John 1:12-13 “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, BUT born of GOD.”
This verse is taken out of context so often and leaves people in doubt or insecure in their salvation. It says that those who “receive him” can become children of God. However the Bible says mankind in Adam are dead in trespasses (Ephesians 2:5), slaves of sin (Romans 6:20), under the dominion of sin (Romans 3:9), blind to spiritual reality (2 Corinthians 4:4), hardened against God (Ephesians 4:18), and unable to submit to God (Romans 8:7), do not seek God (Romans 3:11), hate God (Romans 1:30), do not fear God (Romans 3:18). So how do we make sense of this?? Well we have to look at the entirety of the passage and not get caught up on the verse numbers stopping the flow of the argument being made.
The second part of this verse qualifies the first. Simply that it is not your genealogy, human will, or the will of the parents but God. This thought is later expanded in chapter 3 of John when Jesus’ is talking to Nicodemus. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that one must be born of the spirit, or from above, in order to be born again. (Just read John Chapter 3, you will be encouraged)
This is the good news for the believer because our salvation is secure in the finished work of Christ. We don’t have to “do better” or “believe sincerely enough” we simply have faith. A faith that is given to us through God’s election, realized through, and in, the Holy Spirit and completed and carried out by Jesus’ work on the cross to die for our sins, take the wrath of God, and be risen to new life. Therefore we have confidence in Romans 8:30: “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Our eternal security is secure, our future is certain, and our hope is unmatched. Why? Because it is not based on our work but by God!!! Live in freedom, freedom to love God and freedom to share this to everyone around you.
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