Latest / Reformed Thinking / Given Authority to Become Children of God: Receiving the Son by Faith (John 1:12–13)

Transcript

Given Authority to Become Children of God: Receiving the Son by Faith (John 1:12–13) · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome back to Reformed Thinking and our next deep dive.
0:03
Today we're tackling 2 really packed verses, John 1.12 and 13.
0:09
These verses are incredibly dense, defining just how someone
0:13
becomes part of God's family. We'll look at the human
0:15
response, the well, the legal standing involved, and the
0:19
divine power behind it all. OK, let's unpack this.
0:22
What we're really digging into is what it means when the sun is
0:25
received. The sources we're drawing from
0:27
emphasize that John isn't just talking about a warm feeling
0:29
inside. It's a change in status, a solid
0:31
standing before God. You could almost picture it like
0:34
a royal grant, you know, sealed by the king.
0:36
It's that definite. That framing is spot on, and we
0:39
really can't just jump into verses 12 and 13 cold.
0:42
We need the context, which is the prologue of John's Gospel,
0:45
chapter 1, verses 1 to 18. Think of it as the interpretive
0:48
key for the whole book. It sets up this big picture,
0:50
light versus darkness, acceptance versus refusal, and
0:54
John's structure. It's very intentional.
0:55
The sources point out that the entire gospel, all the miracles,
0:58
the signs as John calls them, they're all pointing towards a
1:00
specific goal laid out later in John 20.31.
1:03
OK, but wait a minute. If the whole gospel is designed
1:06
to get people to believe, does that sort of compromise it as
1:11
history? Is it more like persuasion than
1:13
just reporting facts? Yeah.
1:15
How do the sources handle that tension?
1:17
That's a really common question. The sources argue John saw no
1:20
conflict. He's recording historical
1:22
events, the signs happened, but he's doing it with a clear
1:25
theological purpose. That purpose statement in
1:28
chapter 20 gives us 2 outcomes John wants for the reader.
1:31
These really shape how he tells the story.
1:34
First, it's about who Jesus is. The signs are there so that you
1:37
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
1:40
John's using history to prove Jesus identity and his
1:42
authority. OK, identity first.
1:44
Right and 2nd belief leads to life, that by believing you may
1:48
have life in His name. So it's not enough to just nod
1:51
along with the facts. Faith has to be directed towards
1:53
the person of Christ, His saving role, His completed mission,
1:56
every miracle you know, turning water to wine, raising Lazarus,
1:59
it's all testimony calling you to receive him and gain that
2:02
status as a child of God. All right, so let's walk through
2:05
the prologue and leading up to our main verses.
2:08
It has its rhythm moving from well before time itself right
2:11
into human history, setting the stage.
2:14
Verses one to five are just foundational, defining Christ's
2:17
divinity. The sources pull out three key
2:19
statements here. First, his pre existence in the
2:23
beginning was the Word. That's not just creation start,
2:26
is it? It's like before Genesis 1.1
2:28
even kicks off, He already was. Exactly before the beginning,
2:31
then the second point is his personal distinction.
2:34
And the word was with God, that little Greek word prose.
2:37
It suggests a real relationship, face to face intimacy, but also
2:41
distinction within the Godhead itself.
2:44
So distinct from God, yet. Yet fully God.
2:46
That's the third assertion. And the Word was God.
2:48
No wiggle room there. He is divine, equal with the
2:50
Father, yet distinct. And right away, John connects
2:53
this divine word to creation itself.
2:56
All things were made through him.
2:57
The sources really stressed that nothing exists apart from his
3:00
creative work. And that creative power connects
3:03
directly. It's a spiritual life.
3:05
Verse 4 in him was life, and that life is the light of men.
3:10
Here's where the conflict starts.
3:11
The big theme of the Gospel. Life in Him is light for us.
3:15
And then verse 5, the light shines in the darkness, and the
3:18
darkness has not overcome it. That phrase has not overcome it.
3:22
Oh, Caddy Lammon, it's interesting.
3:23
It can mean to extinguish but also understand, right?
3:26
It carries both senses, yeah. The darkness couldn't put the
3:29
light out, couldn't snuff it, but it also couldn't comprehend
3:32
it, couldn't grasp who he was. It suggests both act of
3:35
hostility that failed and a kind of wilful blindness that didn't
3:39
recognize the Creator walking among them that.
3:41
Failure to grasp that blindness sets up the need for someone to
3:45
point the way, doesn't it? It does, versus 6 to 9.
3:47
Introduce the witness. Since the world is dark, the
3:50
light needs a messenger. God sends John the Baptist.
3:53
He's described as a God sent witness, testifying specifically
3:56
so that people might believe through his testimony about the
3:59
light. So John the Baptist is crucial,
4:01
but his role is really just a point away from himself.
4:04
Absolutely. His whole job is to keep the
4:06
spotlight on the word. He's the pointer, not the point.
4:09
Keeps us from confusing the messenger with the message, you
4:12
know? Which leads us right into the
4:13
sadness of verses 10 and 11. The rejection.
4:16
The Creator shows up and nothing or worse than nothing.
4:21
It's heartbreaking, isn't it? 2 layers of rejection.
4:23
First, the world he made. He was in the world, and the
4:27
world was made through him. Yet the world did not know him.
4:30
The creation didn't recognize its own maker.
4:32
Just general ignorance of failure to see.
4:35
But then it gets more personal, more tragic.
4:37
In verse 11, He came to his own, and his own people did not
4:41
receive him. This is talking about the
4:43
covenant people, Israel. They had the promises, the
4:45
Scriptures, the history pointing to him.
4:47
And yet when the Messiah arrived, they largely shut the
4:51
door, refused him. Wow.
4:53
The creator comes home and his own family doesn't welcome him.
4:56
That sets a pretty bleak scene. It does.
4:59
That rejection is the dark backdrop against which verse 12
5:03
shines. It's like verse 11 ends on this
5:05
note of refusal, and then verse 12 cracks open a door because
5:08
Despite that rejection, the text says there is a group, all who
5:12
did receive him. And that shifts our focus
5:14
immediately to what that receiving actually looks like.
5:17
OK. Here's where it gets really
5:18
interesting. Verse 12 spells out the human
5:21
part to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name.
5:26
John doesn't leave us guessing what receive means.
5:28
He clarifies it right there. Let's start with receive.
5:31
The Greek is lambana. The sources really dig into this
5:34
word. It's not just passive acceptance
5:36
like receiving a package in John's usage.
5:39
Lambon, or Elabon in the past tense here means actively
5:42
welcoming a person with allegiance, taking hold of them
5:45
in a sense. That's a key distinction.
5:47
It makes the response personal, relational.
5:49
It's an embrace of Christ himself, accepting him for who
5:52
he is, proclaimed to be the Word made flesh, the Son of God.
5:55
It's the polar opposite of the refusal by his own people in the
5:58
verse just before. So it's not just taking a
6:00
benefit like grabbing a ticket to heaven.
6:02
No, not at all. It's a personal welcome, a shift
6:04
in loyalty towards the Sun himself.
6:06
OK, Lombard, who is this active? Welcome, but how specific does
6:10
that welcome need to be? Is it just liking Jesus or
6:14
they're more content to it? There is, and that's where the
6:17
next phrase comes in. John puts receiving and
6:20
believing side by side in what's called apposition.
6:23
Basically, the second phrase explains the first Who believed
6:26
in his name tells you what it means to receive him.
6:29
Welcoming the son is trusting his name.
6:31
Trusting his name is welcoming him.
6:33
They're inseparable. OK, so believing in his name
6:36
defines the kind of receiving. Precisely.
6:38
And notice the specific Greek John uses for believing
6:41
pistachios, right? Literally to believe into.
6:44
This isn't the common Greek for just agreeing something is true,
6:47
like Pistrutu. That little preposition is into
6:50
implies movement, reliance, casting yourself upon something
6:53
or someone. It's personal trust, leaning
6:55
your whole weight on Christ. Moving towards him then, not
6:58
just observing him. Right.
7:00
And it's belief directed into his name.
7:02
In that culture, a name wasn't just a label, it represented the
7:06
person's entire character, authority, mission.
7:09
So to believe into his name means entrusting yourself
7:12
completely to who Jesus is revealed to be, the Christ, the
7:14
Son of God, and to what he accomplished, His identity, His
7:18
authority, his saving work. Back to that purpose statement
7:20
again, believing he is the Christ, the Son of.
7:23
God, exactly. It's the difference between
7:25
acknowledging, say, that a king exists and actually bending the
7:29
knee, swearing loyalty to that King's name and rule.
7:32
Saving faith is this personal attachment, this reliance on
7:35
Christ and his finished work, not just agreeing with the
7:37
biographical details. So there's a real human action
7:39
here, Welcoming, trusting, relying.
7:41
It's genuine. But the verse pivots
7:43
immediately, doesn't it, To make sure we know where the power for
7:46
this comes from. Yeah.
7:47
The shift is stark. Right after who believed in His
7:51
name, it says He gave the right to become children of God.
7:54
The focus snaps from our action to his action.
7:57
The heat here is the word Jesus and that verb agekin, he gave.
8:03
It's significant, the sources highlight this isn't like paying
8:06
a wage for belief. It's a gift, a grant bestowed
8:09
from a position of authority, like a king granting
8:12
citizenship. Absolutely.
8:14
It emphasizes that while faith is the necessary channel, the
8:18
instrument we used to receive it doesn't actually create the
8:20
status. Jesus, the Giver is the source
8:23
of the status itself. And the gift itself.
8:25
It's this word exusia translated right or authority, that seems
8:29
central. Oh, it's huge.
8:30
Exusia is a powerful term. It means legal standing,
8:32
rightful authority, entitlement conferred by someone in charge.
8:36
It's different from dynamis, which is more like inherent
8:38
power or ability. Exusia is authorized power.
8:42
Like a police officer has authority, not just physical
8:44
strength. That's a good analogy.
8:46
And John uses exusia elsewhere for the authority.
8:49
The Father gave Jesus authority to judge authority over his own
8:52
life. So when Jesus turns around and
8:54
grants the same exusia to believers, he's giving them a
8:57
status with real legal weight, real stability.
9:01
That image used in the sources adoption papers, sealed by a
9:04
king. It really captures that, doesn't
9:06
it? It makes it objective, external.
9:08
Not just how I feel today. Precisely.
9:11
The legal nature of exusia is deeply pastoral.
9:14
It means becoming a child of God isn't some fragile thing based
9:17
on our performance or feelings. It can't just be taken back on a
9:20
whim. Our standing is secure because
9:22
it rests on Christ's authoritative grant, his royal
9:25
decree. It's solid.
9:27
How does this idea of exusia, this legal right, protect us?
9:30
Practically? What errors does it block?
9:32
Well, it sets up guardrails on two sides.
9:34
First, it guards against presumption.
9:36
Since it's a gift granted by the King, you can't just demand
9:39
entry into God's family based on who you are, your background, or
9:42
how good you try to be. It requires receiving the grant
9:46
humbly. So no barging in.
9:48
No barging in, but second, and maybe even more comforting for
9:51
many, it guards against insecurity because the status is
9:54
legally conferred by Christ. It's objective.
9:57
It doesn't vanish if he's have a bad day or if your faith feels
10:00
weak. If Christ gave the right, the
10:02
right stands firm. You don't have to keep re
10:05
earning your place at the table. And this status isn't just a
10:07
title, it comes with real benefits, right?
10:09
Family privileges. Immediately, the moment you
10:12
receive Christ and are granted this exusia, you get all the
10:15
privileges of sonship. Things like direct access to the
10:18
Father and prayer, protection, provision.
10:20
Even hardship gets reframed. The sources mentioned seeing
10:23
correction not as punishment, but as fatherly training.
10:27
And, crucially, you get an inheritance tied to the son
10:30
himself. You're brought into the
10:31
household with all its rights and benefits.
10:34
OK, so verse 12 laid out the human response, receiving,
10:37
believing and the status granted Exusia the right now.
10:42
Verse 13 gives us the foundation underneath it all, the ultimate
10:45
'cause this is where John explains the source of the new
10:48
birth itself. So what does this all mean?
10:51
The way verse 13 is structured is really telling.
10:53
It doesn't just say who causes it first, it very deliberately
10:56
rules out other potential causes.
10:58
It lists 3 human sources and says Nope, not that way.
11:02
That systematic exclusion is vital.
11:04
John is shutting down common misunderstandings both in his
11:07
day and ours. The verse says believers were
11:10
born not of blood, nor of the will of the of flesh, nor of the
11:12
will of man, but of God. Let's take that first one.
11:15
Not of blood, or actually the Greek is plural bloods ex
11:18
hymachen. That plural is significant.
11:21
Plural. Why bloods and not just blood?
11:23
What's the difference? Blood singular might just mean
11:26
physical descent, but bloods plural likely refers to all
11:30
kinds of lineage claims, ancestry, tribal connections,
11:34
maybe even the specific bloodlines related to priestly
11:37
duties or sacrifices. Think about 1st century Judaism.
11:41
Someone might claim standing based on being physically
11:44
descended from Abraham, the blood of Abraham, or maybe based
11:47
on belonging to a certain tribe or family line.
11:50
The plural form covers all those bases.
11:53
So it's shutting down any claim based on heritage or family
11:56
tree. Exactly.
11:57
It directly refutes pedigree religion, or what we might call
12:00
cultural Christianity. Your family name, your ancestry,
12:03
your physical connection to a covenant people.
12:05
None of that generates this new birth.
12:06
It's not about who your parents were.
12:07
OK, not lineage. What's the 2nd denial?
12:10
Nor of the will of the flesh. Flesh, here sarks, typically
12:13
refers to human nature in its fallen condition, including its
12:17
desires and impulses. So John is ruling out that this
12:20
new birth comes from any natural human inclination or effort.
12:24
This isn't just about sinful desires.
12:26
It includes our best natural efforts too, moral striving,
12:30
trying really hard to be good, following religious rules, acts
12:34
of charity. If they originate from the
12:35
flesh, from our unregenerate human nature, they can't produce
12:38
spiritual life. So it tackles moralism head on,
12:41
the idea that we can earn our way or improve ourselves into
12:45
God's family. Precisely no amount of
12:47
self-discipline or good intentions springing from our
12:50
natural selves can make a spiritually dead person alive.
12:53
Life has to come from outside, from above.
12:55
You can't will yourself from death to life using the
12:58
resources of fallen nature. That feels very countercultural
13:01
today with so much emphasis on self help and willpower.
13:03
It absolutely is. John is saying spiritual death
13:06
isn't just a bad habit you can fix with more effort.
13:08
The will of the flesh is powerless to initiate this
13:11
birth, whether it's the will to sin or the will to achieve
13:14
righteousness on its own. Steam all.
13:15
Right, so not bloodlines, not natural human effort.
13:18
What's the third denial? Nor of the will of man.
13:22
Why add this if will of the flesh was already mentioned?
13:25
Good question. The word for man here is anur,
13:28
which often specifies a male individual or just a human being
13:32
in terms of their personal volition.
13:34
The sources suggest this phrase zeroes in on unaided human
13:37
choice, the specific act of decision making by an
13:40
individual. It denies that the ultimate
13:43
originating power for becoming a child of God lies within the
13:46
autonomous human will. So while verse 12 says we do
13:50
receive and believe which involves our will, verse 13
13:53
clarifies that our will isn't the source of the ability to do
13:56
so. That's the point.
13:57
Verse 13 is about the origin of the birth.
13:59
It blocks what's sometimes called decisionism, the idea
14:01
that my act of deciding for Christ is the primary self
14:04
generated 'cause that tips the scales from death to life.
14:08
John affirms the reality of faith, the human response, but
14:11
he denies that the unaided human will possesses the inherent
14:14
ability to initiate regeneration.
14:16
The power to come alive spiritually must be given first.
14:19
So after shutting down those 3 human centered possibilities,
14:22
heritage, self effort, individual decision as the
14:25
ultimate cause, the conclusion is unavoidable.
14:29
Completely. Only one option remains.
14:31
The birth is but of God. This anchors regeneration firmly
14:36
in God's sovereign initiative. It's a monarchistic work,
14:38
meaning God is the sole effective agent bringing about
14:42
spiritual life. This helps clarify that tricky
14:45
relationship between faith and regeneration, doesn't it?
14:47
Which one comes first? It does.
14:49
The order implied here and supported elsewhere, is that
14:52
life precedes living, birth precedes breathing.
14:55
God's act of regenerating, of giving spiritual life is the
14:58
necessary prerequisite for faith.
15:00
Faith is the evidence of that new life, the first act of the
15:03
newly alive soul reaching out to Christ.
15:06
So the analogy might be God gives the baby lungs and breath.
15:09
That's regeneration, his work alone.
15:11
Right. And then the baby cries out.
15:13
That's faith, the first expression of the life received.
15:15
It's a real cry, a genuine response, but only possible
15:19
because life was given first. The Spirit imparts life, and the
15:23
first thing that life does is cling to Christ in faith.
15:27
So these two verses 12 and 13, they work together as more than
15:30
just definitions. They act as crucial theological
15:33
guardrails, keeping us on track and protecting against common
15:36
errors about salvation. They keep the focus where it
15:38
belongs, on Christ's gift and God's action.
15:42
For example, think about sacramentalism.
15:44
If verse 13, saying birth isn't from blood pushes back against
15:47
the idea that external rituals like baptism or circumcision
15:51
automatically create spiritual life just by being performed.
15:54
Ex Opera barato. Sacraments are vital, commanded
15:56
signs and seals of faith, but they accompany or follow the
15:59
Spirit's work. They don't cause the new birth
16:01
itself. Right prevents confusing the
16:03
sign with the reality signified, and it also stands firmly
16:06
against moralism, correct. Absolutely.
16:09
Because sonship is an exusia, a right given by Christ.
16:13
It can't be earned through good behavior or rule keeping.
16:16
Moralism tries to build a case for acceptance based on works,
16:19
but John makes it clear good deeds are the fruit that grows
16:22
from being a child of God, not the root that makes you one.
16:26
The status is a gift received by faith and then the grateful
16:29
child seeks to live like their father.
16:31
And one more guardrail. It also works against
16:33
universalism. While the invitation is broad to
16:36
all who did receive Him in verse 12 clearly limits the status of
16:39
children of God to those who actually do receive and believe
16:42
in His name. It maintains the distinction.
16:45
Everyone is a creature of God, yes, but sonship, with its
16:48
intimate privileges, belongs songs only to those united to
16:50
Christ by faith through the new birth.
16:53
OK, so those are some theological boundaries it sets
16:55
up. Now let's pivot to how this
16:57
understanding of sonship, this exusia, impacts everyday
17:01
Christian living, starting with assurance.
17:04
It seems the foundation for assurance here is incredibly
17:07
solid. It rests on Christ's
17:08
authoritative grant the exusia, and on God's sovereign act of
17:12
beginning, described in verse 13, not on You know how strongly
17:16
I feel my faith today. That's the key.
17:18
Take away from the sources. Your standing isn't based on the
17:20
ups and downs of your heart or the vividness of some past
17:23
decision. It's based on the objective
17:25
reality of Christ's finished work and His royal decree giving
17:30
you the right to be called a child of God.
17:32
That king seal analogy again. The adoption is legally
17:34
finalized. That provides immense security.
17:37
You don't have to constantly wonder if the door might slam
17:39
shut. And that security logically
17:41
leads to holiness or what the source is called family
17:44
likeness, right? Yes, there's a direct link.
17:47
If you've truly been born of God, verse 13, you share his
17:51
spiritual DNA, so to speak. You've been given a new nature,
17:55
and if you have the secure status of a child Ixusha, you'll
17:59
naturally start to resemble your father.
18:01
Adoption isn't just a legal change, it's the fertile ground
18:04
where holiness grows. So it combats that potential
18:07
misunderstanding of grace, sometimes called antinomianism,
18:10
the idea that since we're saved by grace, how we live doesn't
18:14
matter. Exactly.
18:15
The new birth guarantees a new direction.
18:17
The exusia gives you the family name and the new birth ensures
18:20
you start living up to it. The desire for purity flows from
18:24
knowing who your father is and the secure relationship you have
18:26
with him. And how does this perspective
18:28
change how we view difficulties? The idea of discipline.
18:32
It transforms it. Instead of seeing hardship as
18:35
random suffering or God being angry, the adopted child
18:38
understands it within the context of a loving father's
18:41
training. Hebrews talks about this.
18:43
God disciplines his children for their good to make them share
18:46
His Holiness. It's corrective formative aimed
18:49
at producing righteousness, not punitive judgment.
18:52
That refrains suffering significantly.
18:54
It really does. Now let's think about pastoral
18:57
ministry. How does John One Point Thirft
19:00
13 shape how we approach things like evangelism and church life?
19:05
Knowing that new birth comes not of the will of man, but of God
19:09
injects both humility and confidence into evangelism.
19:12
Humility because we realize the results aren't ultimately up to
19:15
our persuasive skills or clever program.
19:17
Right. We can't manufacture conversion
19:19
but also confidence because we know the gospel message isn't
19:22
just words, it's connected to the life giving power of the
19:25
Holy Spirit. We preach, we invite, we plead,
19:29
but we trust God to do the regenerating work.
19:31
This also seems crucial for curbing manipulation in
19:34
ministry. Absolutely vital if you believe
19:36
conversion is fundamentally a matter of human willpower or
19:39
emotional response that you need to generate.
19:41
The temptation is strong to use pressure tactics or
19:44
psychological manipulation, but understanding regeneration is
19:47
God's sovereign work. Frees the minister to simply
19:49
proclaim the truth faithfully and prayerfully, trusting God
19:52
for the outcome. With plant and water, God gives
19:55
the growth. And what about prayer?
19:57
How does being an authorized child affects how we approach
20:00
God? It revolutionizes prayer because
20:03
we have exusia, this granted right of access.
20:05
We don't approach God timidly or uncertainly.
20:08
We're encouraged, like in Hebrews, to come with confidence
20:11
to the throne of grace. The spirit of adoption within us
20:14
enables that cry of ABBA Father, the intimate address of a secure
20:19
child to a loving parent. And finally, church life.
20:22
It shapes our view of the church community.
20:24
We're not just individuals who happen to believe the same
20:26
things. We are members of the household
20:27
of God. This brings a sense of shared
20:30
identity, mutual care, accountability.
20:33
Church discipline when necessary, is seen as a family
20:36
matter aimed at restoration and maintaining that family
20:39
likeness, all under the Father's loving authority.
20:42
Hashtag tech outro. So looking back at John 1.12 and
20:45
13, it really gives us a complete picture, doesn't it?
20:48
You have the genuine human response, receiving, believing
20:50
into His name. Lambano pieces, yes.
20:52
Then you have the solid legal status granted by Jesus, the
20:55
right, the authority, Gozugia, and underpinning it all, the
20:59
ultimate cause, the new birth that comes but of God, His
21:02
sovereign regenerating work. That structure is so helpful.
21:06
It clears away false grounds for hope, like relying on your
21:08
family background or religious rituals or just trying harder.
21:12
And it also removes the false fear that you're standing with
21:15
God is fragile or uncertain. All the reliance is directed to
21:19
where it belongs, the Son who grants the right, and the Father
21:22
whose sovereign grace brings us to life.
21:25
It really anchors everything in God's action, in Christ's
21:27
authority. It does.
21:28
And maybe a final thought for you to consider.
21:31
We've seen that becoming a child of God involves receiving this
21:34
exusia, this right, secured by a royal decree, sealed by the
21:38
King. It's not a casual invitation.
21:41
It's a legal binding status, granting access and inheritance.
21:45
So how should knowing that your place in God's family is a legal
21:47
decree, not just a nice idea or a feeling, change how you face
21:51
daily life? How might it affect the way you
21:53
resist temptation or pursue righteousness, seeing those
21:56
actions not as earning favor but as living out the family
21:59
resemblance of the Father who sovereignly chose to bigot you?