Who are the children of God? Not everyone, certainly. Anyone who knows God knows that he is pure and has no darkness in him. People who lie, cheat, and steal are not God's true children. Certainly, he created all people and gives them life. He sends them sunshine and rain and cares for their needs. But most people do not know him. They do not obey his holy word.
Would you like to be a child of God? If you truly believe in Jesus Christ -- that he is the Son of God who died on a cross to pardon your sins, and rose from the dead -- you will become a true child of God. God will adopt you into his family forever. In fact, if you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you have already been spiritually born by the power of God. This is how the Scripture says it: "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)
Your spiritual family membership is determined by simple faith. If you receive Jesus Christ, you have the right to become a child of God. Faith in Jesus is pure. Real faith causes action to spring forth. True faith in Christ is a fountain of life that pours out love, peace, humility, and hope. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, as the Scripture says.
The true children of God are known by their actions and godly character. They follow Jesus Christ and learn from him. They grow in meekness, honesty, patience, and every good virtue. They learn to distinguish between truth and error, between God's voice and the ways of this world.
The rest of the world is full of a different type of person -- the children of the devil. They do the things that their spiritual father does. They lie or kill, hate, disobey God, disobey their earthly parents, or worship statues. They are greedy, malicious, gossipers, evil talkers, drunkards, unmarried couples who sleep together, users of witchcraft, or do many other wicked practices. Some of these people may even attend a church, but they can be recognized by their conduct.
At the end of the world, when the angels come to separate the children of God from the children of the devil, each person will have his own reward. The children of God will go into God's eternal kingdom to enjoy peace and happiness forever. The children of the devil will go into everlasting suffering and torment in the fires of hell. There will be no other option.
If you would like to read more, please see the short letter in the Bible known as 1 John, and especially chapter three.
