Friday, December 6, 2024

December 6th - Receiving Jesus

“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

I have heard countless invitations in which the pastor promises salvation if his listeners would “receive" Jesus based on the above scripture.

But those verses do NOT say that those who receive Him are then saved, it says they are given “the right to BECOME children of God”. So, when do they BECOME the children of God? It is when two things happen. First, they “believe in His name” and Second, are “born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, BUT OF GOD.

No human being sees or enters the Kingdom of God of their own free will. It is a matter of the will "of God”. And, it is the will of God that they be born AGAIN of "the Spirit"  before they can enter and see the Kingdom of God. Jesus told Nicodemus...

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot SEE the kingdom of God…unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot ENTER the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3,5)

All human beings are “born of water” when their mother’s water breaks. And all human beings are born of “the Spirit” after they are resurrected from death.

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a SPIRITUAL body...However, the SPIRITUAL is not first, but the natural; then the SPIRITUAL.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-49)

Being born again was a mystery to Nicodemus until the mystery was revealed by the Apostle Paul.

“Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a MYSTERY; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O death where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)

One final question: How many humans will finally receive Jesus, believe in His name, and enter the Kingdom of God as His children? My answer: ALL of them!

"...at the name of Jesus EVERY knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERYy tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:10-13)

"...for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Saviour, God, Who wills that ALL humanity be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and humanity, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for ALL (the testimony in its own eras), for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the nations in knowledge and truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-7)

December 22nd - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

“He’s making a list and checking it twice, he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice...you better watch out, you better not cry, you better ...