John Chapter 1 spells it out beautifully. Jesus was with God from the beginning and is God. Everything that was made was created through Jesus. In other words, when God spoke all things into existence, Jesus is the spoken Word of God. Jesus, when He came to earth as a human, was the Word made flesh. Even though the Light of the world entered the world, His own people didn’t recognize Him. But those who do are born again of God and are called the children of God!
Don’t let the world fool you. When I watched the movie, “Even Almighty”, there is a scene where God (played by Morgan Freeman) gives Evan a children’s book. In the book it says that God has 7-billion children. This is a lie. Every person is made in the image of God, but not every person is a child of God. We humans are born into Adam and original sin. Because of our sin nature, we heap our own sins on top of that. The only way out is to be born again.
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus was not born into Adam and did not have a sin nature. That is why He was the ONLY one qualified to give His life on our behalf. When we trust God for what His Son did on the cross for us, we then have the right to be called children of God.
God is Holy. No unrighteousness can be in His presence. He is an all consuming fire. If you were to go to Heaven without the gift of righteousness that comes from trusting in Jesus, you would be toast. The only way you can live in eternity with God in His presence is to be righteous. A gift you receive when you are born again!
It’s the best deal going in the universe. Trade in your unrighteousness (filthy rags, the Bible says) and in exchange receive the very righteousness of God! Your spirit sealed with His with the promise that you are His for eternity! That is what it means to be a child of God!