Figuratively children of God

[Jane_Doe]

It is my current understanding that mainstream Christians do consider themselves to be figuratively the children of the Father (as opposed to literally).

Why is this? Which Bible verses lend themselves to this idea?

(I'm seeking understanding of the perspective here, please avoid any arguing).

 

[Sketcher]

I'm not sure of what you mean by a literal child of God.

Jesus Christ is absolutely unique, being the God-Man. He was conceived and born of a virgin, uniquely begotten by the activity of the Holy Spirit overshadowing her. No one else is like that. No one else can be like that. Likewise, the Son is one of the three Persons of the Trinity. As such, we cannot receive worship like he can, for instance. We will never be able to earn that, or earn our way to becoming gods or mini-gods. We simply cannot be equal to Christ in nature or in station.

We are children of God in a very real sense, though. We are born again of the Holy Spirit, we have a (much lesser) inheritance in Heaven, we are expected to follow Christ's example in doing many things. What we are is more akin to being adopted children than being begotten children.

 

[Jane_Doe]

If mean, do you believe that the spirit of a newborn baby is not from the Father? That the Father is not the infant's spiritual (not biological) Father?

 

[bling]

If mean, do you believe that the spirit of a newborn baby is not from the Father? That the Father is not the infant's spiritual (not biological) Father?

Yes, the new born is from God literally and has a spirit from God.

 

[aiki]

It is my current understanding that mainstream Christians do consider themselves to be figuratively the children of the Father (as opposed to literally).

Why is this? Which Bible verses lend themselves to this idea?

(I'm seeking understanding of the perspective here, please avoid any arguing).

I don't consider myself a figurative child of God but a very literal one. I am an adopted child, to be sure, but a child nonetheless.

Romans 8:14-17
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Romans 8:29
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Ephesians 5:1
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Ephesians 5:8
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Philippians 2:14-15
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

1 John 3:1-2
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Selah.

 

[food4thought]

If mean, do you believe that the spirit of a newborn baby is not from the Father? That the Father is not the infant's spiritual (not biological) Father?

I believe the Bible indicates that we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) until we are born of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3)... I would say that it is probable that we are born spiritually dead (IOW, without a living spirit), but that every child has a soul that comes from the Father. As Paul quoted one of the philosophers of that day, "we are all His offspring" (Acts 17:28), but we are separated from God by our sins, and thus without right relationship with the Father, until we repent and believe the good news, that we may be adopted as legal heirs along with Jesus of all God offers throughout eternity through faith in Jesus.

Biblically, the deliniation between soul and spirit is not very clear, but there is a difference (see Hebrews 4:12).

Hope this helps...

 

[Thursday]

It is my current understanding that mainstream Christians do consider themselves to be figuratively the children of the Father (as opposed to literally).

Why is this? Which Bible verses lend themselves to this idea?

(I'm seeking understanding of the perspective here, please avoid any arguing).

Jesus told us to pray "Our Father...."

 

[98cwitr]

It is my current understanding that mainstream Christians do consider themselves to be figuratively the children of the Father (as opposed to literally).

Why is this? Which Bible verses lend themselves to this idea?

(I'm seeking understanding of the perspective here, please avoid any arguing).

John 1:12
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,

 

[PloverWing]

It is my current understanding that mainstream Christians do consider themselves to be figuratively the children of the Father (as opposed to literally).

Why is this? Which Bible verses lend themselves to this idea?

(I'm seeking understanding of the perspective here, please avoid any arguing).

That is correct. The image of God as a Father with us as his children is an important metaphor, but only a metaphor. The Scriptures that others have quoted here, along with a number of others like the parable of the Prodigal Son and the Sermon on the Mount, use the idea of a Father to describe how God deals with us: God holds authority, but is also very loving, very concerned with our well-being, much as an earthly parent is.

But mainstream Christianity does not view God as a biological being who fathers biological children. Even spiritually, I would say that we are created, not begotten. We are distinctly different from God: God is the creator of all things, and we are created beings. Traditional Christianity maintains this as an important distinction.

 

[PloverWing]

If mean, do you believe that the spirit of a newborn baby is not from the Father? That the Father is not the infant's spiritual (not biological) Father?

If I am being very careful in my wording, I would say that God is the baby's creator, not spiritual father. If I understand the LDS tradition correctly, this is a point on which the LDS tradition and mainstream Christianity differ.

 

[ViaCrucis]

It is my current understanding that mainstream Christians do consider themselves to be figuratively the children of the Father (as opposed to literally).

Why is this? Which Bible verses lend themselves to this idea?

(I'm seeking understanding of the perspective here, please avoid any arguing).

One example:

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry,' Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." - Romans 8:15-17

We are children of God the Father by adoption, that is, by grace. Because we, having been joined to Christ by the mercy of God and having received the Holy Spirit are found in Christ, thus we have Christ's Father as our Father. He is called Father because He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He is only our Father by grace, by adoption, through faith, etc.

God has no literal (that is, biological, natural, etc) offspring because God is God, He's not a male, He's not an creature. God is God.

In the Trinity there is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Father is called Father because He is Father of the Son, just as the Son is called Son because He is Son of the Father. The Son is uncreated, eternal, there was never a time the Son was not, and so the Father has always had His Son. If the Father is uncreated, without beginning, having always been and always being then the same is true of His Son; and it is through the Son--who became man as Jesus--that we have heard God called Father, as it is Jesus--the eternal Son--who points back to His Father, revealing Him to us. And so if we have seen the Son we have seen the Father, and if we have known the Son we have known the Father, for the Son makes the Father known (John 1:18); and therefore Christ has come and revealed the Father and has given us His Father as our Father, that through the grace we have received by Him we have come to know God the Father as our own Father, for we stand in Christ as children of God, born again by the Spirit of God through baptism, having become new creatures in Jesus to the hope of everlasting life in the world to come.

Only biological creatures procreate, procreation being part of our intrinsic biology. God, being God, does not procreate--God doesn't have a penis, God doesn't have chromosomes, God doesn't have a body, God is neither male or female. God is God. Angels don't procreate either, because angels are lacking biology, sex, bodies, they don't have penises or vaginas either.

-CryptoLutheran