Verse of the Day:
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12 ESV
While John 3:16 may be the most famous and well known verse in the Bible, as well as the most-memorized piece of Scripture, John 1:12 is also an excellent summary of the gospel.
Simply, it tells us that all who receive Christ, through faith, become children of God.
To believe in His name does not simply mean that we believe that Jesus existed. It means that we accept everything that the Bible teaches about the Lord Jesus Christ - that He was sent by God to pay the price for our sin (John 3:16) - and that He is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1).
However, we know that not all received Him when He came into the world. Clearly not everyone believed He was who He said He was - and sadly there are still those today. We all see or know people that refuse to believe in His sacrificial offering. There is only one way to be saved - “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). There is only one way to become a child of God - it is solely by “faith in the name of Jesus” (Acts 3:16) that we will be granted the “right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Further, being able to call on the name of Jesus is more than just a spiritual honor. It’s a spiritual power only extended to those who receive Him. This is described using the Greek word ἐξουσία (exousia), which in this verse is translated as the word “right” or often entitlement. This isn’t some sort of magical formula, or voodoo incantation. It means that we trust in His person, His sacrifice, and His salvation. We can call on His name - and that is powerful.
