What does it mean to be a child of God according to Reformed theology?
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Being a child of God means being chosen, redeemed, and adopted by Him through the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Reformed theology posits that to be a child of God, one must first be chosen by God's grace as indicated in Ephesians 1:4-5, which states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world for the purpose of holiness and love. Additionally, it is by redemption through Christ's sacrificial death that we are adopted into the family of God (Galatians 4:4-5). This adoption comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who affirms our status as His children by enabling us to cry out, 'Abba, Father' (Galatians 4:6). Therefore, the status of being a child of God is a result of God's sovereign grace, not through human effort or merit, but through faith in Christ alone.
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