Again, the verse does not speak of the cause of ones belief like John 1:12-13 does. The verse DOES NOT says if one's believe is self-caused or caused by God. You assume the cause because it fits your bias. Hermeneutics 101 ... use explicit verses (like John 1:12-13) to determine the meaning of implicit verses.
John 1:11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
The context of 1:12-13 begins in these verses, and cannot be properly understood without them. John aptly describes that Jesus’s arrival to the Jewish nation, his own, was generally not received positively, but there were some, who did receive him openly, and this was by believing in his name. Thus, the act of receiving him is a human action, and that reception is equated to the believing in his name.
There are two acts in this scene, the act of believing and the act of receiving. But the act of receiving implies the act of giving by another party, a party other than the receiving party. This means the receiving is the result of the act of believing. (There is nothing said about receiving belief from God, or needing to do so as a prerequisite event.)
So what is received, and who is the giver?
he gave the right to become children of God—
The receiver is given “the right to become” a child of God. This is a logical progression not a conscious experiential progression, for Jesus Christ, must sprinkle our hearts with his blood and cleanse our conscience of guilt to be able to become a child of God.
But what does being ‘a child of God’ mean?
13children born not of natural descent,
That is that we are not children of God because of our physical genealogy, ie, physical children of Abraham,
nor (are we children)
of human decision or a husband’s will,
That is that this is not effected by any human capacity or by any physical means of man, nor is it a purely physical construct in nature, but rather, we are
born of God.
Born, is the idea of coming to life, not physical, but spiritual life and being indwelt by the Spirit of life. It is the dynamic change from being dead in relation to God to being alive and in interactive fellowship with God. It is a change of spiritual reality not a physical reality.
This action, is
of God; which means it can only be accomplished by God himself, and it is totally subjected to his will and sovereign judgment. Again, this is exactly what I have been saying: that no human effort is capable of obligating God to act or respond to us; he only acts according to his own desires and will, not that of human beings. He sets the rules, and the rules never say that he must give us belief! The rules say we must believe!
God’s rules say it is not by physical genealogy. Nor is it effected by human willpower or desire. It is a spiritual dynamic that only God has the right and means and power to initiate and accomplish! It is totally under his control! Totally effected by his will and power alone!
This is about the dynamic of becoming children not about receiving faith or belief from God!
Doug
