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Hi, Avyne —
Thanks for the question. Let me share a few Scripture passages with you.
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,
Romans 8:14-16 |
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because
you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer
a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:4-7 |
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined
us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace,
by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of His grace.
Ephesians 1:4-7 |
All mankind is the crown jewel of God's creation. Every individual is
a creation of God and loosely can be called a Child of God. This does not
imply a right relationship with God.
Not every human being, male or female, is a son or an heir of God. The
New Testament writers were writing to a Jewish culture or from a Jewish
perspective in which sons were those that had a part in the father's inheritance.
For that reason, they used sonship as a metaphor that the readers could
relate to. When the New Testament writers were talking about Divine Sonship,
they were talking about an inheritance, not just a familial status. Therefore,
every male and female that is baptized into Christ, whether in the normal
way, or by Baptism by desire or blood, is a son and a heir, regardless of their sex.
When the Church uses the term child or children by adoption, they are
trying to convey the same concept. Unfortunately, this point about Divine
Inheritance is not always so clear with the word, Child.
Perhaps you could expound on this point with your class.
I hope this helps,
John C. DiMascio
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