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NASB | John 1:12 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, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 1:12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name-- [Is 56:5] |
Subject: Whose are you? |
Bible Note: Greetings brother Ray: It seems that at times human language fails to grasp eternal trues. You have asked "When we receive the Light and become a child of God, what does it mean to believe in Him? What does in mean to receive his fulness? John 1:16 My question is: do we receive the Light or does the Light shine into our darkened souls to reveal to us our need? In v. 9 "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" I will attempt to explain what I am trying to get at. We know from other scriptures that we do not become a child of God until we experience the new birth or are born from above. However, we know that before we are born again the Spirit of God reveals to us our need of Christ. We are made to realize that we are accountable to God. I believe that at this point the truth of John 1:12 comes into view. We are shown our need and God by his Spirit presents Christ as the only answer for our need. "But to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in (His) name". Would you agree that receive and believe have the same meaning? I receive, I believe, I accept or I rest upon the record that God has given me regarding the work of Christ, at that moment the Holy Spirit indwells my heart and I am born from above. "And of his fulness have all we received (those who have believed on him) and grace for grace" John 1:16 I believe this refers back to verse 14 "(and we beheld his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. I noticed a reference to Col 1:19 "That it please the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" Is the thought that when we are born again that Christ dwells in us by his Spirit through his grace which is infinite in Christ? God bless you Robert |