Children of God John 1:12

12 Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.



Prior to this was anyone called a child of God?

Genesis 1:26, then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness (not like our child)

Genesis 2:16, To the woman He said; "I'll greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you."

Genes 2:22 And the Lord God said, "the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take from the tree of life.

From my brief research in the beginning man was not called a child of God....but I'll continue to research this.



Back to John 1:12 the KJV- 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,

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship/ adoption. And by Him we cry, "Abba Father". 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our own spirit (assuring us) that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, than we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.



Romans 9 (Amplified)

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying; my conscience (enlightened and prompted) by the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me. 2 That I have bitter grief and incessant anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cutoff and banished from Christ for the sake of my brethren and instead of them, my natural kinsmen and my fellow countrymen.



4 For they are Israelites and to them belong God's adoption (as a nation) and the glorious presence (Shekinah). With them were the special covenants made, to them was the law given. 5 To them belong the patriachs and as far as His natural descent was concerned, from them is the Christ, who is exalted and supreme over all, God blessed forever! Amen. 6 However, it is not as though God's word has failed. For it is not everybody who is a descendant of Jacob (Israel) who belongs to (the true) Israel.



7 And they are not all the children of Abraham because they are by blood his descendants. No, (the promise was) your descendants will be called and counted through the line of Isaac (though Abraham had an older son). Just because you are related to a believer does not mean you are a child of God. You have to know Jesus for yourself. 8 That is to say, it is not the children of the body (of Abraham) who are made God's children, but it is the offspring to whom the promise applies that shall be counted (as Abraham's true) descendants.



9 For this is what the promise said, about this time (next year) will I return and Sarah shall have a son (Genesis 18:10). 10 And not only that, but this too: Rebecca conceived (two sons under exactly the same circumstances) by our forefather Isaac [whom the promise was made to]. 11 And the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order to further carry out God's purpose of selection (election, choice) which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him who calls (them), 12 it was said to her that the elder (son) should serve the younger (son) (Genesis 25:21-23).



13 As it is written Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (Malachi 1:2,3) 14 what shall we conclude then? Is there injustice upon God's part? Certainly not!



15 For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy and I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. 16 So then (God's gift) is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God's mercy. (It depends not on one's own willingness nor on his strenous exertion as in running a race, but on God having mercy on him). 17 For the scripture says to Pharoah, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying my power in (dealing with) you, so that my name may be proclaimed the whole world over.



18 So then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens whomever He wills. 19 You will say to me, why then does He still find fault and blame us (for sinning)? For who can resist and withstand His will?

20 But who are you, a mere man to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? Will what is formed say to Him that formed it, why have you made me thus? 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honourable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use? 22 What if God, although fully intending to show (the awfulness of) His wrath and to make known His power and authority, has tolerated with much patience the vessels of His mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory, 24 Even including ourselves whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles (heathen)?

25 Just as He says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I'll call my people, they shall be called sons of the Living God." So whether or not we were intended to be God's people or not we can all be called sons of the Living God-do not let your circumstances deter you and fool you into thinking you are not a son of God.

27 And Isaiah calls out over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel "Jacob" be like the sand of the sea, only a small part of them will be saved!

1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of Him.

1 John 3:1-2 How Great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we sould be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world doesn't know us is that it didn't know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known.

9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.