What Does He Give?

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)

As I have been reviewing and researching the first five chapters in John I came back across this verse that grabbed my attention. There are a number of key words that I am seeing in this book that I want to pay particular attention to, for the main reason I am even studying this is so that I can experience more deeply myself the kind of transformation that is talked about in this book. I am tired of living in the shallowness of religion and desire to move much deeper into the reality of knowing God personally and having my life become a vibrant channel of life flowing out to bless others.

I am perceiving that belief and receiving are pretty much the same thing in this book. In this verse I find a key word that tells me one of the most important effects of entering into or choosing such a relationship with God. That is to experience the right to be a child of God myself.

As I pondered this recently I wondered just what was behind this word right and so I looked it up. Here are some other translator's rendition of this word and then the Greek original with its definition.

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. (KJV)

But as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God – to those believing in his name. (YLT)

But all who have received Him, to them – that is, to those who trust in His name – He has given the privilege of becoming children of God. (WNT)

exousia – (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence:--authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.

This dramatically expands my internal concept of what God is planning to do inside of me as a result of my believing and receiving Jesus. It seems to me that this is the core description right here of what is involved in being a real Christian. Almost every word in this definition could accurately be placed into the sentence of this verse and bring new insight and meaning to this text as well as new hope for my ability to experience what I need in life.

I am given capacity to be a child of God.

I am given competency to be a child of God.

I am given freedom and liberty to be a child of God.

I am experience superhuman mastery over my sinful nature as I become a child of God.

I am given delegated influence as a child of God.

I am given authority to be a child of God.

I am given both the right and the strength to be a child of God.

I am given ability to be a child of God.

Since all of this flows into me as a result of living in a relationship of receiving Jesus, then it seems that it is even more important that I not only learn just what that looks like and means but far more importantly I need to personally pursue that experience for myself.