Good News

How Can I Become a Child of God?

There’s a very good way to remember why and how we need to become a child of God, called the 7 C’s.

Creation

God tells us in his Word, the Bible, that he created the heavens and the earth. He made the plants and animals. He also made the first people, Adam and Eve. God made them in his image (like him in many ways) to have a special relationship with him. They were also commanded to lovingly rule over the rest of the creatures on the earth. Everything God created was “very good.”

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

Corruption

God wanted people to love and obey him. But Adam and Eve disobeyed a command from their Creator. Disobedience is called sin. Their sin separated them from a holy and perfect God. The punishment for sin is death. God judged Adam and Eve and the creation. Their special relationship with God was broken. But God promised them that he would one day provide a solution to this problem of sin.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

Catastrophe

Adam and Eve had many children. Each child was born a sinner, so everyone disobeyed God. God was not pleased with their great wickedness. To punish their disobedience, God sent a catastrophic flood that covered the earth, but God saved Noah and his family (and animals) on the ark. Any person or creature not on the ark died. After the flood, God promised to never again destroy the whole world with water. But people continue to sin, so God will one day punish the world with fire (2 Peter 3:3–7). Only those who have a right relationship with God—his children—will be saved from this future judgment.

He [God] blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground. . . . Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. (Genesis 7:23)

Confusion

It didn’t take very long for the next few generations after Noah to disobey God’s command to fill the earth after the flood, so God caused them to scatter from the tower of Babel by confusing their language. From these families, all the people groups of the world have come. But no matter where we live or what shade of skin color we have, we are all part of Adam and Eve’s family. We are all disobedient to God. We all deserve to be separated from God forever. So we all need to be restored to a right relationship with God—to become part of God’s family.

Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. (Genesis 11:9)

Christ

God loves us very much and made a way for us to become his children! God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Jesus was both fully God and fully human. While Jesus was growing up, he was always obedient to his heavenly Father. He never sinned. He was perfect. But we are not. Jesus told people how they could have a right relationship with God and become his children.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Cross

God said that death is the punishment for sin (Romans 6:23). We each must die. For us to live forever with our Creator, someone perfect must die in our place. Jesus never did anything wrong, but as part of God’s plan, Jesus was put to death on a cross. He was punished for our sins and buried in a grave. But Jesus did not stay in the grave. God raised him from the dead. He is alive! He made a way for us to have a right relationship with God and to become part of his family.

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures [and] . . . was buried [and] . . . was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)

Consummation

God will create a new heavens and a new earth for his children. This new place will be “very good.” There will be no sin or death in that beautiful place. If we are part of his family, we will live in that wonderful place forever with our Creator!

Do you want to be part of God’s family? Becoming a true child of God is the most important thing that can ever happen to you.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

How Can I Become a Child of God?

If you repent (are sorry for and turn from your sin) and trust in Jesus’ death to pay for your sins, you will become a child of God!

Do you understand that you are a sinner who has disobeyed God’s commands? For example, God says, “Do not lie.” Have you ever told a lie? God also says, “Honor your parents.” Have you ever disobeyed your parents? Because you (along with everyone!) are a sinner, you deserve to be separated from God forever, and you can’t save yourself. Are you sorry for disobeying God?

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Do you believe that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice (punishment) for your sin, and rose from his grave in victory? Do you want to love and obey God forever?

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

You can pray (talk) to God and tell him you are sorry for your sin. Tell him you believe Jesus was punished for your sin and that you want to love and obey him. Would you like to do this now?

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

You will still be a child of your parents, but you will also be part of God’s family!

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1)