Just as the disciples expressed wonder and astonishment at the nature of Jesus’ person after He calmed the sea with three words – “what manner of man is this!?” – so John the apostle expressed wonderment at the nature of God’s love – "behold what manner of love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God." There are profound depths to be explored in the revealed truth that we as finite, frail, fickle and fallen creatures could be called children of the infinite, holy, and perfect Creator/God.
This sonship is more than the conventional idea that we are all children of God as products of His creation. Becoming a child of God is entrenched in the one and only eternally preexistent Son of God: "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." This unique Son of God is the "author of salvation" with the objective of "bringing many sons to glory" (Heb. 2:10). For that reason "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Indeed, God "sent forth His Son" and has "spoken to us by His Son." But this Son is unique as the "only begotten Son of God" because He is the same essence as God the Father and is the only one of a kind who can fully and exactly express the Father as the representative heir.
The infinite God revealed Himself to us in a relationship that can be understood by finite man. John recorded a prayer by the Son to the Father that expressed not only the eternal preexistence of the Son in perfect relationship with the Father, but that we, created in His image, are designed and desired for relationship also (see John 17:20-24).
Key terms of relationship in the New Testament that describe the believer (Jn. 3:36) include child (teknon) meaning offspring or shared nature; son (huios) meaning one in the position of heir and who can represent; adoption (huiothesia) meaning one who receives the full right of sons; brother (adelphos) meaning connected from the womb; and heir (kleronomos) meaning one who will inherit. All of these titles apply to the believer in Jesus Christ with all the honors, rights and privileges appertaining thereto.
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