John 1:12 - The Born Again Experience!!!
John 1:12 (NLT) But to all who believed him
and accepted him, he gave the right to become
children of God.
INTRODUCTION
Cursed So We Could Be Blessed
God created you. He loves you. But
youre not automatically His child. You become a
child of God by putting your faith in Jesus
Christ.
The Bible says, But to all who
believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to
become children of God (John 1:12 NLT).
Lets say that Im holding a gift in
my hands, and I offer it to you. You reach out
and say, Thanks, Greg. Ill accept that
gift from you.
God is offering you the gift of eternal
life, but you have to reach out and accept it.
Youre not born with it; you have to accept and
receive it. And when you do that, you become a child
of God.
Would you like to experience the
blessings of God that the Bible talks about? Would you
like to know the peace in your heart that the
Bible promises? The Lord is very clear: He wants
to bless us. But the blessings of the Bible are
only for those who have put their faith in
Christ. Why? Because Christ took the curse.
Galatians 3:13 tells us, But Christ
has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the
law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon
himself the curse for our wrongdoing (NLT).
Jesus was cursed so we could be blessed.
Jesus died so we could live. He was forsaken so we
could be forgiven.
So the choice is yours. Do you want to
face the curse of your sin, the repercussions of
your evil actions? Or, do you want the blessing
of God in your life?
God said, Today I have given you the
choice between life and death, between blessings
and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to
witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would
choose life, so that you and your descendants might
live! (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT).
He wants to come into your life. Hes
just a prayer away. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Not Religion but Relationship
If you were meeting friends somewhere but
had to call them because you were lost, the
first question they would ask is, Where are
you? Before they can tell you how to get there,
they need to know where you are.
God asked that very question of Adam in
the Garden of Eden. After Adam ate from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered
the world. So he was hiding.
The Lord came walking through the garden
in the cool of the day, and He called out to
Adam, Where are you? (Genesis 3:9 NKJV).
Now, do you think the Lord knew where
Adam was? Of course, He did. God knows everything
about us. We cant hide anything from Him.
In effect, God was saying, Well, Adam,
you ate of the forbidden fruit. How did that go?
Are you happy with the way things turned
out?
I think the Lord could ask the same of us
today: Where are you? How is your life going? Is
this the way you hoped it would turn out? Are you
wondering if youve missed the whole point of what
life is all about?
God loves you. He has a plan for you, and
theres hope for your future. But theres a big
difference between religion and a relationship with
Jesus Christ.
It isnt rules and regulations; its
real freedom from the power of sin. It isnt
religion; its a relationship with Christ Himself.
Being a Christian is asking Christ to
come and live inside of you. The Bible says,
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the
right to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name (John 1:12 NKJV).
Only you can do this. No one can do it
for you. The way you become a child of God is by
receiving Christ into your life. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com re
Genesis 3:9]
COMMENTARY
"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. And the
more completely mind and body are yielded to the
Holy Spirit, the greater will be the fragrance of
our offering to Him. 7BC909
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
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Thank Me for the glorious gift of
forgiveness. I am your Savior-God, and I alone can give
you this blessing. I went to exorbitant expense
to procure this gift for you. You receive
forgiveness and become My child by receiving Me and
believing in My Name. This Name, Jesus, means the Lord
saves. To receive this gift of salvation, you need
to trust Me as your only Hope - the One who
delivers you from all your sins.
There is no condemnation for those who
are in Me. I want you to enjoy the wonder of
walking through your life as My follower - totally
forgiven! The best response to this wondrous gift is
to live in gratitude, seeking to please Me
above all else. You don't need to do good things
to secure My Love, because it's already yours.
Just let your desire to please Me flow readily
out of your grateful heart. Thanking Me
frequently will help you stay close to Me, ready to
follow wherever I lead. Rejoice, beloved, for
through Me the law of the Spirit of Life has set you
free! (John 1:12; Acts 4:12; Rom. 8:1, 2) [Jesus
Always by Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHT
God made us: invented us as a man invents an
engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would
not run properly on anything else. Now God
designed the human machine to run on Himself. He
Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to
burn, or the food our spirits were designed to
feed on. There is no other. That is why it is
just no good asking God to make us happy in our
own way without bothering about religion. God
cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from
Himself, because it is not there. There is no such
thing. C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
John 1:12 - The Born Again Experience!!!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160319-1550.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
