The Right To Become A Child of God

 

As we are celebrating Christ's birth tomorrow, I thought it would be good to spend some time reflecting the following verses from John 1:9-14 NIV:

[9] "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." 

[14] "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

I love the simplicity of John's language, yet it carries great depth of meaning. I love verses 12 and 13, revealing the path to relationship with God as simple as receiving Him, believing in His Name, and becoming a child of God.  

I find his statement that God gave us "the right to become children of God" interesting.  The Young's Literal Translation (YLT) has this as "the authority to become children of God".   The Greek word that is used by John is exousia, and Thayer defines it as follows:

1} power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases

    a) leave or permission

2) physical and mental power

    a) the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises

3) the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)

4) the power of rule or government...

We derive the word exercise from this Greek word, and that provides some helpful insight into this great mystery.  It is God who makes this all available (the ability to become His child), but it our choice to exercise this opportunity.  We can have an exercise room in the basement, but if we never go down and use it we will never receive any of the benefits of it.  In a similar way, God has removed all barriers to our relationship with Him, yet it must be our choice.  Our choice to believe, to receive, to desire to become His child. Our natural birth on this earth, was not our choice, but our second birth is, and is made possible by God, through Jesus.

The fact that God came to earth, becoming fully man, choosing to be born in humbleness, living most of His life in quietness, establishing a ministry with humble people of little influence, suffering and dying and rising, all so that He might open up this right, this authority, this choice to us to become His children is just amazing, and many find it too improbable to believe.  But to those that do believe, to those that do receive this most inauspicious truth, He gives the ability to make this choice to become His children. This is part of the Glory of God!

So, today let us celebrate His coming to earth, believing and receiving and choosing to accept this great gift!  He is the true light, let us choose to be children of the light!

Amen!