December 16, 2022 - John 1:12-13

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” John 1:12-13 NLT

Jesus, how wonderful that you have made a way for us to become the children of God. We praise you for the sacrifices that you made to make this possible. We praise you for how your pure and perfect blood covers all our sins. Thank you for forgiving us again and again. Your mercies and grace are gifts that we don’t deserve, but so appreciate. We also thank you that you didn’t die for a select few, but for everyone. You extend forgiveness, mercy, and grace to anyone willing to accept and follow you. You have extended the invitation to everyone. How marvelous. We want to do all that we can do to make sure that the lost all have a chance to hear about you and your invitation to us.

Lord, I also love the way that you word this verse. You say that you gave us the right to become your children. “The right.” That is a powerful statement. It’s a way of saying that we are entitled to something or have the authority to have something. Lord, there is no way that on our own we would have the right to be called your children. We could never earn that title, but you have given it to those of us who believe and accept you. We are no longer outcasts, but a child of the King of Kings. We have been given not only that title, but all the authority that comes with it. Jesus, we thank you so much for making this possible. Please teach us what it really means. Help us change the way that we live our lives to reflect who we are and the rights that we have been given. We want to have a relationship with you that causes our lives to reflect the love and attention that a perfect Father bestows on his children. Thank you for being our perfect father!

In Jesus name, amen.