John 1:12-13 – But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
But to all who received him, who believed in his name
When Jesus came into the world, the world He created, He was not received or believed in by many of the people to whom He actually was promised. The same is true today. Jesus Christ, true man and true God, came to earth, lived perfectly, died and rose again, so that I would be able to have eternal life with Him in Heaven. Many people hear that as rubbish. They have heard, yet they don’t believe. They haven’t received Him.
transitive verb
1
: to come into possession of
: acquire <
receive a gift>
2
a : to act as a receptacle or container for <the cistern receives water from the roof>
b : to assimilate through the mind or senses <receive new ideas>
3
a : to permit to enter : admit
c : to react to in a specified manner
4
: to accept as authoritative, true, or accurate
: believe
5
a : to support the weight or pressure of : bear
b : to take (a mark or impression) from the weight of something <some clay receives clear impressions>
d : to suffer the hurt or injury of <received a broken nose>
Did you receive the message?
So many times in this technology driven world, we find ourselves out of sync with others. We go the wrong place, bring the wrong thing or forget an appointment all together. Often we hear our friends, family and coworkers say, “Didn’t you get my text?” The information was out there, but either I wasn’t paying attention, ignored it, silenced my phone or left my phone at home. I didn’t receive the information I truly needed. Many people are the same way with the Word of God. They aren’t paying attention, they’re ignoring it, silencing those who want to tell them about it or are truly out of tune with the Spirit all together. They’ve missed the message.
He gave power to become children of God
Those who have gotten the message, who received Jesus and believed are promised that they become children of God. Not because of anything anyone did (themselves or those around them), but through God’s will. Through His Holy Spirit He changes hearts, minds and souls, so they might receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
(looking at the definition of receive)
Receiving God
When you receive God, you will come into possession of His Holy Spirit and become part of the family. You only have to open yourself up and
act as a receptacle for God’s Spirit. As you grow to know God more, you will change and
assimilate or become more like Him through your mind and senses. Because you receive Jesus’ Spirit, you are
permitted to enter heaven, you gain admittance. The Lord will be there to greet you, He will meet you where you are. You may
react to in a specified manner, full of power as part of God’s family. When you receive God into your life you accept His Word as authoritative, true, or accurate. You believe in Him.You may have bear some hardships because of your faith. As God makes an impression on your life, you will have a whole new experience. He suffered and died for you so that you may receive all He has for you.
Did you get the message?
But to all who received him, who believed in his name
God is... 