What promises do we have?!
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 KJV
We have the promises that Jesus will receive us, will be a Father unto us, and we will be His sons and daughters. We shall be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty!
So how exactly do we become God’s sons and daughters?
"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:10-13 KJV
We must believe on His name. And we must be born of God - a spiritual birth, not a natural birth of flesh and blood. Jesus explained this in detail to Nicodemus.
"Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." - John 3:4-6 KJV
By the way, this is the same conversation with Nicodemus a few verses later where Jesus told him,
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:14-16 KJV
Do you think Jesus changed what He just told Nicodemus that except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Rather, looking at the whole conversation, we see that BELIEVING in Jesus is more than what most people think! If we BELIEVE in Jesus, we are going to OBEY Jesus!
A couple more verses down, and there it is again - the NAME! The name of Jesus is of utmost importance!
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:18 KJV
The name of Jesus identifies that He is our heavenly Father in a human body. (John 14:9-10). “JESUS” means “LORD-SALVATION.” (Matthew 1:21)
On the Day of Pentecost, when the church first began, Peter preached the gospel of Jesus. When the people asked, “What shall we do?” Peter answered their question. He let them know why the NAME of Jesus is so important, and how we are born of God - born of water and of the Spirit.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV
This is how we become sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty! Through the NAME of Jesus our sins are WASHED AWAY, born of water, and by the infilling of His Holy Ghost we are born of His Spirit.
"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ... praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:40-42, 47 KJV
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV
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