You Are a Child of God -- Because His Spirit Says So

One of my favorite quotes, which I keep in my folder, comes from former  Governor of New York and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller:

"You are a child of God. You're playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you."

I have kept this quote in my folder for years, yet only recently have I taken the time to really ponder what this means.

Do  I have the authority based on Scripture to call myself a child of God? Yes!:

"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:

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1: 12-13)

We become sons of God when we believe on Him whom the Father has sent: His Son Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave His life for us:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

Therefore, John declares earlier in his letter:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. " (1 John 3: 1-2)

Yet we live in a shaky troubled world that denies God and would deceive us into doubting our new identity. What is our basis for truth within us? The Holy Spirit:

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. " (Romans 8: 15-17)

How do we know that we have the Spirit of God in us? By our confession:

"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." (1 John 4: 13-15)

The Spirit of God lives in us because we have declared in heart and mouth that Jesus is Lord. By the Spirit of God, we receive the adoption into the Family of God!