John 1:12 - The Born Again Experience!!!
John 1:12 - The Born Again Experience!!!
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: John 1:12 (KJV)
As many as received. John here brands as error the belief that
simply because Christ died for all men, all will therefore be saved.
Marked equally false is the belief that God predestines certain men to
be saved and others to be damned. John emphatically declares that
the decisive factor lies with men themselves--"as many" as receive
and believe are granted access to sonship.
Power. rightly translated "authority." Because of sin man had
lost all his rights and deserved the penalty of death. The plan of
salvation restored man's opportunity to know God and to choose to serve
Him.
To become. God does not arbitrarily make men His sons; He
enables them to become such if they so choose.
On his name. To believe on the name of Christ is to appropriate
the provisions of salvation in Christ Jesus. [SDA Commentary]
The word "believe" essentially means "trust" and suggests not
just an intellectual agreement with facts, but a committed reliance
upon the truth concerning Jesus. [New Bible Companion]
All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn
spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Christ, this new
birth changes us from the inside out - giving us new attitudes,
desires, and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places
you in your parents' family. Being reborn makes you spiritually
alive and puts you in God's family. Have you asked Christ to make you
a new person? This fresh start in life is available to all who
believe in Christ. [Life Application SB mod]
The same Power that created the universe (v.3) is available to
create a new life from our shattered hopes. The Light of life that
exposes and drives away the darkness of the human race (v.4-5) is the
same Light that brightens the dark corners of our world. This source
of all life and true Light of the world is the source of our
recovery. Eternal life and true recovery are ours when we believe what
God says, renounce our tendency to do things our way, and receive
the one whom God sent to help us (v.11-13). Life Recovery SB]
People are not naturally children of God but can become so by
receiving the gift of the new birth. [Bible Knowledge Commentary]
The name of a certain younger man was mentioned to a famous
teacher, whose student the younger man claimed to be. The older man
answered: "He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my
students." There is a world of difference between sitting in a teacher's
class room and being one of his students. There can be contact without
communion; there can be relationship without fellowship. All men are the
sons of God in the sense that they owe to him the creation and the
preservation of their lives; but only some men become the sons of God in the
depth and intimacy of the true father and son relationship. . . . This
sonship does not come from any human impulse or desire or from any act
of the human will; it comes entirely from God. We cannot make
ourselves sons of God; we have to enter into a relationship which God
offers us. . . .But there is a human side to this. What God offers, man
has to appropriate. A human father may offer his son his love, his
advice, his friendship, and the son may refuse it and prefer to take his
own way. It is so with God; God offers us the right to become sons
but we need not accept it. [Barclay Commentary]
He who is made a child of God enjoys the greatest privilege
which the Divine Being can confer on this side eternity. (Adam Clarke
Commentary)
Is my knowledge of Jesus born of internal spiritual perception,
or is it only what I have learned by listening to others? Have I
something in my life that connects me with the Lord Jesus as my personal
Saviour? All spiritual history must have a personal knowledge for its
bedrock. To be born again means that I see Jesus. [My Utmost for His
Highest ]
John the Baptist was telling his audience Jesus was coming. He
pointed ahead to Jesus and called people to repent. Jesus would do more;
He would not only call the people to change their sinful ways, but
also give them the power to do so. Why speak of fire? Scripture is
always to the point. What does fire do? It does three things: gives
light, warmth and consumes something. When the Spirit comes into your
life, count on these three things: into the light He brings dark
habits and they must be changed; He brings comfort like warmth where
there hasn't been comfort; and lastly, He consumes. What is consumed?
As the believer willingly confesses and releases a portion of
his/her life to God's control, this portion of sin/weakness is consumed
like the sacrifices of old. And like those sacrifices, something is
given in their place. It is the control of God's Spirit; strength to
the believer, glory to God. Desire the Fire and be all you can be,
in Jesus Christ! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to obey God's
commandments; and in our own strength it is true that we cannot obey them. But
Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He
proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one of God's
precepts. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12. This
power is not in the human agent. It is the power of God. When a soul
receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ. COL314
"As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Shall we not,
then, give to Christ that which He has died to redeem? If you will do
this, He will quicken your conscience, renew your heart, sanctify your
affections, purify your thoughts, and set all your powers at work for Him.
Every motive and every thought will be brought into captivity to Jesus
Christ. 7BC909
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