Children of God

 
The relationship in which we stand to God in virtue of being “born again.” This tilde is applied to Jews (Matt. 15:2626But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. (Matthew 15:26); Rom. 9:88That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Romans 9:8), &c.) as well as Christians. It does not, however, necessarily imply “sonship” (compare Gal. 4:33Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: (Galatians 4:3) and 6), which is a privilege belonging peculiarly to Christians (see SONSHIP, ADOPTION, &c.). The title is a very general one.