November 8, 2016 - A wonderful truth, that if we only believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior then we are saved and enter into the family of God. So simple, yet so difficult for so many to accept as the truth.
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 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)
God created all things, all souls belong to Him, but so many do not believe in Him enough to gain salvation through grace. What a shame for so many to be so close to salvation and to then turn away into eternal darkness without the Lord God.
The Father loved all people so much that He sent His only begotten son to die in their stead that they too might have eternal life in heaven. Yet, they rejected Him, did not know Him and even called for His execution on the cross. God loves all people but He doesn't just issue blanket salvation, no, it must be received as the scripture says, "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God"
Salvation is available for all, but first Jesus Christ must be received, accepted as who He truly is, Son of the living God.
Paul tells us in the book of Romans; "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED." (Romans 10:9) "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:10)
So simple and yet so hard for so many. Sonship does not come by inheritance, nor by uniting with some church, no, only through belief in Jesus can anyone have the father-child relationship with God.
Once one believes that God is real and accepts Jesus as the Son of God, that person is then born again, becoming a new creature and sonship begins, no waiting period required. Those who are then led by the Holy Spirit are the sons of God from that day forth.
Their relationship with God is rooted in His love and they are adopted into His family, made heirs of God's kingdom, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, all believers being brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him"(1 john 3:1)
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is." (1 John 3:2)
