1. There is a popular view, believed by many people, that every person – every man, woman, boy, and girl – in this world, is a child of God.
2. The term for this is "Universalism." Some churches call themselves "Unitarian/Universalist." They teach we are all God’s children (Christian, RC, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, whatever), and we are all going to heaven.
3. However, this doctrine is not limited to Unitarian/Universalist churches. It is very popular with most religious people, and it is taught in all the liberal churches, whether they be Baptist, Protestant or RC.
4. Some people call it by the name – "the Fatherhood of God, and the brotherhood of man."
5. This all sounds very nice, but the only problem is that it’s unscriptural. It is a false doctrine, and very dangerous. I say it is dangerous because when people have been taught for many years that they are children of God they do not see their need to be born again.
6. And one cannot become a child of God until he is born again.
7. Jessica was telling me that her aunt was teaching her this sort of thing. I told Jessica that Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they were the children of the devil (John 8:44). There is a big difference between the children of the devil and the children of God.
8. God said to the devil, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed" (Gen.3:15).
9. Now, before I go any further, I need to clarify something. We are all related one to another. We are all descended from Adam and Eve. God is our Creator, and in that sense we are all his children.
10. The apostle Paul said to the Greeks in Athens, "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring" (Acts 17:28).
11. So in that sense we are all God’s children, "His offspring." But spiritually we do not become children of God until we are born again (cf. I John 5:18,19).
12. My message today: "What does it mean to be a child of God?"

1. YE MUST BE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD (ROM.8:14).

1. We dealt with this on Sunday evening, and I asked this question: Are you being led by the Spirit of God? "Led by the Spirit" means being governed by the Spirit, and controlled by the Spirit.
2. Sunday night I preached on the Macedonian call and we saw how Paul was led by the Spirit of God.
3. There are many people who profess to be saved but they are not being led by the Holy Spirit. They are not walking in the Spirit, they’re walking after the flesh (cf. Rom.8:1).
4. To be a true child of God, you must be led by the Spirit of God, and you will not be led by the Spirit of God until you are born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:3,7; cf. 1:12).
5. The Bible gives certain characteristics of those who are born again children of God (I John 5:18,19; John 8:44; Rom.8:14).
6. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (cf. Gal. 3:26).

2. YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION (ROM. 8:15).

1. "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear" (8:15). There is not that spirit of bondage and fear in those who are truly born again children of God.
2. If you are genuinely saved, you need not worry, and you need not be unhappy, anxious, or despondent. When you receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you become a child of God and can address God as your Father.
3. Jesus said, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name" (Matt.6:9).
4. Paul uses the term, "Abba, Father" (8:15). Abba is an Aramaic word. The King James translators had such great reverence for God that they did not translate it.
5. When our Lord was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed: "Abba, Father…" (Mark 14:36). And through the miracle of regeneration, we have been brought into the closest intimacy with our heavenly Father – the same kind of intimacy Jesus enjoyed with God the Father.
6. Now, what (Who?) is this "Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father"? (Rom.8:15). By comparing Scripture with Scripture, we see that it is the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal.4:4-6).
7. The indwelling Holy Spirit gives us the full realization that we have been adopted into God’s family, but the full consummation and the full manifestation will not come till the Lord returns (cf. Rom.8:23; I John 3:2,3).
8. There is an important distinction between the new birth and adoption. When a person gets saved, practically speaking he is a baby in Christ and needs to grow. But positionally he is an adult son capable of understanding divine truth.
9. In Galatians 4:6, Paul says, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son…"
10. Regeneration and adoption are two complimentary aspects of our sonship. Regeneration concerns our nature and condition; adoption concerns our position and privileges.
11. Since we are children of God, it naturally follows that we are heirs (Rom. 8:17a). And not just heirs, but "joint-heirs with Christ" (8:17). I quoted from Galatians 4:7. "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
12. But we have not yet received all of our inheritance. This will take place when we are "glorified together" (Rom. 8:17, 23).

3. THE HOLY SPIRIT BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT (8:16)

1. This is another way we know we are children of God. First, we are led by the Spirit of God (8:14). Secondly, we have received the Spirit of adoption, i.e. the Holy Spirit (8:15).
2. Thirdly, we know we are the children of God because the Holy Spirit bears witness with our Spirit (8:16).
3. Our faith is based upon the Word of God. We know we are children of God because we have been born again by the word of God (I Peter 1:23). Many churches talk about being "born again," but it is not from a Biblical perspective. This causes confusion and phony professions of faith (e.g., the charismatics).
4. Our faith must be based upon the Word of God

• John 3:16
• "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life" (John 6:47)
• Rom.10:9,13 – This is objective truth.

5. But we also know we are saved because the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit (Rom.8:16). This is subjective.
6. I often tell people, we do not go by our feelings, but when you get saved you will feel good. You know why so many church people are miserable? They have never been genuinely born again.

CONCLUSION:

1. We have looked at this very important question: What does it mean to be a child of God? We have looked at it outwardly. We go out into this sin-loving and tell sinners that Jesus died for their sins on the cross, being "led by the Spirit of God" (8:14).
2. We have looked at this upwardly. We lift our eyes to heaven and cry "Abba, Father" (8:15).
3. And we have looked at this inwardly. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (8:16).
4. Let me ask you this: Is the Holy Spirit bearing witness with your spirit today that you are a child of God? Do you have this assurance?