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| As many as, not one more and not one less. |
'As
many as...' (1)
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 the 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 the 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 CAN NOT...' This common notion repudiates the declaration
of Christ, and that is no light matter!
John
1:11 'as many as' has also been 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 the Scriptures, as well as historical facts. Such a 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 sinners as the
divine effectual call!. 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.
Such
understanding of salvation is no longer by God's free grace alone but tainted
and adulterated with man's activities. It is based on the fable that the
activities of life can precede that life. Life must precede any activity of
that life!
The difference is fundamental!
