"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)
Serving as a campus missionary among college students, I often hear that students on campus say that they are "Christians" because they have been raised in Christian households or grew up going to church regularly. Will that make you a child of God? One of the greatest joy that we can find in and receive from the God of the Bible is that He will call you and I a child of God when we get right with Him. An interesting thing about our God is that He does not have grandchildren, but only children. It means that we cannot establish a relationship with this God through someone or something else. The way to become a child of God is not through someone else's faith nor doing good Christian things like joining a Bible study group or attending church service occasionally, but by repenting of our sins against Him and placing our faith in Jesus alone. Then, God gives us the right to become a child of God (John 1:12). Hallelujah!
Do you see and love the God of the Bible as your God because of who He is to you? Or, is He still someone else's God in your life? God will not nor desire to look at you through someone else’s faith in Him. He will look straight into your eyes and ask, “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:27-30)
One of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in our lives is to bear witness in our spirit that we have become children of God (Romans 8:16). No one nor anything can give you this assurance but His Spirit, and as any joyful and safe children do, if we have been truly born again and became children of God, we can gladly run to Him saying, "Abba (literally means, Daddy), Father! (Romans 8:14-15).