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8th September 2025
MondayReflection
************************
'Rick Ezell
is the pastor of First Baptist Greer,
South Carolina
"John introduces Jesus"
In a few short verses, John introduces Jesus
by stating
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"
.... John 1:12 NIV
If we believe in him we will become all that we were intended to become.
John 1:12 has been rightly seen as one of the greatest verses in all of the New Testament for it tells us how to find the life we all desire.
Let's take a closer look at this verse.
The word 'yet' sets the people, apart from those who are mentioned in verses ten and eleven, that speak of the supreme tragedy - those who did not receive Jesus but ignored him.
While it is true that the vast majority of the people in the world ignored Jesus, not everyone ignored him and not everyone rejected him.
The way of salvation begins with a simple step:
Receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour.
It is more than just accepting a gift.
Many people accept gifts, especially at Christmas.
Accepting is not the same as receiving.
When you receive 'something' you take it into your heart.
First, we take a simple step: We receive him.
Next, we must make a bold move: "To those who believed in his name." John introduces one of the great words in his Gospel and in all of Christianity.
The word is believe.
It seems pretty clear doesn't it? To be a Christian is to believe.
That raises a key question.
If salvation is based on believing Christ, how do you know when you have truly believed?
We all understand that the word believe has many different nuances.
For instance, if I say, "I believe it is going to rain tomorrow," that's nothing more than a hunch.
Or if I say, "I believe George Washington was the first president of the United States," that refers to a settled historical fact.
But if I say, "I believe in Jesus with all my heart," I have made a different sort of statement altogether.
What does John mean by this word believe?
John is careful to use the verb for believing, not the noun.
Believing, like knowing, is not so much a head-knowledge as it is a relational activity.
Believing means trusting that Jesus is God in flesh that came to earth to die for your sins.
It means resting on him so completely that he is your only hope of salvation.
It means committing your all to Jesus knowing that he alone can save you.
The New English Bible makes this thought clear,
"To those who have yielded him their allegiance, he gave the right to become children of God"
(John 1:12 NEB).
It is more than simple credence.
It is not merely believing that what he says is true, but trusting him as a person as though you are falling into his arms.
And, if he doesn't catch you, you fall, and even worse you die.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ to save you from your fall into hell?
Once we take the simple step of receiving Jesus as Lord, then make the bold move of believing in him completely and solely for our salvation, then we are given the wonderful result of becoming like him.
John finishes this verse, "He gave the right to become children of God."
"He gave" is the expression of God's grace.
"The right" means that God has given us an honour or a privilege or an authority."
But for what? The answer is: "To become children of God."
The key word is become.
This word says something about the status of believers.
Because people have received Jesus and believed on his name, they now are raised to a new position.
They become children of God.
While all people are created by God, not everyone is a child of God.
Sometimes people carelessly say, "We're all God's children," but the Bible says no such thing.
We are not naturally children of God.
God only gives the privilege of being his children to those who by personal faith receive Jesus as Lord and believe in who he is.
● They become children through a faith-relationship with Jesus.
● They become a member of God's family the moment they receive Christ into their life.
● They become like God, sharing his divine nature.
Let me summarize this point.
People are Christians not because of who they are, but because of whose they are.
People are Christians not because they are born into a Christian family, but because they are born again into God's family.
><(((°>
Un-edited version avaiable, on request
'Rick Ezell'
is the pastor of First Baptist Greer, South Carolina.
Rick has earned a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
and a Master of Theology in preaching from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Rick is a consultant, conference leader, communicator, and coach.
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