John 1:10-13 KJV
He was in the world,
and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not.
He came unto his own,
and his own received him not.
But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man,
but of God.
The Word was now in the world. God had made the world through him. But the people in the world did not know who he was. He came to the place that was his own. But his own people did not accept him. But some people did accept him. They did believe in him. He gave authority to those people to become God’s children. They did not become God’s children in the usual human way. They were not born because of what any people wanted. They were not born because of what any man decided. No! They were born from God.
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But as many as received Him,
Them that believe on His name:
To be a Christian is to believe on Christ’s name.
To believe on His name is to acknowledge that He is what His great names (Jesus, Emmanuel, etc.) say of Him who He is.
Believing in Christ’s name is receiving Him as a gift from God.
▪︎ We must receive His doctrine as true and good;
▪︎ receive His law as just and holy;
▪︎ receive His offers as kind and advantageous;
▪︎ receive the image of his grace,
▪︎ and we must receive impressions of his love,
as the governing principle of our affections and actions
To them gave the power to become the sons of God,
The Revision reads, “Children of God,” which is better. While the nation rejected Him, some received him. To such who receive him in every age he gives power (the right, the privilege) to become the children of God.
It is not declared that they are made children by believing, but to the believer he gives the “power to become” a child. When one believes in Christ, his faith becomes a power to lead him, to yield himself to God, and to receive the Word into his heart
The Son regenerates the few who acknowledged Him by His own strength and power, and bestows on them the honour to become the children of God.
This speaks of the privilege of adoption, which takes them into the number of God’s children: To them he gave the power to become the sons of God.
Hitherto, the adoption pertained to the Jews only (Israel is my son, my first-born); but now, by faith in Christ, Gentiles can also become the children of God, (Galatians 3:26).
They have power, exousian — authority; for no man taketh this power to himself, but he who is authorized by the gospel charter. To them gave he a right; to them gave he this pre-eminence. This power have all the saints.
See how great His love is, (1 John 3:1). God calls them His children, they call him Father, and are entitled to all the privileges of children, those of their way, and those of their home.
The privilege of adoption is entirely owing to Jesus Christ; He gave this power to them that believe on his name. God is his Father, and so He is ours.
He gave them power – He empowered them (Ecclesiastes 5:19, 6:2). He gave them the privilege, the liberty, the dignity, of being called and becoming the sons of God.
Israel was once the son and the first-born, (Exodus 4:22); but now the adoption of sons to God was open and free to all nations whatever.
To be continued
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