How to Become a Child of God (John 1:12-13)
- Candice Watters
- 13 minutes ago
- 3 min read
[But] to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. —John 1:12-13
This past week cartoonist Scott Adams was much talked about for his attempt to make himself a Christian before he died. His last words included these: “...many of my Christian friends have asked me to find Jesus before I go. I’m not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for [finding Jesus] looks attractive.” To this he added,
So here I go.
I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be quickly resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won’t need any more convincing than that. And I hope I am still qualified for entry.
His muddled reasoning left many wondering about the state of his heart in those last moments. God is the judge. But providentially, John 1 offers the clarity we need in order to know how to become a child of God.
We must believe and receive–in dependence on God. To receive is a passive action, something of an oxymoron. It’s an acceptance of something being offered, not something you can do in isolation with just the power of your own mind. There must be a giver. And in the case of salvation, the giver is God the Son. He took on flesh and dwelt among us. He obeyed the Father perfectly, never sinning. And He willingly, humbly went to the cross to suffer the punishment we deserved to pay for our sin and rebellion against God.
For those who receive Jesus, who know these truths as true and beautiful, their record of debt is cancelled. Agreeing that Jesus lived and died, or that He is perfect, or even that He is God–thus giving mental assent–is not enough. We must receive the gift He offers, the gift of Himself. We must put the full weight of our trust in Him as our perfect substitute. This is faith.
Human will is not ultimate, God is. He chooses whom He will save. God’s electing love is what causes us to be “born…of God.” And yet, we have a role to play. God works and we work. Both are necessary. But only one is decisive–our belief alone is not what saves us. We cannot be saved without believing in Christ, but unless God gives us faith to believe, we remain dead in our sins. Spiritually dead men cannot respond to God in faith.
Saving faith isn’t finally a decision of the mind or will, but a gift that comes “from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We should urge our unbelieving friends to read God’s Word, invite them to go with us to hear the Word preached, and show them how to ask God, in prayer, for the gift of faith. It’s loving to want them to have the new birth that comes “through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). But we cannot save ourselves.
Jesus is the only way to the Father. Thanks be to God that though “No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18).
Look to Jesus and believe.
For Reflection
Do you ever forget that faith is a gift from God? Give thanks to God for giving you a new heart and the ability to receive Christ and believe in His name.
When you share the gospel, do you urge unbelievers to ask God for faith to believe it?
Pray for the unbelievers you know, asking God to grant them the faith to believe.
