Let us turn again to the portion
of Scripture we were reading here in the opening chapter of
the Gospel according to St. John. In John chapter 1 and verse
12. But as many as received Him,
to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on His name. Taking then these words for our
text this morning, But as many as received Him, to them gave
He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on His name. And the theme I really want to
take up is expressed in the expression, Power to become the sons of God. Power to become the sons of God. Observe this particular word
and the word power. In the New Testament there are
principally two words that are often translated by power in
our authorised version. And one of those words has the
idea of might and strength, power. The other is somewhat different
and really contains the idea of authority or right. And you may observe that it's
this latter word that we have in this particular verse in the
margin. As many as received him, to them
gave he the rights or the privilege to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name. and as we come to consider this
particular scripture this morning I want us to bear that distinction
very much in mind whilst we recognize that it is the idea of authority
right or privilege that is contained in the word power at the same
time I want us to recognize that in order to the application of
salvation the experience of sonship we must also experience something
of the the mighty power of God in our souls and so bearing those
two things in mind as we come to look at this particular scripture
for a while I want to divide the subject into some three parts
first of all to consider the purpose of God, as we see it
stated here in the context. Secondly, to consider something
of the power of the Word of God, and then finally, the power of
saving faith. First of all, the purpose of
God, and we certainly see that in the context. when we don't
just look at the 12th verse but also the 13th verse which follows. Now there's a connection here
because it's one sentence verses 12 and 13 according to the punctuation
as we have it here in our authorized version but as many as received
him to them gave he power or authority, the right, to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God." And we see immediately the significance
of the will of God. In the context here, the emphasis
is on the purpose of God. God's will is so paramount with
regards to what is being described in this portion of Holy Scripture. And what do we see? When we think
of that will of God, the eternal purpose of God, we see that adoption
is really eternal in the mind of God. When Paul is writing
to the churches of Galatia, he does speak of their sonship,
their adoption. And he declares there in chapter
4 of that epistle, because you are sons, mark the words, because
you are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts. Why is it that they have received
the Spirit of God because they are eternally the sons of God
and it's only as they receive the Spirit of God that they can
experience and acknowledge and confess their sonship. No man
can say that Jesus Christ is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. And there is a connection of
course in many ways between the sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the sonship that is the believers in the great doctrine of adoption. Christ, the Lord Jesus, Christ
is that one who is the Son of God. The second person in the Triniton.
We confess one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And so the Son is that one whom
we say is eternally begotten of the Father. There is an eternal
Father, there is an eternal Son, there is an eternal Spirit. And it is, of course, this Apostle
John who is continually bringing out these truths in his various
writings, be it here in the Gospel or when we turn to those three
epistles of John. For example, there in the first
general epistle, in 1 John chapter 2, at verse 22, who is a liar, but
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, he is Antichrist
that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son,
the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledgeth the
Son hath the Father also." Clearly, there is no eternal Father, except
there is an eternal Son. Again, when he writes in his
second epistle, at Shorts, one chapter epistle there in 2nd
John verse 9, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son. The eternal Sonship then of the
Lord Jesus Christ, that One who was eternally brought forth eternally
begotten of His Father. And how it's spoken of here,
of course, in this opening chapter, this remarkable opening chapter
of the Gospel according to John. Verse 14, The Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
only begotten, of the Father, full of grace and truth. Oh, God has many sons, many adopted
sons, but there is only one who is the begotten, that one that
was eternally brought forth, eternally begotten in the great
mystery of the Godhead. Again, there in In that second
epistle of John, in verse 3, we read of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Father, in truth and in love. He is the Son, in
that He is that One who is eternally and only begotten, as we read
here in verse 14. We see it there, of course, in
the Book of Psalms, in the 2nd Psalm, the same truth. God declares,
Thou art my Son. This day have I begotten Thee. This day. Or not yesterday, not
tomorrow, but today. That is the eternal day. The
eternal day. This day. In eternity. He is the one who is begotten
of the Father. And as Christ is the Eternal
Son, so with regards to the experience of the believer they have to
come to that realization that in a sense theirs is also an
eternal adoption. As they are eternally elect,
So they are eternally adopted of the Father. And isn't that
seen in the language that we find in the opening chapter of
the epistle to the Ephesians? In the language that we have
there in verses 4 and 5. We see a connection between their
eternal election and their eternal adoption, according as He hath
chosen us in Him, that is, in Christ, before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will."
Again, it's the will of God that is so paramount. Election, And
adoption is according to God's eternal will. It is what God
has purposed, it is what God predestinated from before the
creation of the world, before the creation of time. And so Christians are God's sons
by adoption. And they too are those then who
are eternally adopted as Christ. The one in whom they are chosen
is also that one who is the eternally begotten Son of God. And now the Lord Jesus acknowledges
them. We take up the language of what
Isaiah says there in the 8th chapter concerning his children. When we come to Hebrews chapter
1 and verse 13. Now, the language of the prophet
is applied to the Lord Jesus in particular. Behold I, he says,
and the children which God hath given mine. Or they are those
who are elect, in Him the Eternal Son, they are those who are adopted,
in and through Him the Eternal Son of God. Yes, when they're
born into this world, we see them as those who are dead, in
trespasses and sins, they're in that state of alienation,
they're enemies in their minds. They're far off from God. And
yet they're always the elect of God. And they're always in
the eternal mind the sons of God. Just as we see that those
who are the sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ can never be anything
but his sheep. They're never the goats. Even
before they're brought into the experience of salvation, before
ever they're born again of the Spirit of God. When the Lord
Jesus speaks of those who were to be converted from amongst
the Gentiles, remember the language that we have there In chapter
10 of this gospel, of the sheep I have, he says, which are not
of this fold, them also I must bring. And they shall hear my voice.
And there shall be one fold and one shepherd. They are the sheep,
before ever they are called, they are never the goats. And
at the end of time, of course, the Lord makes the final separation
between the sheep and the goats. They're eternally His sheep.
They're eternally His children. Their adoption in the mind and
the will of God is an eternal adoption. And so again, that
language that we have in Galatians 4, because because you are sons
God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts."
How vital that is! It's because of their eternal
adoption that in the appointed time they know that ministry
of the Holy Spirit. He is sent into their hearts.
In all the grace of regeneration they are born again by the Spirit
of God. And so they come to experience
that God had purposed from all eternity. It is God's will then,
that eternal purpose of God that is paramount here. They are born
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but they are born of God, that they might come to
experience and receive that blessing of sonship, to them gave he power,
rights, privilege to become the sons of God. It comes in by what
God does in bringing salvation into their souls, making that
salvation a reality in their experience, and how is this?
It is of course by the power of his words. It's by the power
of his words. Remember what we said at the
outset, we have to recognize the distinction between two particular
words that often times in our authorized version are translated
by the English word power. Here in the text in verse 12
it is that word that has the idea of authority, right, privilege. But then also they must know
something of the other word that's often used in scripture and God's
word must come to them with might and with strength. We have that
language of the apostle writing in Hebrews chapter 4 concerning
the word of God. It's quick, he says, and powerful.
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and the discern
of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Oh, the Word of God,
it's quick, it's living, it's vital, it's powerful, and it
comes and it pierces. It's likened, isn't it, the Word
of God, to a sword. When the Apostle in Ephesians
6 is speaking of the Christian's armour for his conflict, his
warfare with sin and with Satan, we read of the Word of God, which
is the sword of the Spirit. And now in Scripture other similes
are used, other figures are used in reference to the Word of God,
that we might understand something of what God's Word is. Jeremiah,
for example, utters those words as the mouthpiece of God. He's
not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that
breaketh the rocks in pieces. What a power of the Word of God!
And this is that other idea, you see, something that is majestic, something that has great strength.
It's the Word of God. it comes as a hammer and what
does he do? he breaks the hard heart of the sinner in pieces
when God begins to deal with that sinner and brings him to
the place of the conviction of his sins oh then there's the
broken heart sacrifice that's so acceptable a broken heart,
a contrived spirit oh it's the application of the word of God
but how that that word of God is also likened to a sword the
sword of the Spirit but if it's going to be effective it must
be that sword that proceeds as it were from the mouth of the
Lord Jesus Christ when John is there on the Isle of Patmos In
the opening chapter he is granted that remarkable vision, he sees
something of the glorified Christ, that one who humbled himself
even to the death of the cross, that one who died such a cruel
death, yet now risen, and ascended and exalted to the right hand
of the Father, and John sees something of the glories that
belong unto Christ. And he says, doesn't he, out
of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, or the sword that proceeds
out of his mouth. And later, towards the end of
Revelation, we have reference to that same, sword proceeding
out of his mouth with which he smites the nations. It's that
word of God as he comes, you see, to effect real conviction
in the soul of the sinner. It's that that comes by the Spirit
of Christ. When he has come, that is the
Spirit, Christ speaks of him coming, he will reprove, he will
convince the world of sin, of righteousness, of judgment, he
works conviction. Oh, but it's the sword of Christ,
it's the word of God in the mouth of the Lord Jesus, coming as
it were by and through the ministry of the Spirit of Christ. Where
the word of the King is, there is power. And so we have to recognize here
the importance of God's words, in order to the sinner coming
to that experience of his sonship God make use of his words and
it's Peter who really brings this truth out in a remarkable
way there in the opening chapter of his first epistle there in
first Peter chapter one remember what we're told at the End of
that chapter, the last three verses, being born again, not
of corruptible seed, he says, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, for all flesh
is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, the flower thereof falleth away, but the
word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by
the gospel is preached unto you. And you'll see immediately there's
a similarity with what we have before us this morning. As many
as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God. And he's speaking here, isn't
he, of that same new birth, born again, not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and
abideth forever." Now, here in verse 23 of this chapter in 1
Peter, what we have there is Logos. It's the same as we have of course
here at the beginning of John's Gospel. In the beginning was
the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
Him. Without Him was not anything made that was made. The Logos. I'm sure you probably all are
aware of that significant Greek word which refers of course to
the Lord Jesus, God, the Son. So, going back to that statement
in Peter, they are born again by the Word of God. No one else
but the Lord Jesus Christ which liveth and abideth forever. But then, when we come to verse
25, we have a different word We have the same word initially
in the first part of verse 25, the word of the Lord which endureth
forever, that's the Logos. But then in the last sentence,
this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you,
it's not the Logos. It's a different word and It's
a word that literally refers simply to speaking, or proclaiming,
or preaching. It's a word that is being spoken. In other words, it's a ministry
of the word of God. But when that word comes under
the blessed unction of the Spirit, when the Spirit of Christ is
in that word, how effectual it is. It's the preached word you
see. It's the preached word that is
being spoken of. He pleases God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. But there's something
very distinctive about the ministry of the word of God when that
word is being faithfully opened up and proclaimed it's more than
a man simply standing to give some sort of instruction or some
sort of lecture where there is the gracious ministry of the
spirit how it is clothed then with a remarkable authority and
Of course, Paul makes it so very clear in what he has to say in
the opening verses of the second chapter of 1 Corinthians, speaking
of his own ministry. What does he say to these Corinthians?
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency
of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you, say Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness,
and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the Spirit and in power, that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. What is Paul saying? It wasn't that he comes amongst
them as a great orator. He's not been in the school where
they would teach rhetoric and how to use words cleverly and
persuasively. None of that. It's nothing of
man. Not the enticing words of man's
wisdom, he says, but in demonstration of the spirit and yet, is there
in weakness, and in much trembling. And maybe you can recall, I can
certainly recall times past, I can remember one particular
occasion. It was a Banner of Truth conference,
and dear old Mr. Greer, old Mr. Greer, he was
a Presbyterian minister from Northern Ireland, he was an old
man. And at the conference they normally have a, well they'd
have a series of papers that were presented, but they always
began with, with preaching. It would be a sermon preached
at the beginning of the conference on the Monday and it lasted normally
till Thursday morning and the conference would close with another
sermon being preached and Mr. Greer was one of those who I
suppose was together with Professor Murray was the chief instigator
of the conference in the first place. But Mr. Greer was an old
man and he stood there and preached on that opening occasion and
He stumbled and he stuttered, and I suppose some of his sentences
were broken-centered, his incomplete sentences in a sense, and yet
you know. It was just like Paul is saying there in 1 Corinthians
2. There was such an authority. I suppose in many ways it was
the godliness that was so evident in the man. It was the unction
of the spirit. the unction of the spirit, that's the power
of the word of God it's not a man putting on a show, a performance it's a mystery really because
there's nothing to impress on a natural level but it's the
work of the spirit of God the Spirit, of course, who first
gave the Word. Initially, those holy men of
God, again, his speech reminds us of that, those holy men of
God in the Old Testament, they spoke as they were moved by the
Spirit of God. And it's the same Spirit who
has to open up that Word and apply that Word in the souls
of sinners. And he does it oftentimes by
those who are weak and feel that really their Their preaching
is maybe pathetic. We hear of an old minister who
was so ashamed of much of his preaching and he used to say
to the congregation he was sorry he brought God's word, he says,
but it was all on broken plates. Broken plates. But one in the
congregation said, ah, but we've had many a fine meal off a broken
plate. the weak instrument, you see,
but the power, the glory, it all belongs unto the Lord God
Himself and to His work. Yes, here we have the idea of
the authority, but in order for that authority to be experienced
in any sense, there must be that gracious power of the Spirit. It's when the Lord is in that
ministry, Now he came to those Ephesians also, I know we've
often referred to those words in Ephesians 4, 20 and 21, when
he reminds them. Those at Ephesus there in Asia
Minor, far away really from Palestine, what we would call Turkey now,
far far away from Israel. and the Lord Jesus never went
there during the course of his earthly ministry and yet Paul
can say to those Ephesians you have not so learned Christ if
so be you have heard Him and been taught by Him as the truth
is in Jesus. Oh it's hearing not the poor
words of any man then it's hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ
And what does he say? So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but
shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I send it. It's when the Lord then brings
that word and applies that word so mightily, so effectually. The Kingdom of God. It's not
in word, it's in power. It's in power. the power then
of God's words as well as the primacy of the will of God the
great purpose of God but then finally this morning to say something
of that faith that is saving and there's a power in saving
faith there's a power in saving faith As Paul says to those Thessalonians,
our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in
much assurance. Always the good pleasure of God's
goodness, and the work of faith with power. It's that that we
read of there then in 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 11. The work of faith
with power. And it's always that other word,
not the word that we have here that has the idea of right and
authority, but that that rather suggests strength and might and
majesty. the good pleasure of His goodness
and the work of faith with power, the exceeding greatness of His
power to usward who believe, which is according to the working
of His mighty power wrought in Christ when He raised Him from
the dead." And what is the result? Well, look at what it says in
the text. As many as received Him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name
at the beginning of the verse we read of them that received
him as many as received him at the end of the verse we read
of them that believe on his name to receive him that is the Lord
Jesus is to believe on his name we see the same truth in the
gospel don't we? the words of the Lord Jesus when
he says I am the bread of life he that cometh unto me shall
never hunger he that believeth on me shall never thirst the
coming, the believing they're one and the same thing just as
the receiving and the believing are one and the same thing if
we're going to know anything of the blessing of that eternal
adoption if we're going to know anything of what it means to
be the sons of God we have to receive the word and we have
to believe in Him of whom the Word of God is always speaking.
We have to come to the Lord Jesus Christ and we have to rest and
trust in Him. But then you might say, well,
how do we come? How can we ever receive Him? Well, is it not
by prayer? If we would receive Him, we must
call upon Him. and that's the mark, prayer is
very much the mark of God's spiritual Israel the true people of God
those who are really the children of God and the sons of God you
remember how it was at Peniel where Jacob was told thy name
shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for as a prince thou
hast power with God and has prevailed, here is the power of faith Well,
what does that faith do? It takes hold of God. It takes
hold of the promises of God. That's what the patriarch did
there at that at that brook of Jebuchad, Peniel. He saw the
face of God. He wrestled with the angel. Thou hast power with God and
hast prevailed. Now we How we see it in the experience
of the Apostle, when you think of Paul, what is demonstrated
in that man's conversion? The power of prayer. We have the record of how the
Lord meets with him there at Damascus in Acts chapter 9. And then this disciple, this
man called Ananias is commanded of the Lord in a vision to go
to Saul of Tarsus, his persecutor, whom the Lord has met with and
remarkably saved. And how is Ananias assured that
all will be well to go to the street called Straight and to
meet such a man as this? There in Acts 9 and verse 11,
the Lord says to him, Arise, go into the street which is called
Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called
Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prayeth. Well, there's the assurance.
given to Ananias and all will be well. Why? Because this man
prays. Now Saul had said many prayers
all the days of his life. He was a Pharisee, he was the
son of a Pharisee, he'd been scored at the feet of Gamaliel,
one of the great Jewish rabbis. He knew what prayers were, so
he thought. And yet in a sense he had never
once prayed. until we come to that particular
occasion. Here is the assurance that the
Lord can give to Ananias, who must have been very fearful,
why this man had come breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord. He was going to lay hold
of them and return to Jerusalem with them. He was bent on the
destruction of Christians. And yet, Ananias comes and anoints his
eyes, and his sight is restored. He'd seen that remarkable vision,
his sight had gone from him, but now restored, and the assurance,
behold, he prayeth." This is how we come to the Lord Jesus. This is how we receive the Lord
Jesus. It's by praying, by seeking,
by calling, by crying. by looking. The hymn writer says that Christ
is God I can avouch and for his people cares since I to him have
prayed and he has heard my prayers. Oh Christ hears the prayer of
his people. And by faith they come into that
blessed experience of what it is to be sons of God, and to
know that great salvation that is in the Lord. As many as received
Him. Oh, there must be that receiving
of Him, that believing in Him. As many as received Him. To them
gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on His name. And how is it they believe they
were born? Born again, born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. And so they desire simply to
give God the glory. Oh God grant that we might know
then such an experience as that of these set before us here in
this text this morning. The Lord be pleased So bless
His Word. Amen.