners. So, how are we adopted into God’s family and made His children? The Bible says “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)