John 1:12 KJV
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Here is one of the most important verses in the Gospels, and thus likely one of the most well known (at least in the Christian circles I am around) so I will not have anything new to say from it. Still I want to avoid the tendency to avoid a verse like this because fearing it is over stressed.
This is a simple Scripture concerning the process of salvation:
One believes
Becoming a Christian is no difficult chore. It is not complicated; it does not take physical effort. It really doesn't even take spiritual effort because the faith to believe is given us of the Lord. (If we have a struggle at all it is that we either think we have to work up that faith or that we have to force that faith into the person with whom we witness.
It is not that difficult. We simply believe.
One receives
Through believing we receive Christ. The context indicates that this isn't "receiving Jesus in our hearts" but that we affirm Him as who He is; the only begotten Son of God, the Saviour of all who call upon Him.
We acknowledge both our dependence upon Him and His willingness and ability to meet our need of a Saviour.
One becomes
The result of believing and receiving Christ is that we become sons of God. It isn't joining a club. It isn't enlisting in a movement. Those we cold do on our own power. But to become part of God's family; that is something only God could do.
And it implies more than merely being set free of the guilt of our sin. If that is all that happened at salvation, we could be set free and left to ourselves. It implies that God has elevated the saved to a status beyond grace. What joy to be a child of God!
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
This is a simple Scripture concerning the process of salvation:
One believes
Becoming a Christian is no difficult chore. It is not complicated; it does not take physical effort. It really doesn't even take spiritual effort because the faith to believe is given us of the Lord. (If we have a struggle at all it is that we either think we have to work up that faith or that we have to force that faith into the person with whom we witness.
It is not that difficult. We simply believe.
One receives
Through believing we receive Christ. The context indicates that this isn't "receiving Jesus in our hearts" but that we affirm Him as who He is; the only begotten Son of God, the Saviour of all who call upon Him.
We acknowledge both our dependence upon Him and His willingness and ability to meet our need of a Saviour.
One becomes
The result of believing and receiving Christ is that we become sons of God. It isn't joining a club. It isn't enlisting in a movement. Those we cold do on our own power. But to become part of God's family; that is something only God could do.
And it implies more than merely being set free of the guilt of our sin. If that is all that happened at salvation, we could be set free and left to ourselves. It implies that God has elevated the saved to a status beyond grace. What joy to be a child of God!
To my readers:
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I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.
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John 1:12 (KJV)Power to Become
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