Verse of the Day 6-28-22

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

This verse reveals how saving faith (which allows us to receive forgiveness from God and enter a personal relationship with him) is both an immediate act and an ongoing process. And there are two big things that we must understand about this process.

1. To become a child of God, one must “receive” (Greek “elabon,” from “lambano”) Christ. The artist (past) tense here gives the meaning of a definite act of faith and acceptance at a particular point in time.
2. Following the act of faith, there must be a continually act of believing. The word “believed” (Greek “pisteuousin,” from “pisteuo”) is a form of the verb describing ongoing action and suggests the need for perseverance in faith. This means putting fait into practice by continuing to trust and rely on God. In order for a believer to be saved in the end, faith must continue after the initial act of accepting Christ.

A place in God’s kingdom is not something we can earn. Only as we surrender our lives to God does he give us the right of being his children. Therefore, membership in God’s family is by grace alone. Spiritual salvation is a gift from God-not something we earn by our efforts. Yet Christ’s message must be “believed” and the gift must be “received” in order for a person to become an adopted child of God. To “believe in his name” is to stand firmly on the work and character of Christ-recognizing all that Christ is, all he has done and all he is capable of doing. When a person receives Christ and turns over the control of his or her life to Jesus Christ in this way, then he or she is “born again” and becomes a child of God. Only those people who make the decision to “believe” and “receive” are “children of God.”

Today’s Bible Readings:

2 Kings 13-14, Acts 18:23-19:12, Psalm 146:1-10 and Proverbs 18:2-3