Are all God's children? Is Christ in all?

“I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him.” – Mother Theresa

Is Christ in all?

Jesus requires us to see Him in every person: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” But is Jesus actually in every person? There are Scriptures that hint that.

Paul stated that God set him apart even from his mother’s womb and called him through His grace, “to reveal His Son in” him, (Gal. 1:15-16). Paul didn't say that God revealed His son to him, but rather “in” him. This suggests that Christ was in Paul at the point of conception. However, Christ wasn’t truly revealed “in” Paul until he discovered who Christ really was.

He also wrote to the Colossians: “there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all,” Col. 3:11). However, Paul most likely referred to Christians in this passage.

The same could be true when he told the Ephesians that there is “one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all,” (Eph. 4:6). But we should be careful to limit who God is in. It seems that Paul says that God is in all believers, but he also says that God is “over all”, and “all” here refers to every single person. God is not under any person. Jesus is not Lord when we “make Him our Lord.” We don’t make Him Lord, He is “Lord of all,” (Acts 10:36).

Colossians 1 makes it more clear:

“All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist,” (Col. 1:16-17). 1. Christ created all things. 2. All things are through Him and for Him. 3. Christ is before all things. 4. In Him the same all things consist.

However, this verse only states that all are in Christ, not that Christ is in all.

So is Christ in all? I think in one sense, all are at least in Christ through the incarnation. When Christ took on a human nature, He assumed human nature collectively, uniting himself to all humanity.

All humanity had prior been in Adam: “As in Adam all die.” But “even so in Christ all shall be made alive,” (1 Cor. 15:22). So Christ’s universal saving act affected the entire human race. Since Christ is in us through the incarnation we will also be in Christ when he makes all alive.

Through Adam judgment came to all. But through Jesus’ “righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life,” (Rom. 5:18). And so, Jesus will draw all people to Himself, (John 12:32).

So all will be in Christ in the future, but Christ is currently only in all by means of the incarnation.

Are all God’s children?

All are children of God, again, in one sense. Luke begins the genealogy with Jesus Christ, then works his way back: “son of… son of… son of…” all the way to “the son of Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38).

By virtue of creation then, we are all God’s children. All have been created in God’s image and according to God’s likeness.

1. Paul’s point of view.

In Athens, Paul spoke these words to pagans:

“In Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone,” (Acts 17:28-29). Note that Paul spoke to people who did not believe in Jesus, who had not been baptized, who had never stepped foot in a church. They thought God is like “gold or silver or stone,” or even an “image formed by the art and thought of man”. They had no clue what God was like.

The city was full of idols. They even had an altar to the unknown god, just in case all the “known gods” were wrong. And Paul told them that as “children of God” they should not think about God the way they did.

So Paul proclaimed to them the One whom they worshipped without knowing. This is shocking! They actually worshipped God even though they did not know Him? Yes. Albeit they worshipped Him in ignorance, nevertheless they worshipped Him.

Furthermore, Paul claimed that every family in heaven and earth is named after the Father, (Eph. 3:14-15).

2. Jesus’ point of view.

The prodigal never ceased to be the Father’s son. When he left home the Father’s forgiveness followed him out the door. The son was out of the house, but never out of the family.

When the son returned he begged to be a servant because he thought he was not “worthy to be called a son”. But the Father shouted for joy: “My son…was lost and is found”. The same was true for the older brother. When he complained over how he’s slaved around the estate, the Father pleaded with him: “Son…all that I have is yours”, reminding him of his sonship.

So what are we going to do with Jesus’ statement then, that “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12)?

The answer is found in the parable. Both were sons. But they did not act like it. They saw themselves as servants and thus they didn't feel like they had the right to call themselves sons. But despite that, the Father always saw them as sons. So when the prodigal recognized who he was, he could finally enjoy the benefits of being the Father’s son.

3. John’s point of view.

John similarly says that they who "are of the world speak as of the world,” (1 John 4:5). But then he gives this shocking statement: “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God,” (1 John 4:7-8). I can think of a few Christians who do not love. And I can think of a few atheists who love. Did John really mean what he said?

In another sense all are not children of God

Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, says that the “children of God” are those who act like their Father in heaven. The peacemakers shall be called sons of God. Jesus did not say that the Christians will be called sons of God. He had only selected twelve followers a few minutes prior. The sons of God are the peacemakers.

So those who are God’s children are those who imitate their parents. If we love our enemies, then we are sons of the Father; “for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”.

In his conversation with the Pharisees Jesus responded to their claim: “Abraham is our father.” Jesus answered: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham…If God were your Father, you would love Me…You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do,” (John 8:37-44).

In Caesarea Philippi Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus answered Peter: “Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven,” (Matt. 16:17-23). But six verses later Jesus called him “Satan,” because he was not setting his mind on God’s purposes.

Was Peter literally satan? No. But he acted like satan. So all are children of God, and Christ is in all, in one sense. But in another sense it is not so. It’s complicated.