In John 1:12, the bible says to those who receive him, he gave the right to become children of God. Does this mean that we are Gods?
Let’s read that verse. John 1:12 says, “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.” What a blessed portion is ours though faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been given the power, or authority, to become the sons of God. Scripture says much about our sonship. Galatians 3:26 makes it clear, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” All who have faith in Christ are children of God.
The Lord Jesus is the ‘only begotten’ Son of God, while our sonship is through adoption. Galatians 4:4-7 says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Now, because we are sons of God, the Spirit of God lives within us, causing us to cry out to God as our Father. The Lord Jesus acknowledged this relationship, when after His resurrection but before His ascension, He said in John 20:17, “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” Notice that He didn’t say ‘our’ Father because He is unique in His character and place.
Because all believers in Christ are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, we read in Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” How could that possibly be? If we didn’t see it right here in the Word of God, we could not believe it. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ! What a boundless love the Lord has for us that He would share with us all that is His. He gives us so much of Himself.
- 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, “…we have the mind of Christ.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that we are, “…made the righteousness of God in him.”
- 2 Peter 1:4 tells us we are “partakers of the divine nature.”
And the list goes on, however we are not gods, and never will be. The Lord stated definitively in Isaiah 45:22 saying, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
1 John 3:1-2 tells us, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” The fact that ‘we shall be like Him’ shows that our vile and corruptible bodies will be made to be like His glorious body. When the Lord comes to rapture His church, we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:49 says, “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” We then read in verses 51-53, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” What a glorious day that will be! (177.3)