Receiving and Believing

The book of John was inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by the Apostle John, so you and all who read it would "believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31) As we begin reading this book for this year, I want to start with this truth which permeates every chapter. John was there to witness Jesus, and he told us that "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."(John 1:12,13) Receiving Jesus as Lord of your life and believing in His name, is what God is looking for, so that then, He adopts you into His family and you are born again by His power, not your own. What a blessing!

John told us in this chapter that Jesus came to His own, the Jewish people, and His own did not receive Him. That is why He came to them first, and that was His purpose in coming. However, many of them failed to receive Him and believe in His name. However, there were some Jews and there were others, who received Him and believed in His name. John confidently testified that "as many as" surrendered to Jesus as Lord in this way, were born again by God's power. I pray that if you have never experienced the new birth, you will receive Him and believe in His name today.

Tomorrow, I intend to read John 2-4.