Are All the Children of God?

No text shows the affirmative. On the other hand:

I. It is distinctly stated that some are not the children of God. “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God” (Rom. ix. 8). “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (i John iii. 10; John viii. 41, 42, 44).

* Written after F. R. H.’s return from church, where all the congregation were addressed as being the children of God.

t60 GLEAMS FROM THE KING’S WORD.

II. Distinct conditions are annexed to being, or becoming, the children of God, which are manifestly not fulfilled by all.

First condition. Believing on the name of Christ and receiving Him.” But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John i. 12). Also Gal. iii. 26.

Second condition. Lave to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Jesus said unto them, If God’ were your Father ye would love Me” (John viii. 42).

Third condition. Being led by the Spirit. 1 ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. viii. 14).

III. The children of God are constantly mentioned in contradistinction to others who are described as the children of a different father or power. See Rom. ix. 8; 1 John iii. 10; Matt. xiii. 38; Eph. ii. 2, 3, 5, 6; Luke xvi. 8; and many other passages. Observe that when St. Paul called Elymas “child of the devil” (Acts xiii. 10), it is expressly said in ver. 9 that Paul was “filled with the Holy Ghost.” I have looked out (with concordance) every place where “children” or “sons of ( rod” occurs, and am struck with two facts.

1. That, even when not expressly stated to apply only to some and not to all, the same is implied’in every case; e. g., Matt. v. 44, 45, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; That ye* 7nay be the children of your Father which is in heaven,” not “because” ye are I

2. That baptism is never once said to be the means of adoption, or of being or becoming, the children of God.