God's Children Were Individually Always His Children From All Eternity Past
The phrase "children of God" is tossed around constantly on religious threads, but Scripture draws a clear line regarding who actually belongs to His family. The free-will belief always blurs the line by assuming that every biological human being is automatically a child of God by default of creation. In the earthly, physical realm that is true, but not in the spiritual realm.
When we look at Scripture closely, God's children were always specifically and individually identified as His children in eternity past. They alone are the specific group elected to eternal life and salvation before the foundation of the world. Those who are saved in this world become so only because they were His children in eternity past, while the others, not. Scripture explicitly divides mankind into two completely separate groups based on God's decree, not human willpower. Please consider the following verses.
First, look at Ephesians 1:4–5: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."
Notice, however, that the word translated as "children" here is literally "sons" (huiothesia) in the original language. Yet, in Scripture, His children are never adopted only His sons are, so by being translated as "children" it is misleading in that context. If "his children" is analyzed throughout the New Testament, we see that is a different word than was used in Eph 1:4 - 5. The elect were always God's children in eternity past, but they are placed into sonship and inheritance in this world by predestination by being His children before the foundation of the world, leaving zero room for human choice to cause it.
Second, look at Galatians 4:1–6: "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father... And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Notice that the elect are explicitly defined as heirs and lords of all while they are still walking in darkness, and the Holy Spirit is sent into their hearts precisely because they already belonged to the Father as His children from eternity past.
Third, look at John 17:6: "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." Notice that Christ explicitly states that the elect belonged to the Father before they were ever given to the Son in time, proving that their identity as being part of the Father’s family was a settled fact in eternity past before they ever did a single thing in this world.
Fourth, look at Romans 9:8: "Them which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
Notice that Scripture flatly denies that general human creation or biological birth makes someone a child of God, drawing a permanent line between the flesh and the promise.
Fifth, look at Romans 9:11–13: "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
Notice that these verses imply that Jacob and his spiritual offspring were the Father’s children before they were even in the womb. The family lineage and God's love were fixed before they were born or had done any good or evil, proving that the eternal election of His children determines who are part of the family, completely leaving out human willpower or works.
Sixth, look at 1 John 3:10: "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." Notice that the Holy Spirit explicitly names two distinct groups, not one, on the earth, completely destroying the narrative of a universal fatherhood.
Seventh, look at John 8:44: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him."
Notice that Christ explicitly tells the unregenerate religious crowd that their spiritual lineage is determined by their father the devil, proving that a person's father was fixed by their origin from all eternity past.
Eight, look at John 8:47: "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."
Notice that Christ establishes a fixed divine order where being of God is the cause, and hearing His words is the effect. He flatly tells them that their inability to hear and believe is because they are not of God, proving that a person's eternal identity determines their capacity to respond, leaving zero room for free will.
This collective testimony shows that being a child of God is an issue determined by identity in God's eternal family, predestination, and being born of God. If a person's spiritual father was settled by an unbreakable decree from eternity past, how can human choice alter the family line?
The phrase "children of God" is tossed around constantly on religious threads, but Scripture draws a clear line regarding who actually belongs to His family. The free-will belief always blurs the line by assuming that every biological human being is automatically a child of God by default of creation. In the earthly, physical realm that is true, but not in the spiritual realm.
When we look at Scripture closely, God's children were always specifically and individually identified as His children in eternity past. They alone are the specific group elected to eternal life and salvation before the foundation of the world. Those who are saved in this world become so only because they were His children in eternity past, while the others, not. Scripture explicitly divides mankind into two completely separate groups based on God's decree, not human willpower. Please consider the following verses.
First, look at Ephesians 1:4–5: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."
Notice, however, that the word translated as "children" here is literally "sons" (huiothesia) in the original language. Yet, in Scripture, His children are never adopted only His sons are, so by being translated as "children" it is misleading in that context. If "his children" is analyzed throughout the New Testament, we see that is a different word than was used in Eph 1:4 - 5. The elect were always God's children in eternity past, but they are placed into sonship and inheritance in this world by predestination by being His children before the foundation of the world, leaving zero room for human choice to cause it.
Second, look at Galatians 4:1–6: "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father... And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Notice that the elect are explicitly defined as heirs and lords of all while they are still walking in darkness, and the Holy Spirit is sent into their hearts precisely because they already belonged to the Father as His children from eternity past.
Third, look at John 17:6: "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word." Notice that Christ explicitly states that the elect belonged to the Father before they were ever given to the Son in time, proving that their identity as being part of the Father’s family was a settled fact in eternity past before they ever did a single thing in this world.
Fourth, look at Romans 9:8: "Them which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
Notice that Scripture flatly denies that general human creation or biological birth makes someone a child of God, drawing a permanent line between the flesh and the promise.
Fifth, look at Romans 9:11–13: "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
Notice that these verses imply that Jacob and his spiritual offspring were the Father’s children before they were even in the womb. The family lineage and God's love were fixed before they were born or had done any good or evil, proving that the eternal election of His children determines who are part of the family, completely leaving out human willpower or works.
Sixth, look at 1 John 3:10: "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." Notice that the Holy Spirit explicitly names two distinct groups, not one, on the earth, completely destroying the narrative of a universal fatherhood.
Seventh, look at John 8:44: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him."
Notice that Christ explicitly tells the unregenerate religious crowd that their spiritual lineage is determined by their father the devil, proving that a person's father was fixed by their origin from all eternity past.
Eight, look at John 8:47: "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."
Notice that Christ establishes a fixed divine order where being of God is the cause, and hearing His words is the effect. He flatly tells them that their inability to hear and believe is because they are not of God, proving that a person's eternal identity determines their capacity to respond, leaving zero room for free will.
This collective testimony shows that being a child of God is an issue determined by identity in God's eternal family, predestination, and being born of God. If a person's spiritual father was settled by an unbreakable decree from eternity past, how can human choice alter the family line?
