We are all “children of God” in the sense that were are children of God’s creation.
We are not all God’s children spiritually. The Bible even refers to some people as sons of the devil like in I John 3:10. Spiritually, only those who have been born again (through baptism by faith) have become adopted (spiritually) as children of God. This can only happen because, through baptism, we are united to Christ, the Son of God. So sonship/childhood is rooted in Christ’s Sonship. (Ephesians 1:5).
Jesus was begotten, but not made. Begotten of God before all worlds (space and time). He is God from God, Light of Light, very God of very God. Of one substance with the Father. Through Christ all things were made. (Colossians 1:15–20, John 3:16, 8:58 and 17:55)
It is important to compare John 3:16 with Ephesians 1:5. Christ is the only begotten son, but those who are born again become God’s children by adoption. Christ is the very substance of God. We are called to participate in the Triune God by His grace, becoming as he is in likeness, but we will never share that substance.
The Son is not generated from the Father so as to make a separate Deity, nor is the Son simply an emanation of God. God, being unique, is one deity with three co-eternal energies (hypostasis) which interpenetrate each other, but are distinct from one another. The energies are all personal, with identity, but not independently so as to be separated from the other two. The relationship these energies have to one another is revealed to us in Scripture, and later clarified, in the Triune formula. The Father is the fount of divinity, The Word/Son of God is generated from the fount, and the Holy Spirit proceed from the Fount of divinity through the Son. These names are not mere titles, then, but names that distinguish these persons/energies by how they related to one another. This is very scholastic, but it is historical Christian teaching on the matter and is an essential doctrine, not a secondary one.
look at it this way...God says in the bible do NOT put ANY OTHERS before him...doesn't say except for his son, it says no others, period... Now some dude comes along and says hey, I'm gods son, your his children, but I'm his son...worship me...and you do, directly disobeying gods word that you revere so much...
Edited by
mightymoe
on Wed 06/13/18 08:23 AM