Today is Father’s Day in Australia and New Zealand.
Each one of us has father, even though he may or may not be with you anymore. He may be a good father, or when you think of your father, he may remind you a painful memory.
However, do you know that you always have a good Father in Heaven? We call him “Abba, Father”.
The thing is, God said to us that not everyone can be the children of God.
Do you want to be God’s children?
Let’s see God’s criteria.
From the Bible, in the Book of John 1:10-13,
“He (Jesus Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Did you see that how we can become the children of God?
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name”. This is the criteria that God “gave the right to become children of God”.
Here, the Bible specified clearly what is NOT the way to become children of God.
“Born not of natural descent” – not by our parents’ decision.
“Nor of human decision” – it is not even our own decision that we decide to be children of God.
It is also not of “a husband’s will”. Not through marriage too.
The only way is “born of God”. God is the only one to endow this rights, this precious status to His people.
The word “born” also signified a new life too. The old life dies, but the new life (being children of God) comes.
Are you already the children of God? How have you become the children of God? Ask God today to be your Father in Heaven if you are not yet His children, so that you can call God as the good “Abba, Father”.
Jas 4 Christ 