Remember why John wrote his book. “These things are written that you might know that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Keeping that in mind, we read, “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13).
There are five points here:
1. We have a right to be children of God – by trusting Christ and believing in his name (in other words trusting in him).
2. We are not born into his kingdom by being related to anyone (not by blood)
3. We are not born into his kingdom by someone deciding we will be (not of the will of flesh)
4. We are not born into his kingdom because mankind has come up with the idea (not the will of man)
5. We are born into his kingdom because God decided it to be so (but by the will of God)
It is God who brings us life.
