Study #2: John 1:12-13
John 1:12-13
"But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children– children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God."
I must admit, in my own study of the first chapter of John's Gospel, I have often skipped right over these two verses. Oh, I'm sure I've read them; however, I think I've been so focused on the next verse, John 1:14, the famous passage of "The Word became flesh," that I've neglected what comes immediately before that great description of the Incarnation.
But, the other night, I was reading the Prologue of John, and attention was caught by the phrase "not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband's decision, but by God." And I began to think of that, and how incredible it is. We worship a Savior, whom we believe to be the unique Son of God. That, in itself, is a great and awesome thing to consider (and I mean "awesome" in its literal sense, inspiring awe). But how amazing it is to consider that, by receiving Him, we also can become children of God!
It also occurred to me that we sometimes unwittingly think of this process in reverse. We love our children so much (and rightly so!), that we have this idea of humans beginning life as "children of God." We speak of how pure they are, and how, if we could have the faith of our children, the world could be such a better place. This is all well and good, and yet, it misses the stark truth that our children have been born into a sinful world. And, if things were to remain as they are, they would be doomed to a life of sin and separation from God. But, glory be to God, they have a chance, through the salvific acts of Jesus, to truly become God's children, in a very real and eternally lasting sense. This is a wonderful miracle to meditated on.
One more interesting thing to consider, before I open this up to other comments and thoughts. The commentary in my Lutheran Study Bible pointed out that it is not in our own power to achieve our status as children of God. How true. But this brought to my mind the ongoing debate in theology between Calvinism and Arminianism. I imagine one could look at the process of "receiving" Christ from either point of view: the Calvinist would emphasize Christ's work of offering us the opportunity to become children of God, whereas the Arminian would emphasize our response to that offer. Is receiving Christ something we do, or something God enables us to do? Do we receive Him in the same way we receive a gift? Or do we receive Him as we receive an honored guest? It seems to me that there are aspects of both meanings to the process: the former focuses on what is received, while the latter on what we do to prepare for the reception. I would certainly be interested in hearing others' ideas on the idea.
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Children of God
Submitted by Cory Howell on Sat, 02/13/2010 - 11:20.[Sorry I haven't been too diligent about the study this week, but my daughter caught a cold this week, and then gave it to me! Not a great excuse, but there you are.]
I've been pondering two things about this passage (John 1:12-13):
Now, it may seem strange to ask the first question. After all, I imagine most who sign in to this group have received Christ at some time in their lives. But I think, if you ask other Christians, what was it like when YOU received Christ in your life, you may get a variety of testimonies. I've always found my own experience a bit confusing, for example. When I was a teenager, I was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. For non-Lutherans, this terminology may not mean anything to you, so I'll explain. Lutherans are usually baptized as infants, and so an adult (or adults) make a decision on their behalf at that time. When they come to an age where they are more capable of understanding the baptismal covenant, they study their Christian faith, and make a public confirmation of their baptismal vows. That always involves developing an understanding of one's sinfulness, and accepting publicly the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. At the church where I was confirmed, this also involved a personal meeting with the pastor, to discuss your commitment to Christ. Looking back on the experience, I remember being very committed to my faith, but I don't know that I had a whole lot of understanding of the process. When I got into my twenties, I pretty much fell away from the faith. When I realized that I could not live without God, I returned to the Church. It was at that time that I believe I "received Christ," in the fuller sense. But the Lord knows I've had ups and downs since then. Some others I've met in the past several years seem to have a more precise memory of receiving Christ. You'll talk to people (and perhaps their are some in this group) who say, "I was saved on <fill in the exact date>!" They remember to the day (and sometimes even the time of day) exactly when they accepted Jesus into their heart. I don't think Scripture is too specific in its explanation of exactly how people receive Christ. Several of the apostles seem to have has a gradually unfolding understanding of exactly who Jesus was, while others (in the Book of Acts, for example) believed and were baptized on the spot. Or I think of those who come forward for an altar call, and are baptized a few weeks or months later. Is their moment of commitment the altar call or the public confession they make when they are baptized? Anyway, just some thoughts on this amazing but mysterious process...
"Children of God"...what does that mean? What does a child of God look like? act like? talk like? live like? Children are like their parents, and yet unlike their parents. Young children mimic their parents in many ways, but usually develop their own unique personalities. Good children obey their parents. And certainly, children inherit certain traits from their parents. As a child of God, how do you live your life? Do you try to imitate your Heavenly Father, forgiving others as He has forgiven you? Do you love others as He has loved you? We are children of God, and often, I think, wayward children. We make mistakes, and He corrects us. We often do what He says, and too often, we do the opposite. And, just as the behavior of children reflects on their parents, our behavior determines how others view God. If we are self-serving, judgmental people, others certainly look at God as a self-serving, judgmental God. If we are loving, grace-filled people, others will understand more fully the loving, grace-filled nature of God. Other thoughts on this? Please share your understanding.
Cory Howell
Nashville, TN
I'm going to keep this topic
Submitted by Cory Howell on Tue, 02/16/2010 - 16:17.I'm going to keep this topic open one more day, just in case someone wants to comment before I move on to the next study.
I would love to hear any thoughts on this passage!
Cory Howell
Nashville, TN
Children of God
Submitted by Maria Jose on Sun, 03/06/2011 - 11:16.What does it mean to be Children of God.
It is an amazing process designed by God our Father. It is, to me, having the Mind of Jesus.
I believe that having the mind of Jesus does not mean that we all will externally be the same but that we will have complete Unity with our Father. It means that those gifts given by God to us and that are Unique in each one of us are being developed here and will continue to be eternally developed.
As a Child of God truth, love, compassion, wisdom....will flow from us, in our words, in our actions, in our thoughts. We are 100% vulnerable, and 100% like a rock. Nothing to fear.
Maria Jose.