Passage of the Day - April 16, 2013

John 1:6-13

⁶ There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
⁹ There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 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, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The right to become children of God.  This was the entire purpose of Christ’s mission on Earth.  He saved all of mankind from the penalty of sin and provided them with the right to become children of God.  Having a right and exercising a right are two totally different things.

This passage shows how Jesus broke down the national and genetic barriers to God.  No longer did the nation of Israel have exclusive access to God.  Genetics would no longer determine who is a child of God and who is not.  Rather, faith will determine this.  Those who faithfully remain in the Vine will be fruitful and those who are not in the Vine or are pruned out of the Vine will be useless and thrown into the fire.  The faithful at the earliest ages to the faithful starting at the eleventh hour will have the right to be and remain children of God.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)