Jesus Gives Birth to a New Race of People (John 1:9-13)

Recently I was talking about my life with a friend. There was a time when although I identified as a Christian, honestly it meant little more than "believing in Jesus" like one believes that planes fly or water runs down hill. I believed that Jesus loved me, that he died for me, that I was a sinner, and that his forgiveness was free. And oh I kept a list of rules that Christians were supposed to keep: don't gamble, don't smoke, don't drink.

Well, I kept the rules that were easy for me to keep. I didn't worry so much about putting others before myself or taking care of those in need. Jesus was more like a lucky charm that I prayed to when I needed something than someone whose mission I had embraced and who I had committed my life to following. And if I really wanted to do something - if it made me feel good - I never paused to think much about how it affected Jesus or others. Except for maybe my kids. It was easy to put them before myself. But mostly, I just did what I wanted, clawed my way up the corporate ladder, and felt the appropriate guilt on Sundays... thinking all was good. I'd prayed the sinner's prayer and knew I was going to heaven.. and I felt secure in my spirituality. But this is not the life of a child of God. A child of God is one who has been born of God... has become part of a new race of people... has been (and is being) transformed to follow Jesus and his teachings.

John 1:9-13 ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

John teaches that those who embrace (accept, receive, and believe in) Jesus, who is the true light of humanity, become God's children. These people are a new race of re-born people.  Born of God.  When we make the decision to follow Jesus we are giving him permission to transform us.  This transformation is not just a skin deep tattoo of Jesus, our entire spiritual DNA is transformed.  We aren't who we used to be any more.  I believed in Jesus, but I hadn't embraced him and let him transform me.

So when I was telling this person about my life, I told them about one sin in particular that had come easy to me while I was living this way.  It made me feel loved and accepted by the wealthy, powerful, smart people I was hanging out with.  And being liked was so important to me.  My friend said, "What made you stop doing it?  Did you get caught?"  I said, "No.  Nothing bad happened at all.  God simply changed me."  When I committed my life to letting Jesus live out his life through me, God gave me a supernatural love for those who could benefit me in no way - a love even for those who could and would harm me.  People who I would have normally used for my own gain, I begin to care about them and want the best for them.  Jesus begin to transform me! Perfect, I am not.  But I am being reborn.

Let us embrace the person and mission of Jesus.  Be reborn!  Become a child of God!  Let Jesus transform us!