Receive Him

It is possible to be near the language of Christ and still not receive Him. John writes that Jesus came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. That is sobering. Familiarity with spiritual things is not the same as faith. A person can know the story, hear the songs, repeat the language, and still keep Christ at a distance. But JOHN 1:12 (ESV) gives glorious hope: "to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." Receiving Christ is not passive admiration. John explains it as believing in His name. It is trust in who He is and what He has done. It is coming to Him as Savior and Lord, not merely appreciating Him as part of a tradition. The gift is astonishing: the right to become children of God. This is not achieved by bloodline, human effort, or personal willpower. JOHN 1:13 (ESV) says this birth is of God. Salvation is grace from beginning to end. That humbles pride. No one becomes a child of God by being impressive enough. No one earns adoption by religious performance. No one is born again through family background or moral polish. God gives life. But this also gives hope. If you have felt far off, Christ is not received by pretending you have always been close. He is received by faith. Come honestly. Come needy. Come repentant. Come believing.

GALATIANS 3:26 (ESV) says, "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." The family of God is entered through Christ, not through self-made worthiness. Do not only admire the child in the manger. Receive the Son. Believe in His name. There is no higher identity than belonging to God through Christ.