Children of God                                                                              

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 (John 1:12-13)

Let us take time to ponder over what John is telling us in this particular portion of the Scripture.

But to all who…

1. A contrast between people who do not believe Jesus and those of us who believe Jesus is made (“but to all”)
2. A sense of welcoming Jesus into our own respective lives is noticed (“receive”)
3. An appropriating of faith in Jesus and his teaching is emphasized (“receive him…believed in his name”)

He gave the right to become…

1. It is none other than Jesus who gives us the right to become God’s children
2. We who believe in Jesus are authorized to become God’s children “exousian/authority”
3. We are God’s children neither by race, or choice nor by legislation but by the will of God (Cf. Hosea 2:23 “I will say to Not My People,’ You are my people’;”)

Born…of God

1. It is God who birthed this world of us into being (Genesis 1)
2. All that have come into existence have Jesus the Word as their sole Source (John 1:3)
3. This “born…of God” is a reference to second birth (2 Cor.5:17)
   1. It is specially due to God’s mercy (Titus 3:5)
   2. It is solely by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)
   3. It is entirely of the will of God (Cf. Ephesians 1:4ff)

LET US BE CHALLENGED ALL THE MORE TO DO OUR PARTS AS GOD’S CHILDREN

1. Treasuring our faith in Jesus who has given us the right to become God’s children
2. Training our heads, hearts and hands to follow Jesus more responsibly
3. Thanking God for calling us His own in spite of who we were before