Lacy Evans said:
Same answer. In an absolute eternal sense yes. In an Esau, first-born way, no.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Children of you father is not a redundant term. It is not talking about salvation. God is our Father, if we are saved, but to become "children of our Father", we have to love our neighbour (works).
lacy
The text is not talking about actually becoming sons, but being "like" our Father in Heaven, in the same sense a son is like his father. This view is the the view that is most accepted...
JFB -
That ye may be the children — sons.
of your Father which is in heaven — The meaning is, "that ye may show yourselves to be such by resembling Him" (compare Mat_5:9; Eph_5:1).
Barnes -
That ye may be the children of your Father - In Greek, the sons of your Father. The word "son" has a variety of significations. See the notes at
Mat_1:1. Christians are called the "sons" or "children" of God in several of these senses: as his offspring; as adopted; as his disciples; as imitators of Him. In this passage the word is applied to them because, in doing good to enemies, they resemble God. He makes His sun to rise upon the evil and good, and sends rain, without distinction, on the just and unjust. So His people should show that they imitate or resemble Him, or that they possess His spirit, by doing good in a similar way.
Clarke -
That ye may be the children of your Father - Instead of
ὑιοι children, some MSS., the latter Persic version, and several of the primitive fathers, read
ὃμοιοι, that ye may be like to, or resemble, your Father who is in heaven. This is certainly our Lord’s meaning. As a man’s child is called his, because a partaker of his own nature, so a holy person is said to be a child of God, because he is a partaker of the Divine nature.