Children of God By Faith
The Scriptures state the following: "For you are all sons
of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:26-27).
These verses tell us that God's children are "in Christ." Jesus is the basis of
our relationship to God as His children. Simply put, to be "outside of Christ"
is to be outside of God's spiritual family. God's purpose to save sinners
includes the essential ingredient of a Savior - and Jesus is that Savior - the
only one (Acts 4:12). The Scriptures teach that redemption, forgiveness, hope
and eternal life are all "in Christ."
Also, the passage says that those who are God's children by faith have "clothed"
themselves with Christ. Faith is a living and active response to God. Faith
expresses itself by responding in a positive and obedient way to God's word
(Romans 10:17 and Acts 18:8).
Finally, this passage says we "are children of God by faith" when we are
"baptized into Christ." Baptism is said here to be the act of faith by which God
puts us "into Christ" where we are children of God. It is just this important to
be baptized into Christ.
Galatians 3:26,27 again: "For you are all sons of God by
faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ."
By Jon W. Quinn
The Front Page
From Expository Files 15.12; December 2008
