November 2, 2024
I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life; mostly unintentional, but sometimes from deliberate stubborn sinfulness, sometimes from simple stupidity. So what right do I have to claim to be a child of God? The answer is this: Absolutely none. I have no claim upon God; there is no way I could possibly put him in my debt. That’s why John’s words are so amazing:
“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
Did you catch that? “The RIGHT to become children of God!” How can this be? Simply by believing in the name of Christ and as I mentioned the day before yesterday, receiving him. It’s all God’s doing, God’s gift. He gives me this right not because I deserve it or earned it, but because I put my trust in his love and grace, and believed the Gospel that tells me Jesus died on a cross in my place. Tomorrow, we’ll look at what John means by believing in “his name.”
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