Choose Wisely

“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:” (Joh 1:12 AV)

That word ‘…power…’ is an interesting word.  What exactly does it mean?  Does it mean the legal ability to?  Does it mean the ability to?  What does it mean?  Now, if you are a Calvinist, the Greek definition of this word is not going to help defend your position.  The Greek definition means, “power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.” (Thayer’s Greek Dictionary)   It means “the power of authority and of right; the power of rule or government”.  In short, this power is the ability to choose to trust that which we have come to believe.  Note in particular the first definition.  It includes the concept of liberty.  In other words, there is freedom of choice.  Yes, the ability to choose does come from God.  But the liberty to choose is a free choice.  Not one compelled by the overpowering sovereignty of God.  But I digress.  What the Spirit wants us to consider this morning is the grace which God bestowed that gives us the ability to accept Christ and the station to which He appoints us.  That being, the sons of God.

None of us have the choice into which family we are born.  It happens without any input from our end.  There are mixed feelings as we grow through the experience. When we are very young, what do we know?  Everything is great.  But everything is unfair.  Then we go into our teenage years when we are embarrassed about everything about our families.  There was this commercial that ran on TV.  It showed a family of four.  A teenage daughter and a younger brother.  It was a commercial advertising vacations and how a vacation at this particular place would put a smile on the most anti-social and antagonistic teenage daughter.  She rolled her eyes at everything concerning the family.   However, overall, most are grateful for the families with which they have been blessed.  We are thankful for our siblings and the memories we created.  We are grateful that even though time and distance has caused a chasm to exist, in the harshest of times, we still have one another.  We are still glad to see one another around the holidays.  We still shed tears together at the passing of a loved one.  We may not have a choice, but the result is something for which most are truly thankful.

When it comes to the family of God, it is our choice.  According to the definition of the word above, God gives us the liberty to choose Jesus Christ as our substitute.  He seeks those who understand they wickedness and the consequences of that sin.  He seeks those who will respond to His call to salvation.  He proved by His word that Jesus is the all-sufficient sacrifice for our sin.  Then we have a choice to make.  Do we want to be adopted into the family of God or don’t we?  Do we want to be called among the sons of God or don’t we?  The privilege to be called by the name of God is one that has no comparison.  To be called a son of God is something I hope we never get used to.  To be included as a joint-heir with Christ is something that should boggle the mind.  The grace of God that makes all this possible is beyond comprehension.  Families mean something.  Growing up in the family of which I was blessed meant something.  My last name meant something.  The community knew my father and for that, being in his family meant something.  Being in the family of God is infinitely more meaningful.  I stand in wonder at the grace of God that would allow me the choice of adoption into the family of God.