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John 1:12 - The Born Again Experience!!!

Joh.1:12: The Born Again Experience!!!

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: John 1:12 (KJV) 

As many as received. 
John here brands as error the belief that simply because Christ 
died for all men, all will therefore be saved. Marked equally false 
is the belief that God predestines certain men to be saved and 
others to be damned. John emphatically declares that the decisive 
factor lies with men themselves--"as many" as receive and believe are 
granted access to sonship.  

Power. 
Rightly translated "authority." Because of sin man had lost all 
his rights and deserved the penalty of death. The plan of salvation 
restored man's opportunity to know God and to choose to serve Him. 

To become. 
God does not arbitrarily make men His sons; He enables them to 
become such if they so choose. 

On his name. 
To believe on the name of Christ is to appropriate the 
provisions of salvation in Christ Jesus. [SDA Commentary] 

The word "believe" essentially means "trust" and suggests not 
just an intellectual agreement with facts, but a committed reliance 
upon the truth concerning Jesus. [New Bible Companion] 

All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn 
spiritually, receiving new life from God.  Through faith in Christ, this new 
birth changes us from the inside out - giving us new attitudes, 
desires, and motives.  Being born makes you physically alive and places 
you in your parents' family.  Being reborn makes you spiritually 
alive and puts you in God's family.  Have you asked Christ to make you 
a new person?  This fresh start in life is available to all who 
believe in Christ.  [Life Application SB mod] 

The same Power that created the universe (v.3) is available to 
create a new life from our shattered hopes.  The Light of life that 
exposes and drives away the darkness of the human race (v.4-5) is the 
same Light that brightens the dark corners of our world.  This source 
of all life and true Light of the world is the source of our 
recovery.   Eternal life and true recovery are ours when we believe what 
God says, renounce our tendency to do things our way, and receive 
the one whom God sent to help us (v.11-13).  Life Recovery SB] 

People are not naturally children of God but can become so by 
receiving the gift of the new birth. [Bible Knowledge Commentary] 

The name of a certain younger man was mentioned to a famous 
teacher, whose student the younger man claimed to be. The older man 
answered: "He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my 
students."  There is a world of difference between sitting in a teacher's 
class room and being one of his students. There can be contact without 
communion; there can be relationship without fellowship.  All men are the 
sons of God in the sense that they owe to him the creation and the 
preservation of their lives; but only some men become the sons of God in the 
depth and intimacy of the true father and son relationship. . . . This 
sonship does not come from any human impulse or desire or from any act 
of the human will; it comes entirely from God. We cannot make 
ourselves sons of God; we have to enter into a relationship which God 
offers us. . . .But there is a human side to this. What God offers, man 
has to appropriate. A human father may offer his son his love, his 
advice, his friendship, and the son may refuse it and prefer to take his 
own way. It is so with God; God offers us the right to become sons 
but we need not accept it. [Barclay Commentary] 

He who is made a child of God enjoys the greatest privilege 
which the Divine Being can confer on this side eternity. (Adam Clarke 
Commentary) 

Is my knowledge of Jesus born of internal spiritual perception, 
or is it only what I have learned by listening to others? Have I 
something in my life that connects me with the Lord Jesus as my personal 
Saviour? All spiritual history must have a personal knowledge for its 
bedrock. To be born again means that I see Jesus. [My Utmost for His 
Highest ] 

John the Baptist was telling his audience Jesus was coming. He 
pointed ahead to Jesus and called people to repent. Jesus would do more; 
He would not only call the people to change their sinful ways, but 
also give them the power to do so. Why speak of fire? Scripture is 
always to the point. What does fire do? It does three things: gives 
light, warmth and consumes something. When the Spirit comes into your 
life, count on these three things: into the light He brings dark 
habits and they must be changed; He brings comfort like warmth where 
there hasn't been comfort; and lastly, He consumes. What is consumed?  
As the believer willingly confesses and releases a portion of 
his/her life to God's control, this portion of sin/weakness is consumed 
like the sacrifices of old. And like those sacrifices, something is 
given in their place. It is the control of God's Spirit; strength to 
the believer, glory to God. Desire the Fire and be all you can be, 
in Jesus Christ!  [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]  

Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to obey God's 
commandments; and in our own strength it is true that we cannot obey them. But 
Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He 
proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one of God's 
precepts.  "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the 
sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12. This 
power is not in the human agent. It is the power of God. When a soul 
receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ.  COL314 

"As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the 
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Shall we not, 
then, give to Christ that which He has died to redeem? If you will do 
this, He will quicken your conscience, renew your heart, sanctify your 
affections, purify your thoughts, and set all your powers at work for Him. 
Every motive and every thought will be brought into captivity to Jesus 
Christ. 7BC909