LUKE1; JOHN 1:1-14 (CHILDREN OF GOD)

"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, 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 NASB

The first thing that struck me about the verse above is that He gave those that received Him "the right" to become children of God. Interesting choice of words. Not the privilege or blessing to become children of God; but the right to become children of God.

The Greek word for "right" is "exousia", which can mean "authority, conferred power; delegated empowerment ("authorization"), operating in a designated jurisdiction." So to those who receive Jesus, He gave authority, conferred power, delegated empowerment, authorization to operate in a designated jurisdiction; and the authority He gives is to become a child of God. He gives that authority, that conferred power to those who receive Him. The Greek word for "received" is "lambánō" which is "from the primitive root, lab-, meaning "actively lay hold of to take or receive," and means "to lay hold by aggressively (actively) accepting what is available (offered)." Take note that the word, "lambánō", which can also mean "accept with initiative" emphasizes the volition (assertiveness) of the receiver." Therefore, it isn't to those who passively receive Jesus that the authority to become a child of God is given; it is to those who aggressively lay hold of Jesus, those who accept with initiative. What comes to mind is the woman with the issue of blood. 

"When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore. One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.”Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.” -Mark 5:21-34 NASB

What is remarkable about this woman is that she took the initiative to receive healing in her body. She did not allow the crowd or the fact that Jesus was in the act of going somewhere to heal a little girl hinder her. No one had ever told her that if she just touches Jesus' garments she would get healed. Her desire to get healed coupled with her faith in Jesus to do just that propelled her to receive Jesus with that assertiveness, that aggressiveness that He looks upon with favor. That initiative overruled everything she has ever known and reason itself. All that existed to her was to get to Jesus. If she could just get to Him...just touch the hem of His garments, she knew she would receive a complete healing. Her desperation and her faith in Jesus granted her the authority, the delegated empowerment to receive that ever alluding healing; which brings us to the second part of verse 12 of John 1.

"...even to those who believe in His name..."

Just like the woman with the issue of blood, we must couple our aggressive initiative with faith. The Greek word for "believe" is "pisteúō" from the root words "pístis", ("faith,") and "peíthō", ("persuade, be persuaded"), which means "believe (affirm, have confidence) with the sacred significance of being persuaded by the Lord."

What is most significant is that we must "believe in His name." Why His name? Why not just believe in Him. But there it is: "believe in His name." Let's look at the word, "name" in the Greek for further revelation. The Greek word used is "ónoma" which is "(figuratively) the manifestation or revelation of someone's character, i.e. as distinguishing them from all others." Jesus' name reveals His authority so not only do we believe in Him as our personal Lord but also in His authority that He has the power to do what He says He can do. Therefore, believing in His name is believing in His authority. 

Now those of us who aggressively take the initiative to approach Jesus and to believe in His name as having the authority to do exactly what He says are born not of blood (shed blood) nor of the will (thélēma- a desire, wish) of the flesh (sárks- flesh, carnal, merely of human origin or empowerment) nor of the will (thélēma- a desire, wish) of man (or husband), but of God.  In order to further understand verse 13, we must look at verse 11.

"He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him."

The Greek word used for "receive" in verse 11 is "paralambánō" as opposed to "lambánō", which is used for "received" in verse 12. "Paralambánō" is a compound word composed of "para" and "lambánō". We already know what  "lambánō" is and "para" means "from close-alongside." I find it interesting that the same exact word was not used in both verses. However, I believe the key words are "His own." I think it's safe to say that "His own" meant the Jews, which is further supported with the use of the word, "paralambánō." This places verse 13 into perspective, especially if we also  consider Romans 11:11, 12, 30-32.

"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!" -Romans 11:11, 12 ESV

"For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all." -Romans 11:30-32 ESV

Therefore God's children are "born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man." The disobedience of the Jews and the Gentile necessitated that God strike down the old covenant and extend His mercy toward us through His Son, Jesus Christ "by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12 ESV) However, this eternal redemption through God's mercy and Jesus' blood is not automatic. Nowhere in the scriptures is it stated that this redemption of the new covenant is automatically granted to everyone or anyone. It necessitates action on our part.  It requires that we lay hold of this new covenant most aggressively, with deep faith in Jesus' name that He will do as He says.

Now that we have established how to become a child of God, let us consider what is exactly a child of God. 1 John 3:9, 10 holds an interesting revelation, "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, because God’s seed abides in him. He cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."  (MOUNCE)

Therefore, there appears to be added conditions to being a child of God. 1) We must aggressively lay hold of the new covenant for which Jesus died to instate; 2) We must have faith that Jesus has the authority to fulfill what He has said; 3) We must practice righteousness; 4) We must love our brother.

What is most interesting is that verse 10 never mentions receiving Jesus or believing in His name. It just says "whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." In fact, it states that if you do not practice righteousness or love your brother then you are a child of the devil. However, we are incapable of practicing righteousness of our own accord.

"For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. For I do not understand my own actions; for I am not doing what I want to do, but I am doing what I hate. But if I am doing what I do not want to do, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I myself doing it, but sin living in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is right, but I am unable to do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that lives in me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do good, evil is present in me. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in my members; it wages war against the law of my mind and makes me captive to the law of sin dwelling in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as a sin offering, condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh have set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh leads to death, but to set the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to the law of God; in fact, it is not even able to do so. Those controlled by the flesh are not able to please God. You, however, are not controlled by the flesh but by the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you. So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you will certainly die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For it is those who are led by the Spirit of God who are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading back to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. By him we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him." -Romans 7:14-25; 8:1-17 MOUNCE

The above passage discourses on how we are unable to live a life of righteousness unless we live by the Spirit; for Jesus has set us free from the law. However, we were set free to live a life of righteousness. Verse 17 of Chapter 8 seems to add yet another condition: "provided we suffer with him." The Greek word for "we suffer with" is "sumpaschó", which can mean "to experience pain jointly or of the same kind." 

To summarize, in order to become a child of God 1) We must aggressively lay hold of the new covenant for which Jesus died to instate; 2) We must have faith that Jesus has the authority to fulfill what He has said; 3) We must practice righteousness; 4) We must love our brother; and 5) We must suffer as Jesus did. For 2 Corinthians 5:7 says we must "live by faith." (MOUNCE) The Greek word for "live" is "peripatéō", which can mean ", walk around, i.e. in a complete circuit (going 'full circle') or conduct my life." Our christian life not only begins in faith but must also be conducted or go full circle in faith. In addition, not only are we to believe in Jesus for "even the demons believe, and shudder." (James 2:19 MOUNCE); but also believe in His name, believe in His authority. That is the key for in order to live by faith in righteousness we must believe that Jesus has the authority and power to enable us to do so.