“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” Galatians 3:26, NRSV
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10, NIV
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9, NRSV
If you were to ask any of the children in my congregation, “Who are you?” They will respond, “I am a child of God.” This core understanding of who we comes from the Bible. We are children of God through faith, as the apostle Paul taught. In fact, on the morning of his resurrection, Jesus himself told Mary Magdalene, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father” (John 20:17). To trust that God created us, loves us, and claims us as beloved children is our identity as Christians. With Christ as our brother, and indeed with every believer as sibling, we are part of a vast, often unruly, ever-widening family of faith. As members of this family, we follow the example of Jesus Christ, doing good works and proclaiming the good news of God’s love for all people. This is our identity. This is what we do. “I am a child of God.”
