Who Are God's Children?

Are all people saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam?

• No.
• Only those are saved
• who through true faith
• are grafted into Christ
• and accept all His benefits.

Matthew 7:14  "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

John 1:12  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 3:16  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:18  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

John 3:36.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Romans 11:16-21 

• And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy - just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy.  For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be too.
• But some of the branches from Abraham's tree - some of the people of Israel - have been broken off.  And you Gentiles who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in.  So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree.
• But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off.  You are just a branch, not the root.
• "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me."
• Yes, but remember - those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe.  So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.
• For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't spare you either.