Divine Filiation

   By His grace we are the children of God.  Theologians refer to this family relationship with God as Divine Filiation.  Essentially it means we, as Christians, are adopted members of the family of God; branches grafted on to the one true vine.

   The pagan gods were not seen as family but as controllers demanding sacrifice for their favors.  Those sacrifices could include the produce raised by the farmers, animals from their herds or, in some cases, even their children.  All sacrificed to placate the fury of their gods and gain their favor.

   Our God wants us not as servants but as adopted children.  We have been accepted into His family as brothers to our Lord Jesus Christ.  As brothers of Christ we too can call God “Abba”, Father.  The term Abba is a much more personal means of address than that of father.  It is more akin to calling our God “Daddy”.  How blessed are we that we can look to God as our Daddy; one who loves and cares for us rather than seeking sacrifices from us.

   Before Jesus came the Jews thought of themselves as servants of God.  Muslims claim to worship the same God as Christians yet the very word Islam literally means submission or surrender.  Christians refer to themselves as children of God.  Jesus changed our relationship with God by His life, death and resurrection.  No more were we to be servants as before but friends and family.  “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15: 14-15).

   The gospel of John also tells us, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12).  Saint Paul says in his letter to the Roman’s “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Roman 8: 14).  

   No longer servants, we are children.  And if children, we have a responsibility to live our lives as children of a Father whose love and mercy is unlimited.  God will guide us and send the Holy Spirit to help us but we must make the commitment to be children that our Father will be pleased to welcome into His kingdom.

   ”For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship.” (Romans 8: 15)