George Müller preached at the Conference of Christians at Clifton, England, on October 3, 1871.
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19, NIV)
The subject on which I will share tonight is from what we just read. From the start, it tells us that we are God’s children. The first question this raises is: “Do I truly know that I belong to God?” But how can we be certain? Not by fleeting feelings, a dream, or an emotional reaction to a Bible verse. We must find it on the ground of Scripture to find this assurance. In fact, we must rely alone on God’s word for all matters of faith. So, if I want to be certain that I belong to God, then I must open the Bible to see what is written there and let God’s own testimony settle the matter in my heart.
What does it mean to belong to God? Well, the next part of this verse shows us the opposite: ”The world is under the control of the evil one.” Without Jesus, we all belong to this camp. We are all, by nature, under the control of Satan. That is, we are children of wrath, children of the devil. This must be understood. We are not naturally God’s children; instead, we are people of the devil, serving him, being led by him to do his will, obeying and doing his bidding—our hearts being naturally inclined to evil. And since this is our natural state, we rebel against God’s will. We seek to please ourselves, serving the flesh. We obey Satan instead of obeying the Word of God. That is what we are apart from God. But the complete reverse is to belong to God!
How can we belong to God? We must first trace it back to God’s plan from eternity. He chose us in Christ. He ransomed us. He predestined us to be made into the image of His dear Son. From the beginning He had a plan for salvation. But all this, while true, wouldn’t give us the pleasure of being God’s and the blessing of being God’s if we didn’t first accept the good news and obey the gospel. We must believe the good news of the gospel, trusting in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus for salvation and atonement of our sins. It is faith in the gospel, faith in Jesus, and receiving and resting in His sacrifice alone that we have the pleasure and blessings of being God’s. We were made through Him (see John 1:3). John infers we have the right, the title, the privilege, and the blessing, as it says in John 1:12: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (NIV). We must believe the testimony of God regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, we have to submit to the gospel, and we have to receive the atonement alone as the ground of our acceptance.
Galatians 3:26 says, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (NIV). That is, the pleasure, the blessing, and the realization of being chosen by God and chosen in Christ Jesus comes through faith.
1 John 5:1 says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well” (NIV). I have therefore to believe that the despised, the rejected, the crucified Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, the Savior, and I have to trust Him as such. And this settles the matter that I am " born of God," that I am “born again,” that I am "reborn,” that I am a "child of God.”
What is our responsibility to such truth? We are born of God. We are His children. Think about what that means! Let’s ask Him! O Father, we ask you by the power of Your Spirit to help us live as Your children. We understand what it means only too little. We pray that you would write it on our hearts and impress it on our hearts, that from this moment onward until we see You face-to-face, this truth will remain at the very center of our lives—that we are Your children, truly of God. We ask this in Jesus’ name.”
Let's pause and reflect together. We are not just called children of God in name only, but we can now partake in His divine nature. We have received His very life. Once we were dead in sin, but now we share in His divine nature. And this life we’ve been given is eternal. We will never perish as His children. What a wonderful truth! And Scripture goes even further: “If we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17, NIV). When we take this to heart, how quickly the things of this world fade in comparison! All that this world honors, finds pleasure in—nothing compares to what I have as God’s child. So what must we do? We must press into this truth. Believe with childlike faith everything God has said about us in His Word: that we are His children, His heirs, co-heirs with Christ.
And as we think about the day when Jesus returns, when He will take us to be with Himself, that where He is, we will also be (see John 14:3). Our hearts can only overflow with gratitude. We cry out, “Father, what can I ever do in return for all You have done for me?” I remember when this truth was first impressed upon my heart. It was February of 1830. Though I had been a believer for years, it was the first time I truly grasped what it meant to be a child of God. The effect was life-changing. The world lost its hold on me. My heart was filled with love for my heavenly Father, and with love for Jesus, who through His atoning death had brought me into this blessed position, by the Spirit, through faith. My dear brothers and sisters, I urge you to seek this same realization. Pray over it. Ask God to open your hearts fully to receive what He has declared about us—that we are His beloved children.
Can everyone here say they belong to God? We’ve all come as disciples of the Lord Jesus, as believers in the Lord Jesus, so I have reason to believe a great number here present belong to God. But perhaps there are a few here present—or indeed one who has reason to fear there are a few—who don’t yet belong to God. Let me earnestly share my heart! How long will you stay in this condition—attending one Christian conference after another, yet still belonging to “the world that lies in the power of the evil one”? Year after year passes, and one day you will come to the end of your life. What will happen then if you don’t belong to God? Know for certain that if you leave this life without your soul resting on the saving work of Jesus Christ, you will not be with Him. You will not be in the Father’s house. You will not share eternity with God’s people, even the ones you sit among today. But our longing is different. We want you, too, to be a child of God! We want to spend eternity with you in the joy of His presence.
We’re not content just to see you here at these Christian meetings—we want to see you in heaven. But that can only happen if your heart is changed through faith in Jesus Christ. You must admit that you are a sinner in need of mercy. You must agree with God’s verdict about your condition. And you must accept the gracious gift provided in the gospel—the gift of His Son. Perhaps someone might say, “But if believers belong to God because of election and predestination, then I can do nothing for myself. I must wait for God to do it for me.” This is Satan's trap for the poor sinner. It’s true that you cannot choose yourself for salvation. It’s true you cannot predestine yourself. It’s true you cannot save yourself. All of that is very true! But what God expects is that you should receive, as a poor, lost sinner, what He has so graciously provided for you in the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you feel like saying, “I wish I could believe, but I can’t,” then bring even that to God. Cry out, “Lord, help me believe!”
If you say, “My heart is full of sin, and I cannot cleanse it”—that is true. But you can still cry out, “Help me, O Lord; look on me, a poor, guilty sinner!” And be assured: God is more willing to give His blessing than you are to receive it. Look at the life of our worthy Lord Jesus Christ. Did anyone ever come to Him sincerely seeking help and get turned away? Never! Whether it was the blind, the lame, or the broken, He always received them. Only the Pharisees and scribes, who were proud and self-sufficient, not wanting grace but only trying to oppose Him, went away empty-handed. But the poor, the desperate, and the miserable always received His mercy from His hands. So come, you poor, desperate, miserable one, and pour out your heart before God. Tell Him you want Christ, that you long to be saved through Him, and plead for His compassionate help. You will not be turned away. And when you have found Christ, go and tell other poor, desperate sinners what a gracious Savior you have found.
My brothers and sisters, we must, according to the ability and opportunity God gives us, spread His truth. One may serve in one way, another in a different way, but all of us can spread His truth in one way or another. And even if we cannot all be equally active, we can all pray. Prayer is the greatest weapon we have, bringing glory, honor, and praise to God. So let us not grow weary or think our efforts too small. In God’s hands, even the simplest act of service or the quietest prayer can bear eternal fruit.
.png){kind=small}
George Müller
