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

John 1:12 (NLT) But to all who believed him 
and accepted him, he gave the right to become 
children of God.  

INTRODUCTION

Cursed So We Could Be Blessed
   God created you. He loves you. But 
youre not automatically His child. You become a 
child of God by putting your faith in Jesus 
Christ. 
   The Bible says, But to all who 
believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to 
become children of God (John 1:12 NLT). 
   Lets say that Im holding a gift in 
my hands, and I offer it to you. You reach out 
and say, Thanks, Greg. Ill accept that 
gift from you. 
   God is offering you the gift of eternal 
life, but you have to reach out and accept it. 
Youre not born with it; you have to accept and 
receive it. And when you do that, you become a child 
of God. 
   Would you like to experience the 
blessings of God that the Bible talks about? Would you 
like to know the peace in your heart that the 
Bible promises? The Lord is very clear: He wants 
to bless us. But the blessings of the Bible are 
only for those who have put their faith in 
Christ. Why? Because Christ took the curse. 
   Galatians 3:13 tells us, But Christ 
has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the 
law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon 
himself the curse for our wrongdoing (NLT). 
   Jesus was cursed so we could be blessed. 
Jesus died so we could live. He was forsaken so we 
could be forgiven. 
   So the choice is yours. Do you want to 
face the curse of your sin, the repercussions of 
your evil actions? Or, do you want the blessing 
of God in your life? 
   God said, Today I have given you the 
choice between life and death, between blessings 
and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to 
witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would 
choose life, so that you and your descendants might 
live! (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT). 
   He wants to come into your life. Hes 
just a prayer away. [Greg Laurie from Harvest 
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

Not Religion but Relationship
   If you were meeting friends somewhere but 
had to call them because you were lost, the 
first question they would ask is, Where are 
you? Before they can tell you how to get there, 
they need to know where you are. 
   God asked that very question of Adam in 
the Garden of Eden. After Adam ate from the tree 
of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered 
the world. So he was hiding. 
   The Lord came walking through the garden 
in the cool of the day, and He called out to 
Adam, Where are you? (Genesis 3:9 NKJV). 
   Now, do you think the Lord knew where 
Adam was? Of course, He did. God knows everything 
about us. We cant hide anything from Him. 
   In effect, God was saying, Well, Adam, 
you ate of the forbidden fruit. How did that go? 
Are you happy with the way things turned 
out? 
   I think the Lord could ask the same of us 
today: Where are you? How is your life going? Is 
this the way you hoped it would turn out? Are you 
wondering if youve missed the whole point of what 
life is all about? 
   God loves you. He has a plan for you, and 
theres hope for your future. But theres a big 
difference between religion and a relationship with 
Jesus Christ. 
   It isnt rules and regulations; its 
real freedom from the power of sin. It isnt 
religion; its a relationship with Christ Himself. 
   Being a Christian is asking Christ to 
come and live inside of you. The Bible says, 
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the 
right to become children of God, to those who 
believe in His name (John 1:12 NKJV). 
   Only you can do this. No one can do it 
for you. The way you become a child of God is by 
receiving Christ into your life. [Greg Laurie from 
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com re 
Genesis 3:9] 

COMMENTARY

"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. And the 
more completely mind and body are yielded to the 
Holy Spirit, the greater will be the fragrance of 
our offering to Him.  7BC909 

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 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

   Thank Me for the glorious gift of 
forgiveness. I am your Savior-God, and I alone can give 
you this blessing. I went to exorbitant expense 
to procure this gift for you. You receive 
forgiveness and become My child by receiving Me and 
believing in My Name. This Name, Jesus, means the Lord 
saves. To receive this gift of salvation, you need 
to trust Me as your only Hope - the One who 
delivers you from all your sins.  
   There is no condemnation for those who 
are in Me. I want you to enjoy the wonder of 
walking through your life as My follower - totally 
forgiven! The best response to this wondrous gift is 
to live in gratitude, seeking to please Me 
above all else. You don't need to do good things 
to secure My Love, because it's already yours. 
Just let your desire to please Me flow readily 
out of your grateful heart. Thanking Me 
frequently will help you stay close to Me, ready to 
follow wherever I lead. Rejoice, beloved, for 
through Me the law of the Spirit of Life has set you 
free! (John 1:12; Acts 4:12; Rom. 8:1, 2) [Jesus 
Always by Sarah Young] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

God made us: invented us as a man invents an 
engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would 
not run properly on anything else. Now God 
designed the human machine to run on Himself. He 
Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to 
burn, or the food our spirits were designed to 
feed on. There is no other. That is why it is 
just no good asking God to make us happy in our 
own way without bothering about religion. God 
cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from 
Himself, because it is not there. There is no such 
thing. C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity  

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE

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

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160319-1550.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David 
DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides: 
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The 
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE 

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor: 
https://www.revelationnow.com/ 

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657