child of god essay

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My Identity as a Child of God

• Categories: Kingdom of God

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Words: 1174 |

Published: Mar 14, 2019

Words: 1174 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Works Cited:

• Christie, A. (1939). And Then There Were None. HarperCollins.
• Davies, D. (2007). Murder in the library: An A-Z of crime fiction. Continuum.
• Harris, A. (2018). Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making. HarperCollins.
• Holt, S. (2015). A Companion to Crime Fiction. John Wiley & Sons.
• James, P. (2013). Talking about detective fiction. Vintage.
• Pike, J. (2018). Reading mysteries with Grandma. J&J Pike.
• Stoddard Holmes, J. (2012). The mystery of mysteries: Cultural constructions of crime and detective fiction. University of Kentucky Press.
• Symons, J. (1972). Bloody Murder: From the detective story to the crime novel: A history. Mysterious Press.
• Todorov, T. (1975). The poetics of prose. Cornell University Press.
• Wilson, E. (1945). The motive for murder. Dial Press.

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Finding my Identity as a Child of God | John 1:12-13

• August 22, 2021
• Jonathan Romig
• Child of God , Discipleship , Everyday Life , Family , Identity , Theology
• Rest, Renewal & Grace

Today I want to share a passage I was meditating on during sabbatical. I started reading the gospel of John and for a while, I got caught up on these two verses.

John 1:12-13 (ESV) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

These verses caught my eye because they talk about Christians being identified as children of God . I wrestle with what it means to be a child of God. Do you know what that means? Do you get it? Other pastors tell me all the time how important this is, and how identifying as children of God can make a huge difference.

I went into sabbatical really wanting to experience what it means to be a child of God.   See, I don’t believe everyone is a child of God, only people God adopts into his family. But just because I know a “theological truth” that “I’m a child of God” through faith in Christ doesn’t mean I really get it in my heart.  

Unfortunately, I can’t say I figured it all out on sabbatical, but I want to share a few things the Lord is teaching me. Three words help us find our identity as children of God: blood, flesh, and will.  

1a) I’m not a child of God because of my blood.

I’m sorry if you’re squeamish about blood, like I am, but the passage talks about it. “…he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood…” I won’t be showing you any pictures of ER or Grey’s Anatomy . My mom used to like watching those shows when we had an old TV that had lots of static and the color wasn’t very good. When we got a high-def television, she didn’t like them as much. Too much blood! Blood may be kinda gross, but it’s also really significant for identity.

Remember who wrote this book. Jesus’ disciple John wrote the gospel of John, one of Jesus’ most beloved disciples. He’s Jewish, but he’s writing the gospel of John to a mixed audience made up of Jews and Gentiles, non-Jews. In the verse right before ours, John says the Israelites rejected Jesus and then adds, “But to all who did receive him.” One of John’s most important messages in the gospel of John is that “all” or “whoever” believes in Jesus receives eternal life, whether they have Jewish blood or non-Jewish blood.  

That’s a complete turn of events because for over a thousand years the story they’ve been living has been all about blood. Back in Deuteronomy 14:1 God identified the Israelite people as “the sons of the Lord your God.” The Israelites were to be one blood. The sign that marked all males as Jewish was a sign stamped in blood, circumcision. The Israelite people, and Jewish people today, still find a lot of identify and security in believing they are children of Abraham and God’s chosen people. But John is saying you’re not a child of God, or Abraham, because of your blood type or mark made in blood but through faith in Christ Jesus.

I was able to make progress on my Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min) this summer. One of the people helping keep me accountable is Pastor Nathan Willems, the English Pastor at CBCGL. We’ve been reading each other’s chapters and encouraging one another. His project is about second-generation Asian-Americans and identity formation. He’s now the English pastor, but he was the Youth Pastor for many years, and found that children of immigrants, second-generation immigrants have a difficult time figuring out who they are. Am I Chinese? Am I American? Am I Christian? I feel out of place. In his paper, he shares this quote from the book, Becoming Asian American :

One of Meg’s most vivid early memories, from when she was about 8 years old, was that of a group of neighborhood children, primarily white, following and harassing her as she walked home from school. They pulled their eyelids up to make fun and chanted racial slurs. When Meg got home, her parents comforted her. Besides advising her to ignore the attacks, they also emphasized that she should take pride in her Chinese ancestry: “They told me not to pay any attention, that the kids were just ignorant and mean. They also told me that I was Chinese, it was in my blood, it wasn’t something to be ashamed of. It was one of the few times they actually talked about it, but I think it was really important to them that we be proud of being Chinese.”

Maybe you can relate to that. You find a lot of identity in your Asian blood, your American blood, your New England blood (also known as Dunkin blood), or your family’s blood. I find a significant amount of identity in being a Romig, son of Paul and Ellen, brother of Christy, Timothy, Matthew, and Nathanael. But here, in this text, Christians can find a new way to identify themselves. And if you’re someone who has struggled with ethnic or family identity, here’s a new way to identify yourself, as a child of God.

We’re born, not of human blood, but of God. “But to all who did receive HIM, who believed in HIS name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Whose the “him?” Who do we receive to become a child of God? Who do we believe in to get this new identity? Jesus! I’m not a child of God because of my blood…

1b) I’m a child of God because of His blood.

These two verses, 12-13, tell us that we “become children of God . . . not by blood, flesh, or man, but by God.” So you have to kind of back track and ask, how does God make us his child? By his blood, his flesh, his man. I’m a child of God because of Christ’s blood on the cross, ultimately, because of God’s blood.

We’ve been in the book of Acts for a while, and are going back next week. And one verse that really stuck out to me describes God bleeding for us. Paul says, “Care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28b ESV) God, through Christ Jesus, spilt his own blood on the cross to save us from our sins so that whoever believes in him can receive eternal life but also be adopted into a new family.

God’s blood, through Christ’s blood, doesn’t just save us, it transforms our identity. No longer are we foreigners and aliens to God, but his beloved children. The blood of God covers us on the cross. What is one of the primary rituals Jesus gave all believers to remember him, and form community? Communion, the Lord’s Supper, where he said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25b ESV) He wants us to remember his shed blood, to symbolically internalize his shed blood, and for our identities as believers and as a church to be defined by his shed blood.

When you put your faith and trust in Christ Jesus, Christ’s blood covers you, not just cleansing you from sin, but giving you a new identity as a child of God. You can still find identity in your Asian American blood or European American blood or African American blood or Romig blood, but as Christians, the blood of Christ gives us eternal identity that far surpasses anything this world offers. I’m not a child of God because of my blood, but because of His blood, and his blood covers me through Christ.

2a) I’m not a child of God because of my flesh.

John says we don’t become God’s children through the “flesh.” Nothing the Jewish people or the Gentile people could do with their bodies could make them children of God. When we think about identity formation, we often think about what we do, don’t we. What’s the first thing people ask you when they meet you? What do you do? I’m a pastor. I’m a civil engineer. I’m a teacher. The Jewish people also found a lot of identity in the things they did, especially obeying the law of God. God gave them lots of rules to follow back in Exodus through Deuteronomy, and those laws gave them a lot of identity. But John says there’s nothing you can do in your flesh that will make you a child of God, no rule you can follow, no law you can keep.  

You might have had a father or a mother or teacher or significant authority in your life who insisted we acted or behaved a certain way. They could have insisted on good things, like doing your chores, your homework, being polite, etc. And each of us probably discovered that when we did those things, our parents or parental figure seemed happier with us. What we did in the flesh really mattered for the day to day relationship with them. Some of our parents did a good job of assuring us that they love us no matter how we behave, but some did not. Here’s the dark side of all this.  

I can come to believe deep in my soul that my heavenly father feels the same way about me. That he only loves me when I’m obeying him. And pretty soon you and I begin to live under a constant raincloud of feeling like we’re always disappointing our heavenly father. Maybe he does love us, but in kind-of a frustrated way. Do you ever feel that way? I feel that way all the time. But here’s the thing, I’m not a child of God because of my flesh, because of the things I do in the body.

2b) I’m a child of God because of His flesh.

Before Jesus started his ministry, before he multiplied the fish and loaves and walked on water, before he proved he wouldn’t fall to Satan’s temptation, the father said this about Jesus: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17b ESV) Before Jesus ever accomplished the mission his father had given him, his father said how much he loved him, and that he was “well pleased” with him.  

When we believe in Jesus, we become identified as being “in Christ” (Romans 6:11, 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, I’ve already lived a perfect life of obedience. In Christ, I’ve never ever disobeyed. In Christ, I’m not a disappointment, but the greatest glory. In Christ, my heavenly father also says of me, “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”  

I know that can be hard to hear. I struggle to hear it because I want to prove myself. I also argue back. Yeah, but we’re supposed to obey (John 14:15). Yes, but we obey not in order to win love, but as a response to love. I love my son and my daughter and I hope they’ll obey, but their lack of obedience does not make them any less my child who I absolutely adore. There’s nothing I can do in my flesh to make myself any more or any less his child than I already am.  

The verse after ours says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14a ESV). God recognized that in our own flesh we’re not enough, which is why he came. We’re not just not God’s children, Paul actually calls us “children of wrath” (see Ephesians 2:1-10). God didn’t just come to save us, but to make us his children, to adopt us into his family. How he did that was by putting his flesh on the line. But once he laid down his flesh on the cross through Christ Jesus, our very identity changes. And the question becomes, do I identify more as a “child of God” or as a “child of wrath?” Part of believing the gospel is learning to identify more as a child of God, no matter what I feel inside. I am a child of God because of his blood and his flesh and his will.

3) I am not a child of God because of my will but because of his will.

John talks about “the will of the flesh” and “the will of man.” If I trust in Jesus, there is nothing I can think or will that makes me any more or less God’s child. If I can only have a pure thought life, then God will love me. False. God loves you as his child and is helping change your thought life. If I can only get the mental help I need, then God will love me. God loves you no matter your mental health. If I can only have the right goals and aspirations, then God will love me. Wrong, God loves you because your his child, because you love his Son. It was the will of God, his will, that you would be his child.

On sabbatical I also read the book of Job. The book of Job is the story of a really successful man losing everything. He losses his family, his wealth, his wife’s love, and his friends’ support, his happiness, his joy. And we’re led to wonder if Job will curse God and die. But instead, Job chooses to trust in God, the mighty God who made the heavens and the earth and the underworld itself (Job 26). And by the end of Job, God shows up and says how he made the earth and the sky and the rain and the seas (Job 38).  

I was sitting on top of Mt. Avalon in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, close to Mt. Washington, just looking at the side of a mountain covered it lots and lots of trees. God reminded me that the one who made all of that loves me. This summer I saw the mountains of Colorado, the mountains of New Hampshire, the Atlantic ocean along Cape Cod, and I heard deep in my soul that it was the will of the one who made all of that that I would be his child. And if you know Jesus, the creator of the mountains and the oceans, your creator, it’s his will that you would be his child too.  

God calls you his child and there’s nothing you can do about it but believe in Jesus.

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” There is some sort of deep paradox here. You can’t win God’s favor through your blood, your flesh, or your will. God loves you and adopts you into his family. You believe because you’ve received and yet you also believe to receive. It’s as we believe in Christ and wrestle with our identities that we come to know we are God’s children. Maybe today’s sermon message helped, but maybe you’re just more confused than ever.

Here’s what I’m doing. There are a couple of things I pray for on a semi-regular basis, and one of those things is that I would know deep in my soul that I am a child of God. Sometimes I pray that for my family too. If you wrestle with finding your identity as a child of God, then add it to your prayers. Pray it for yourself, for your family, and for your church family, including your pastor. God calls you his child and there’s nothing you can do about it but believe in Jesus.

Pastor Jonathan Romig preached this message at Cornerstone Congregational Church. You can download a PDF copy of this sermon above. You can also listen via  Apple Podcasts . Read the story of our church here .

Discussion Questions

• What does it mean to be a child of God?
• Do you identify yourself as a child of God? Why or why not?
• How do blood, flesh, and will tell us about being children of God.
• How do we become children of God? Is it something we’re born with?

Take a moment to pray to identify as a child of God.

Church Service

You can watch the full service on Facebook or only the sermon on YouTube .

Nazli Kibria, Becoming Asian American (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002), 42. *Thank you Pastor Nathan for giving me permission to reference your D.Min project.

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Themes in “Child of God” by Cormac McCarthy Essay

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Introduction

Plot overview, main themes, language and style, works cited.

Cormac McCarthy is one of the most talented and outstanding writers of the present times. While he is known as a commercial success and canonical literary figure, some of his books did not generate financial benefit (Frye 175). Child of God is one of such works, although it was complemented by critics. The third McCarthy’s novel was published in 1973. The author addresses a wide range of topics with a pinpoint accuracy: he does not hide or soften the appalling events and exposes interest in the utmost circumstances that influence a person and gradually make them what they are.

The purpose of the present paper is to analyze the novel from several points of view. After a short summary, the main themes represented in the novel from different angles are described, namely cruelty, isolation, and victimization. Later on, the linguistic and stylistic techniques that help the author convey his conception are examined. Finally, the conclusion is made.

The plot is based on a real murder case in Tennessee (Frye 63). The author describes the story of Lester Ballard in three sections in which the protagonist descends from a man deprived of his family farm to a dehumanized murderer and necrophile. In the first part of the book, Lester’s property is auctioned off: his attempts to stop it fail, and he receives a severe blow that probably worsens his mental state. Since that time, he has to live in an abandoned cabin and survive by means of hunting or theft. He roams around the neighborhood and awkwardly seeks human warmth. Sometimes, the plot is interrupted by community people’s voices. From their words, a reader learns Lester’s past: his mother abandoned her family, and father hanged himself. After that, the boy “never was right” (McCarthy 21). Ballard is wrongfully accused of raping a whore he met one morning. As the story progresses, he becomes more and more frustrated and mad.

The second section depicts the event that triggers the protagonist’s insanity: Lester finds a dead couple on Frog Mountain and takes the girl’s body to his dwelling. However, he loses his “first love” when his efforts to get warm and thaw the body accidentally cause a fire. He has to become a cave-dweller: this transfer is not only the consequence of the fire but also the symbol of the main character’s moral deterioration and blindness. Lester’s rage embodies in his intention to kill Greer, the person who purchased his land. Another Ballard’s occupation is to murder couples to provide himself with fresh bodies. It is the second section where Lester’s moral degradation is pictured most strikingly.

The third part of the book deals with the investigation of the murders. Sheriff Fate Turner collects evidence. Obviously, Lester’s crimes are to be detected. Despite occasional moments of sanity, he has lost himself. He tries and fails to kill Greer who, in his turn, injures Ballad. The protagonist wakes up in a hospital with his arm amputated. A mob makes him show where the dead bodies are hidden, but Ballad fraudulently takes them to the cave and escapes. He wanders for five days and finally comes to the hospital. Lester dies in incarceration, and students dissect his body.

The core themes of the novel are intertwined with the author’s reflection on the relationship between a person and the surrounding society. Cruelty, isolation, and victimization form the framework on which more topics – mercy, love, crime, punishment, responsibility – are raised.

In general, McCarthy’s fiction contains many forms of cruelty and deviation from more common examples to the most extravagant ones (Frye 79). Child of God is not an exception. The theme of cruelty is primarily expressed through the extended comparison of two concepts: innocence and cruelty.

Defining the American ideal, one may state that one of the biggest problems is its ambiguity. In general terms, it is possible to regard innocence as the inability to accept evil, such as murder. However, the existence may bring the opposite results: vigorous fighters might commit crimes in the name of innocence. Naturally, the community people wish to protect themselves and avoid Lester. They do not accept violence, but at the same time turn to it when they treat Ballad the way they do. The protagonist suffers from everyone’s cruelty and immediately reacts to it with the relapsing violence.

As for Lester’s innocence and cruelty, they are the dire consequence of the society’s duality. The character is a picture of savagery and primitivism. In this context, the comparison with Adam is illustrative: “I’ll say one thing about Lester though. You can trace em back to Adam if you want and goddamn if he didn’t outstrip em all” (McCarthy 81). In other words, Lester personifies the innocence coupled with wildness similar to the innocence of the prehistoric times.

Actually, neither mercy nor true love is connected with the types of innocence pictured by the author. In this environment, there is no place for mercifulness. As it is shown, cruelty is the inevitable product of innocence.

It is Lester’s isolation that becomes the root of all evil. It began early in his childhood when they boy saw his father’s body and suffered from psychological trauma. There was nobody to help Lester. Due to this, he did not develop traits common for ordinary people and remained an innocent child of nature who follows instincts.

McCarthy portraits two types of isolation: firstly, Lester is excluded from the society but remains with it, and then, he is insulated physically and mentally. At the beginning of the novel, Lester lives next to people but does not seem to belong to them. He is simply rejected by everyone even in church where miserable souls are supposed to receive peace and love. Nevertheless, he needs attention and connection just as any person. Under the circumstances, this need is perverted when Lester starts living in a cabin.

The natural desire to make bonds with people is encapsulated in the distorted form of contacts with dead bodies. It may be assumed that Lester who did not feel motherly love yearns for women’s acknowledgment only to compensate his loneliness but does it in a twisted way because of his mental illness. No woman ever showed Lester that he was significant. Even the meeting with a whore, when Lester demonstrates a sort of compassion asking if she is cold, ends up in the police station. As a result, he is afraid of rejection and deals with dead people with whom he allegedly gains control: he can dress the girl’s body, talk to it, or rape. When Lester lies next to the body under the same blanket, he wants to be intimate with a woman.

To summarize, isolation causes the inability to distinguish between right and wrong. Being alone, Lester has no moral guideline and blindly obeys natural impulses.

Victimization

Being a victim and committing crimes against innocent persons become two sides of the same coin in the novel. As the natural inclination to cruelty is backed with the circumstances, such as isolation and impossibility to come into contact with people, one may turn into a victim who victimizes other individuals. That is what happens to Lester Ballad.

While the dysfunctional family is the matter out of control, community people’s rejection becomes the key form of victimizing. It is the turning point in Ballad’s life. The combination of objective and subjective factors is pressing for him. It is not surprising that he breaks down mentally and starts committing crimes. Taking into account all pain and torments he went through in his childhood and adolescence, one can see that the protagonist is a victim.

Lester’s status of a victim should not, however, prevent a reader from condemning the aggressive actions. It is the actions that should be disapproved. The person who did something without realizing is not to be hated. Apparently, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Lester murders a number of people, even though the first victim was Ballad himself. In fact, he only mimics the behavior of people he watches. At the fair, he sees a grown man who childishly cheats in a simple game. He is a mirror in which the world and its immoral actions, minor and major, are reflected.

What the protagonist deserves in this situation is to be put into prison. However, he should receive appropriate mental help. Without the external assistance, one cannot improve one’s mental state. He does not know there is something wrong with him. He may be considered a dangerous child who has no idea what his actions are. Thus, the community that took no notice of Ballad and let this turn of events happen should care about him.

McCarthy combines different narrative voices that constitute a complexity and at the same time create the polyphonic effect. He skips from a distant third-person narrator to intrusive narration: descriptive style is followed by the direct address to readers, for instance, the presumption that Lester is “a child of God much like yourself perhaps” (McCarthy 4).

What arrests attention is the nonuse of literary standards: for example, quotation marks are not present. Overall, the language contains colloquial and poetic elements. It is spare yet amazingly expressive. Blue and black colors prevail: they create a gloomy atmosphere close to what fills Lester’s mind and help reflect the real events: “In the black smokehole overhead the remote and lidless stars of the Pleiades burned cold and absolute” (McCarthy 133). A reader can understand that stars symbolize Ballad’s victims.

To sum up, Child of God is McCarthy’s masterpiece that sheds light on the darkest side of human souls. The author explores the most complicated processes that take place if a mentally exhausted person is abandoned and pays attention to what extent society influences such people. Cruelty, isolation, and victimization become the most significant themes of the novel. By means of the poetic and simultaneously laconic language, the author creates a devastating and striking book.

McCarthy, Cormac. Child of God . New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010. Print.

Frye, Steven . The Cambridge Companion to Cormac McCarthy . Bakersfield: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2020, August 17). Themes in “Child of God” by Cormac McCarthy. https://ivypanda.com/essays/themes-in-child-of-god-by-cormac-mccarthy/

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IvyPanda . 2020. "Themes in “Child of God” by Cormac McCarthy." August 17, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/themes-in-child-of-god-by-cormac-mccarthy/.

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5 Truths to Embrace about Your Identity as a Child of God

You were designed to represent God and act on his behalf in this world. You were created to display God's character and nature to the world in desperate need of him.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over every living creature that moves on the ground…So, in the image of God, he created them; male and female, he created them. God blessed them….“— Genesis 1:26 , 27, 28 (NIV)

You were created in God’s image. 

In the Ancient Near East, it was believed that images contained the essence of that which they represented. In fact, ancient kings would put images of themselves in places in order to claim their territory, control, and rule in those places. 

So, the fact that you were created in the image of God means that you are meant to bear God’s essence wherever he has placed you. 

You were created in God’s likeness.

We typically think of the terms “image” and “likeness” as the same thing. But image  typically means essence—God’s character. Likenes s means a physical similarity. In other words, somehow, you look like God! Isn’t that an incredible thought? Before you did anything right or good before you were even born, 

God designed you to resemble him. That should give you a sense of great dignity.

You are not a mistake. You are not an afterthought. In fact, it’s been said that a great work of art is a masterpiece when the artist puts herself in the art. In the same way, you are a masterpiece of God’s own making.

You were created with purpose.

Have you ever noticed that everything God made was for a purpose? The sun, moon, and stars were created to light the skies and govern the days and nights. The land was created to produce vegetation, and those plants were created to bear fruit. Even water was created with a purpose—to keep us alive and to teem with living creatures. Similarly, you were created with a specific purpose in mind. If you don’t yet know your purpose, God is not trying to hide that from you. Ask him for help and guidance. Ask your community what they think your purpose might be. And start living on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose.

You were created with goodness and blessing.

When God created man and women, he spoke a blessing of goodness over them. Don’t ever believe the lie that God is withholding goodness from you or that you have to pry blessing from his hands. He pronounces blessing and favor freely and abundantly over all who call upon the name of Jesus . So spend time with him, enjoy him, and live on a mission for him. You will find that his goodness and blessing are yours in Christ .  

You were named by God. 

What’s also implied in the above verses is what God creates, he names . Genesis 5:2 reminds us that God  named humankind when he made us. And throughout scripture, we see God naming or renaming his creation. In the ancient world, a person's name was wrapped up with distinguishing characteristics about them or who they would become. Also, to name something meant you had authority over their destiny. As a follower of Jesus, 

God is your Namer—which means that even when the world tries to tear you down, you have been irrevocably named God’s own. 

God has named you, which means he declares his unique authority over your life, his good and perfect plan for you, and his power to make all things work for your good. Worship him today.

Hold your head high, child of God. Walk tall. You were created with such wonder.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/RyanJLane

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Child of God

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Part 1, Pages 47-88

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Fate in a World Without Grace

Like Cormac McCarthy’s other work, Child of God reimagines biblical themes and narratives in the modern world. Specifically, Child of God explores what it means if evil and violence are endogenous to humanity, the sentiment expressed by 2 Esdras 4:30 “For a grain of evil seed was sown in Adam’s heart from the beginning, and how much ungodliness it has produced until now, and will produce until the time of threshing comes!” (NSRV). In Child of God , this divine reckoning (“time of threshing”) never comes—and indeed symbols of the recurrence of violence suggest that it never will. The Appalachia of Child of God (and of McCarthy’s other two Appalachian novels, The Orchard Keeper and Outer Dark ) is a world without divine grace, without salvation. This foreclosure of the possibility of salvation raises the issue of fate: How, if humanity is indeed sown with an evil seed, can it rise above its inherent violence? Lester’s fate—and the return of similar violence augured by his entrails and doppelgänger—indicates that humanity is fated to be eternally violent.

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How to go to Heaven

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Comparison of Family of Origin and Child of God

Introduction.

Childhood, family, community, religious or spiritual beliefs, political stances, and other factors influence one’s social environment. Identity and values are shaped by upbringing, including interactions with parents, siblings, and other family members. Despite their significance, they might not be as significant as accepting a biblical worldview and the conviction that one is a child of God. The paper considers how their own families and spiritual traditions have molded them. This essay will investigate how this influences people’s predisposition for secrecy, religious reliance, and strict limits.

A person’s early growth and development are grounded in their family of origin. Personality can be shaped through one’s educational experiences by being exposed to inspiring role models and intellectual debate (Parrott & Parrott, 2012). My supportive childhood has equipped me with a strong sense of identity and the resilience to overcome adversity. Career paths are also heavily influenced by one’s family of origin. My parents’ expectations, ideals, and advice heavily influenced my path to adulthood. They put a premium on making money, so even as a kid, I felt compelled to go into a field that paid well, even if it was not a good fit for my interests and skills. My family was my model for interacting with and comprehending others. The habits of talking things out, making up, and being close that I picked up at home have served me well in my subsequent relationships(Parrott & Parrott, 2012). Family of origin influences may also include ideas and beliefs about marriage, commitment, and gender roles. Compared to being a child of God, a relationship with the Lord emphasizes love, forgiveness, compassion, and honesty. My identity and worldview have been dramatically changed due to this connection. I am God’s child because I am a miraculously particular product of the Creator—a person’s sense of worth, confidence, and belonging all benefit from this realization. In addition, the moral concepts I learn from a biblical perspective help me make decisions and shape my values. For example, the passage in Deuteronomy 32:7-9 emphasizes the value of seeking advice from the past and respecting the knowledge and comprehension passed down to us from our predecessors. It emphasizes the significance of considering their insights and perspectives while making decisions. This ethical maxim reminds me of the value of honoring our history and learning from the experiences of those who came before us.

Impact on Masks, Trust, and Boundaries

In my view, the masks people use to get by in life might be influenced by their family of origin and their spiritual walk with God. Due to pressure from their families and society, many people learn to wear masks to disguise their authentic selves. Conversely, as it values genuine human connection and trust in God’s grace, a biblical worldview encourages honesty and openness. One’s ability to trust in God’s provision, guidance, and constancy can be influenced by upbringing and life circumstances. Happy memories from childhood may bolster trust in God, but painful ones may severely test it. However, people can discover comfort, restoration, greater trust in the Lord, and a more comprehensive biblical perspective.

For one’s mental health and the well-being of one’s relationships, boundary setting is a need. Their family of origin may have shaped one’s conception and use of personal space. Blurred boundaries or difficulties articulating personal limits may result from unhealthy family dynamics such as enmeshment or neglect. However, the biblical emphasis on love, respect, and self-care can serve as a basis for establishing and upholding healthy limits.

Critiquing Responses and Interaction

Maintaining these safe zones requires introspective thought about one’s reactions and exchanges. An individual’s upbringing and religious beliefs have a significant bearing on whom they become as an adult, and each deserves consideration. It is essential to consider how one’s upbringing might have influenced forming and maintaining boundaries while examining personal responses and interactions (Campbel et al., 2020). Someone may find it difficult to set appropriate limits in their adult relationships if they learned to do so as a child in a hostile setting. The ability to recognize these patterns is crucial for locating potential improvement zones.

Setting appropriate boundaries can also be aided by having a relationship with God and having a Christian perspective. Self-care, respect for others, and the pursuit of relational wisdom are all emphasized in the Bible. Aligning one’s behavior and outlook with these teachings allows people to create protective barriers that benefit their health and dignity as God’s children. Setting and maintaining appropriate limits is not always easy, though, so that is something to keep in mind (Fuchs et al., 2021). Obstacles and difficulties can be spawned by a person’s upbringing, individual experiences, and the nuances of interpersonal interactions. Finding someone you can trust for advice, motivation, and accountability is essential, such as mentors, counselors, or spiritual leaders. When evaluating other people’s reactions and interactions, consider whether your personal space is respected and acknowledged. Consider whether or not one effectively conveys and advocates for one’s opinions, values, and needs. By frequently evaluating the state of one’s boundaries, one can make appropriate adjustments, seek reconciliation when necessary, and cultivate healthier, more satisfying relationships.

One’s upbringing and spiritual connection to God significantly impact their personality, career path, social circle, and values. A person’s family life and the relationships they form throughout their early years significantly impact their sense of self and level of maturity. However, adopting a biblical viewpoint and comprehending that you are a child of God positively impacts your character, decisions, and relationships. It is crucial to consider how these factors affect the use of disguises, faith in God, and personal boundaries while assessing their impact. A person’s healthy boundaries, familiarity with early-life patterns, and adherence to scriptural principles can all be gauged through thoughtful consideration of responses and interactions. People can grow, have more satisfying relationships, and honor their identity as God’s children by learning from and incorporating the best of their families of origin and spiritual lives.

Campbell, M. C., Inman, J. J., Kirmani, A., & Price, L. L. (2020). In times of trouble: A framework for understanding consumers’ responses to threats.  Journal of consumer research ,  47 (3), 311-326.

Fuchs, D., Sahakian, M., Gumbert, T., Di Giulio, A., Maniates, M., Lorek, S., & Graf, A. (2021).  Consumption corridors: Living a good life within sustainable limits  (p. 112).

Parrott, L. & Parrott, L. (2012).  Real relationships .

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8 Bible Verses about Being A Child Of God Psalms

1 john 3:1 esv / 6 helpful votes helpful not helpful.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Galatians 3:26 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

John 1:12 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

2 Corinthians 6:18 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Romans 8:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Romans 8:14 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Matthew 5:9 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Psalm 82:6 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;

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Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles , a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.

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Some church leaders and politicians have condemned the performance from the opening ceremony for mocking Christianity. Art historians are divided.

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A performance during the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on Friday has drawn criticism from church leaders and conservative politicians for a perceived likeness to Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of a biblical scene in “The Last Supper,” with some calling it a “mockery” of Christianity.

The event’s planners and organizers have denied that the sequence was inspired by “The Last Supper,” or that it intended to mock or offend.

In the performance broadcast during the ceremony, a woman wearing a silver, halo-like headdress stood at the center of a long table, with drag queens posing on either side of her. Later, at the same table, a giant cloche lifted, revealing a man, nearly naked and painted blue, on a dinner plate surrounded by fruit. He broke into a song as, behind him, the drag queens danced.

The tableaux drew condemnation among people who saw the images as a parody of “The Last Supper,” the New Testament scene depicted in da Vinci’s painting by the same name. The French Bishops’ Conference, which represents the country’s Catholic bishops, said in a statement that the opening ceremony included “scenes of mockery and derision of Christianity,” and an influential American Catholic, Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota, called it a “gross mockery.”

The performance at the opening ceremony, which took place on and along the Seine on Friday, also prompted a Mississippi-based telecommunications provider, C Spire, to announce that it would pull its advertisements from Olympics broadcasts. Speaker Mike Johnson described the scene as “shocking and insulting to Christian people.”

The opening ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, said at the Games’ daily news conference on Saturday that the event was not meant to “be subversive, or shock people, or mock people.” On Sunday, Anne Descamps, the Paris 2024 spokeswoman, said at the daily news conference, “If people have taken any offense, we are, of course, really, really sorry.”

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CHILD OF GOD

Child of god lyrics.

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• 1. WHAT LIVING IS ALL ABOUT
• 2. NO LONGER BOUND
• 4. MORE THAN A FEELING
• 5. SAFE AND SOUND
• 6. LIFE IS GOOD
• 7. MIRACLE WORKER
• 8. HEY GRANDAD
• 9. ALL I NEED
• 10. GOD IS GOOD
• 12. RICH MAN
• 13. HALLELUJAH
• 14. WELL DONE
• 15. GOOD DAY
• 16. SUNSHINE
• 17. NEVER GET USED TO THIS
• 18. NEVER LEFT MY SIDE
• 19. LIFT MY HANDS
• 20. CHILD OF GOD

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Child of God

Local perspective in cormac mccarthy's child of god rachel rhiannon roback college.

“The strangeness of the story of Lester Ballard, the child of God, begins not with its subject

matter but with the way the story is told.”

Vereen Bell, The Achievement of Cormac McCarthy

In his 1991 essay, Andrew Bartlett suggests Cormac McCarthy’s Child of God “derives not so much from the force of Lester Ballard as subject or object but rather from the play of positions taken by the narrator through whom we see Ballard” (Bartlett 3). With that being said, much of the novel relies on the descriptions of a third-party narrator intermixed with first-person accounts of Ballard’s fellow Sevier County residents. Characterized by the community as violent, unpredictable, and sociopathic, Lester Ballard is alienated from his peers from a very young age. Surrounded by a tight-knit community situated within the isolated confines of the Appalachian mountains, Ballard is unable to escape the negative characteristics projected onto him by the community he is a part of. With that being said, the novel presents a constant struggle between Lester’s personal choices and his socially determined welfare. By presenting Ballard as a communal scapegoat, McCarthy emphasizes the role of community in deciding moral standards. Furthermore, McCarthy...

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