If we are children of God, what are we?
Being a child of God means being an heir—specifically a joint heir with Jesus Christ. At salvation, God births believers into His family and places them as full sons and full heirs, enjoying equality with Christ, so that what belongs to Him belongs to them, and vice versa.
Les teaches that the word used here means a believer is placed as a full son—not merely one born into the family, not one legally taken from another family, but a son who has gone through training, preparation, and tutoring and is now placed as a full partner with the Father. The glory is that the moment we are saved, we are born into the family of God, and immediately God also places us as a full heir with Jesus Christ. We do not have to strive and strain, or work for twenty years like Jacob did for his wives, hoping to attain that position; it is ours the moment we believe, which is why we can say Abba Father. Les emphasizes getting these basic doctrinal truths straight: at salvation we are born into God's family by the work of the Holy Spirit, and then another act of God places us as a full heir. Reading on to verse 17, if we are children, then we are heirs—not merely an heir down the line hoping for a little inheritance, but a joint heir. In our own culture, a joint heir implies equality: what is His is hers, and vice versa.
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
More Questions
What kind of heirs are believers in Christ?
If we are children, then we are heirs, and specifically joint heirs, not merely heirs waiting down the line for a portion of the inheritance.
Are all children of God also heirs of God?
Anyone who is a child of God is also an heir of God, because the child relationship establishes a family relationship and therefore heirship.