Can you count as many as 10?
'As many as...' the exact number, not one more and not one less.
John 1:12 "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: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
This popular passage is misunderstood by many. They understand 'received' Christ' as referring to new birth, instead of conversion to the gospel of Christ. This is obviously an error.
It is very clear that three distinct and specific things are mentioned in the two verses:
- 'received him' : man's act of believing and receiving Christ...
- 'given the power to become the sons of God'...
- 'born of God' the new birth.
And the logical and chronological order of these three actions are obvious:
- new birth : 'born of God',
- conversion : 'received Him',
- experiencing the right and authority to claim divine sonship - given 'power to become the sons of God.'
A man who believes in Jesus Christ gives evidence that he has eternal life, for 'whosoever believes have eternal life.' Whosoever believes is born of God, and has the right and authority to claim divine sonship. It is obvious that one must be born of God first, which enables him to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in believing he is given the power to become, to claim himself as a son of God.
It is a common error to equate being given power to become the sons of God as the new birth! It is the new birth by the sovereign activity of God that enables a man to believe. And it is believing the gospel truth that enables a man to experience the power to become a son of God.
Believing that the unregenerate sinner, i,e, dead in trespasses and sins, can so 'receive Christ' to be born again, is so contrary to Christ's own declaration, 'Except a man be born again, he CANNOT...' This common notion repudiates the declaration of Christ, and that is no light matter!
John 1:11 'as many as' has also be perverted in another way, that is, that God has effectually and irresistibly predestinated that all the elect shall so receive Christ (through hearing the gospel, and believing it). This is plainly contrary to Scriptures, as well as historical facts. Such notion also erroneously conditioned regeneration on the preaching and the hearing and believing of the gospel.
It is typical of even the Calvinists to confuse the preacher's gospel call blessed to the conversion of God's children as the divine effectual call, calling an elect OUT of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus. But the effectual call is God's direct and immediate activity in calling an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of righteousness and eternal life in Christ.
Such understanding of salvation is no longer by God's free grace alone, but tainted and adulterated with man's activities, both the preachers' and the hearers' activities. It is based on the fable that the activities of life can precede that life itself.
Life must precede any activity of that life! The difference is fundamental!
Read a related article here...
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2012/07/to-them-gave-he-power-to-become-sons-of.html
