You and I are sinners. All we have ever known is sin so we can’t imagine what a horrible thing our sin really is. The only way to see how horrible our sin is is to see what it took Christ to put it away. Our sin is so horrible that it took all of the suffering and all of the precious blood of Christ to put it away. This is why the prophet told us that the only way we will ever truly mourn over our sin is to see Christ crucified for our sin. “And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn.” (Zechariah 12:10)

Christ does not quicken the old man born of Adam. Therefore, the Spirit of God does not teach us the gospel in the natural man because “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” It is in the new spirit that God teaches us the gospel. Those born of God “have received, the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Cor 2: 12, 14)

Pastor Clay Curtis

RECEIVED POWER

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)

There are two words in this verse that have been greatly misunderstood. It would truly profit us to understand their true meaning.

The first word is, “received.” Many have taken that word to mean that the sinner has “accepted, chose, made a decision or exercised their will,” in order to be saved. If that is the true meaning of the word, then salvation is of man and not of the Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ sought us and found us. He called us, and accepted us. That word, “received,” means, “to take by the hand.” We love Him because He first loved us.” To receive Christ is to, at His bidding, take Him by the hand as a little child takes the hand of a parent. This is an act of submission and our nature will not allow us to bow or submit to our Lord until He does a work of grace and mercy in our hearts. We cannot come EXCEPT the Father draw us and by nature, we will not come to Him that we might have life.

The second word in the verse that is widely misunderstood is, “power.” “To them gave He power to become the sons of God.” There are many that believe that the child of God has some kind of special power to do supernatural works. They believe that they can rebuke Satan, take authority over and cast out demons, and do many wonderful works in the name of Christ because of this POWER that they supposedly received from the Lord. But that is not at all what the word, “power,” means in this text. The word means, “privilege.” To those who take Christ by the hand in total submission, are granted the privilege to become the sons of God. What a privilege it is!

Have you submitted to Christ and taken Him by the hand? It was His hand that reached down for you in the dunghill of corruption. Have you seen what a great privilege it is to be a child of God? If you have, then you have been enabled by God to believe on His name.

Missionary Dan Parks

The first link between my soul and Christ is, not my goodness, but my badness; not my merit, but my misery; not my standing, but my falling; not my riches, but my need. He comes to visit His people, yet not to admire their beauties, but to remove their deformities; not to reward their virtues, but to forgive their sins.