Q&A
Who is a Child of God?
Full Question
Who is a Child of God?
Answer
In a strict sense, any baptized Christian is a child of God and thus a member of his Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1265-71, 1997). For through baptism we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). The baptized are members of “a chosen race . . . God’s own people” (1 Pet.2:9; cf. 1 Cor. 12:12ff.; Rom. 12:4-5). And thus each believer has a guardian angel (CCC 336; cf. Mt. 18:10).
In a wider sense, because everyone is made in God’s image and likeness (cf. Gen.1:27-28) and God desires that all human beings be saved (2 Pet. 3:9; Jn. 3:16-17), all human persons can be said to be children of God. And yet we can’t fall into religious indifferentism. On the salvation of non-Catholics, see CCC 846-48).
In a wider sense, because everyone is made in God’s image and likeness (cf. Gen.1:27-28) and God desires that all human beings be saved (2 Pet. 3:9; Jn. 3:16-17), all human persons can be said to be children of God. And yet we can’t fall into religious indifferentism. On the salvation of non-Catholics, see CCC 846-48).
By Tom Nash
Christians are children of God because we are parts of the Body of Christ who is the Son of God. I can’t think of anywhere in Scripture that tell us that we are children of God because we are made in His image.
Christians are children of God because we are parts of the Body of Christ who is the Son of God. I can’t think of anywhere in Scripture that tell us that we are children of God because we are made in His image.