John 1:10-13 says,...

Today's section of Scripture is John chapter 1, verses 10 through 13, which read,

v.10 - He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know HIm.

We ended our last devotional with the question how the world would respond to the Light, Jesus, that had come into the world that John the Baptist told them was coming.  Last time we gave the three different ways that the Apostle John uses the word "world."  One is using the word "world" meaning the physical universe.  Another is using the word "world" meaning the humanity of man.  The third is using the word "world" meaning the invisible spiritual system of evil.  I think we see all three in this verse.  Let me take a stab at this.

Jesus came in the world, the invisible spiritual system of evil as the Light, and the world, the physical universe, was made through Him, and the world, the humanity of man, did not know Him.  I hope this helps as you look at verses in The Gospel According To John when you come across the word "world."  Which one of the definitions fits the context? 

v. 11 - He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

This verse can also be looked at as Jesus coming to His own, meaning all of mankind, for He was born like us and then there is a distinction of "those who were His own" probably signifying those of the mankind that were of His lineage, the Jews.  He came for all mankind but His tribe within mankind rejected Him as the Messiah.  The Apostle John is giving us both Jesus' birth and crucifixion in this verse.

v.12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,...

In the midst of this rejection is going to be a remnant of those who receive Jesus.  We have that wonderful word in Scripture, "but."  They receive Jesus by believing in His name.  They believe in all things Jesus.  It is more than just saying His name but submitting and surrendering yourself to take up His will for your very life.  You no longer live for yourself but you live for Him.  This surrender to His surrender bestows on us the title of children of God by Him.  And verse 13 goes on to say,...

v.13 - ...who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

How does this receiving and believing come about to be?  How are you born as children of God?  Is it of blood, because you are of the Jewish race or someway physically born into it?  The answer is no.  Is it of the will of the flesh, because you are in charge?  The answer is no.  Is it of the will of man, because someone of the human race said it was so?  The answer is no.  The only answer to how someone comes to receive and believe is in the hands of God.  So we better look at some other passages with that statement.

John 3:6 through 8 says,

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where is comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Physical birth is different than spiritual birth.  Physical intercourse produces physical birth.  Spiritual intervention produces spiritual birth.  You were not in charge of your physical birth and you are not in charge of your spiritual birth.  You are not in charge of the wind and you are not in charge of the Spirit.

Titus 3:5 through 7 says,

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Who is saving us?  Jesus.  Is it based on our righteous deeds? No, it is according to Jesus' mercy toward us.  He has washed us and renewed us with the Holy Spirit through His saving action on the cross establishing Him as the Savior.  That action justified us and also our inheritance is not of our own doing but Him making us heirs for eternal life.  Do we write ourselves into the will?  No, someone else puts our name down and says what we will receive and that we are heirs of it.  

1 John 2:29 says,

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.

How do you know Jesus is righteous?  Something has been revealed to you to see that the Gospel is true.  His resurrection is real.  You respond to that knowledge with actions that mimic His righteousness.  It is the fruit of your salvation and the sign from Him that you are a child of Him.  What we see is how we are responding to what He has already done.  

Let me say that I can't explain this all because the sovereignty of God, His "all-ness", is hard to mesh with our human desire to be in charge.  So I will leave it at that and a question:  Do you see Him and have you responded to Him?  Let us pray.

"Father, may we just be amazed at what You have done.  May we be overwhelmed by Your love to make us born again so that we might be heirs and children of You.  May Your resurrection be believed so that we will live our lives in light of it and to the glory of You.  Amen."

Pastor Adam