BUT AS MANY

THURSDAY 24 MARCH 2022

All who have received Christ through faith, not some but all, are the true sons of God because they have received the power to become so. Their faith is dependent on the Person of Jesus Christ, His perfect sacrifice, and His finished work on the cross. No one who has received Christ is exempt from having and functioning by the advantage or effectiveness of this power.

Reference: John 1:12 King James Version (KJV) "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."

A name is the symbol of a person which is audible to other human beings when pronounced. In other word, there is no name without sound present. That means, it is the sound energy by which a person or thing is known, recognised, acknowledged, addressed, or referred to. We all have names which we specifically respond to as ours. However, all names are not weighted equally because they slightly change from individual to individual, depending on rare nobility, societal status, level of attributed importance or value, high-level financial worth, high administrative rank or great authority, volume of global achievement and also, matchless ability in diverse areas of interest.

There is a name above all names, namely Jesus. Jesus Christ is not just another name; His name is wondrously special. Why? It is so because an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins"(Matthew 1:21 NIV). In other words, His name was delivered directly from heaven through an angel because it is the perfect will of God for Him. God planned it ahead of creation that He would bear that name. This is the reason Paul the Apostle notably addressed it as the mystery of God.

To be specific, in his epistolary expression to the Colossians, Paul says, "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ" (Colossians 2:2 NIV). The name, Jesus Christ, is also mysteriously special because He is the Lord who saves people from all evil and calamity (Luke 4:18 NIV). It is a name that conveys a strong, divine impression when heard. It's most important and significant functions are "Lord and Saviour." The name is so preeminent that the entirety of God's plan for mankind reflects its priority. And one thing about the mystery, Christ, is that any human being who expresses faith in the name, gets saved and is delivered from the power and nature of sin. This was the reason Jesus came and died for the whole world.

Beloved, there is unlimited power vested, infused and invested in the name of Jesus by God Himself. Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV) says, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Why did He receive the greatest name? This is because, being God and having the very nature of Deity, He humbled and made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant in human likeness and becoming obedient to death on a cross.

Therefore, the Bible says, "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." This power is fully and unconditionally guaranteed as a legal right to becoming a child of God. It confers or bestows on us, the authority to function in the realm of sonship in God's family. This power is the right that positions us to walk with God and enjoy our salvation benefits and Christian faith in a successful and victorious manner.

Our referenced Scripture specifically stated, "But as many as received him". The power to become His children is available to all who would receive Christ by faith; it is not limited to any race, group of people or a nation. So it doesn't matter where you come from or what your earthly background is, if you receive Christ as Lord this very moment, you'll instantly receive the power of God to become His, to serve Him and to fulfil His purpose and will here on earth. Therefore, if you are yet to receive Christ and function in power, you must denounce the nature of sin, receive Him and believe on His name. And I urge you to do so by declaring the guided prayer below, sincerely and heartily . Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 4:12; Acts 10:38.

Guided Prayer: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge today that you demonstrated your unconditional love for me in this: while living without Christ, you sent Him ahead of time to die for me. Therefore I renounce the nature of sin and I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I believe and confess with all my heart that Jesus is the Son of the true living God, who died for me and was raised from the dead on the third day by your divine power. I believe that Jesus is risen and He's alive forever. I accept Him into my heart and I declare His Lordship over my life now and forever. From today, I'm born again in my spirit. I'm now a new creation and I have eternal life: my present-moment reality. Thank you Father in heaven for choosing and saving me through Christ, who has taken full charge of my life, as my Lord. Amen!