Freedom of the Children of God in Christian Theology
The concept of "freedom of the children of God" is rooted in biblical passages such as Romans 8:21, which speaks of creation being set free from its servility to decay "into the glorious freedom of the children of God" [1]. This freedom is closely tied to the identity of believers as children of God, a theme that is developed throughout the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, the phrase "children of God" referred to Israel as God's chosen people (Exod 4:22; Jer 3:19; 31:9; Hos 11:1) [6]. The New Testament expands this concept to include believers in Christ, who are considered children of God through adoption (Gal 4:1-7) [6]. According to John Gill, this adoption is a "high and honourable privilege, greater than to be the sons and daughters of the greatest potentate on earth" [3].
The freedom associated with being children of God is multifaceted. It includes liberation from the dominion, guilt, and damning power of sin, as well as freedom from the ceremonial law and its burdensome rites and institutions (Gal 5:1) [4]. This freedom is not absolute, however, as believers are still subject to the temptations and insults of Satan. As John Gill notes, believers are "free from sin, its damning and domineering power, and from the curses and condemnation of the law, and had freedom of access to God, and a right to all the privileges and immunities of the house of God" [8].
The nature of this freedom is further illuminated by Jesus' teaching on the relationship between the children of God and the world. In Matthew 17:26, Jesus says that "the children are free," indicating that believers are not bound by the same rules and expectations as those outside the family of God [5]. This freedom is not a license for lawlessness, but rather a liberation from the bondage of sin and its consequences.
The glorious freedom of the children of God is also associated with the future hope of believers. According to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, creation will be delivered into "that freedom from debility and decay in which the children of God, when raised up in glory, shall expatiate" [2]. This future freedom is characterized by the absence of corruptibility and the presence of glory.
The purchase of this freedom is attributed to the sacrificial death of Christ, through which believers are redeemed from bondage to sin and its consequences (Eph 1:7) [7]. As the Tyndale House commentary notes, "believers, who were once prisoners of sin, are free from God’s judgment and from bondage to sin because of Christ’s sacrificial death" [7].
The various traditions represented in the sources emphasize different aspects of this freedom. The Baptist/Reformed tradition, as represented by John Gill, highlights the believer's liberation from sin and the law [3, 4, 8]. The Protestant academic tradition, as represented by the Tyndale House commentary, emphasizes the intimate relationship between God and believers as children of God [6, 7]. The Presbyterian tradition, as represented by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, notes the future hope of believers and the glorious freedom that awaits them [2, 5].
The concept of freedom of the children of God remains a rich and complex theme in Christian theology, with various traditions offering distinct perspectives on its nature and implications. The biblical anchor for this concept is firmly rooted in passages such as Romans 8:21, and its development throughout the New Testament underscores its significance for understanding the identity and hope of believers.
Sources
- Romans “Romans 8:21 (LEB) — that the creation itself also will be set free from its servility to decay, into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 8:21: Because the creature itself also--"even the creation itself." shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption--its bondage to the principle of decay. into the glorious liberty--rather, "the liberty of the glory." of the children of God--that is, the creation itself shall, in a glorious sense, be delivered into that freedom from debility and decay in which the children of God, when raised up in glory, shall expatiate: into this freedom from corruptibility the creation itself shall, in a glorious sense, be delivered (So CALVIN, BEZA, BENGEL, THOL”
- Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 3:19: But I said,.... Within himself, in the thoughts of his heart, when he took up a resolution concerning their conversion, open adoption, and return to their own land, as a symbol of the eternal inheritance: how shall I put thee among the children? among the children of God, who are so by special adopting grace, which is a high and honourable privilege, greater than to be the sons and daughters of the greatest potentate on earth; who as they are high birth, being born of God, so they are brought up, and fed, and clothed as the children of the King of kings; they have”
- Galatians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Galatians 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty,.... There is the liberty of grace, and the liberty of glory; the former of these is here meant, and lies in a freedom from sin; not from the indwelling of it, but from the dominion, guilt, and damning power of it; from the captivity and tyranny of Satan, though not from his temptations and insults; from the law, the ceremonial law, as an handwriting of ordinances, a rigid severe schoolmaster, and a middle wall of partition, and from all its burdensome rites and institutions; from the moral law as a covenant of works, and as admin”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 17:26: Peter saith unto him, Of strangers--"of those not their children." Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free--By "the children" our Lord cannot here mean Himself and the Twelve together, in some loose sense of their near relationship to God as their common Father. For besides that our Lord never once mixes Himself up with His disciples in speaking of their relation to God, but ever studiously keeps His relation and theirs apart (see, for example, on the last words of this chapter)--this would be to teach the right of believers to exemption f”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 8:14: 8:14 children of God: In the Old Testament, this phrase referred to Israel, the people God called to be his own (see especially Exod 4:22; Jer 3:19; 31:9; Hos 11:1). Paul uses it to remind believers that they enjoy an intimate relationship with God and that they will inherit many of the promises and blessings given to Israel. Christians are no longer minors or slaves, but mature children with full rights (see Gal 4:1-7).”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 1:7: 1:7 he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son: Believers, who were once prisoners of sin, are free from God’s judgment and from bondage to sin because of Christ’s sacrificial death (see 1:14; 4:30; Rom 3:24; 1 Cor 6:20; Col 1:14; cp. Matt 26:28; Mark 10:45; Heb 9:11-12, 26; 1 Pet 1:18-19).”
- 1 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Peter 2:15: As free,.... These converted Jews might value themselves on their freedom, partly as the descendants of Abraham, and so freeborn, and not to be brought into bondage to other people; and chiefly because of their liberty which they had in and by Christ Jews. The apostle allows that they were freemen, that they were Christ's freemen, were free from sin, its damning and domineering power, and from the curses and condemnation of the law, and had freedom of access to God, and a right to all the privileges and immunities of the house of God; but then they were not free to s”