But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name. He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 ESV
In our country, we are big on rights. Many people proudly proclaim their right to sinful behavior. They celebrate things the Bible clearly tells us are considered abominations to the Lord.
In the legal system the case of Miranda versus Arizona set the precedent that anytime someone is arrested, they must be informed of certain rights. These rights include the right to remain silent and not answer any questions. They must be informed that anything they say may be used against them in a court of law. They must be informed they have a right to legal representation and can have an attorney present during questioning. They must also be informed if they cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to them. The next question is do you understand your rights and in almost all circumstances where the Miranda rights are required, the person is required to sign saying they understand their rights. If these steps are not taken, the entire case can be thrown out of court.
We live in a country where many rights are taken for granted. At least for the time being, we can worship as we please. Many forsake that right and fail to worship or go to church.
What we must realize, however, is for all the rights we are given in this country there is one right only God can give. That is the right to be called a child of God. Many people mistakenly believe that everyone is a child of God, but this is simply not true. God wants everyone to be His child, but He doesn’t force us into His family. For us to be adopted into His family, we must choose to do so.
Our Scripture passage tells us we must believe in Him and accept Him. Last week we had Vacation Bible School at our church, and I will break it down like our lesson broke it down. In order to become a child of God, we must admit that we are a sinner in need of a Savior. We are told in Romans 3:23 all sin and fall short of the glory of God. There are no little sins. There are no sins that God will just overlook, we will all be judged for our sins. This is why we must daily ask God to forgive us of our sins. There are sins of omission where we don’t do as God has commanded us to do. There are sins of commission where we do what He has commanded us not to do. Sometimes we sin without even realizing it.
Our thoughts can be sinful this is why we are told in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. We must learn to stop thoughts that go against God’s commands before they become words or actions.
Once we admit we are sinners, we must believe in Jesus Christ. We must believe that His death on the cross saves us from our sins. We must understand that only His blood shed on the cross can wash us clean.
And last but not least, we must receive Him as our Savior. We must receive Him into our hearts. We must surrender our lives to Him. We must trust Him and obey Him.
You are not automatically born a child of God, but God gives you the right to become His child if you so desire.
Now I often watch true crime shows where the person fails to take advantage of their rights. They speak without an attorney present, and it lands them in jail.
If we fail to take advantage of the right to become children of God, it’s much worse. It lands us in hell for eternity. Admit you are a sinner, believe in Him and the work He did on the cross to save you. Receive Him as your Savior and surrender your life to Him. Exercise your right to become a child of God.
Have a great day!