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closer to God

John 1:12&13
"12 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:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Jesus is the LIGHT of the World. Jesus's LIGHT is not limited to a specific group or nation. It is intended for the entire world; salvation and enlightenment are available to ALL people, regardless of their background or nationality.

Still, many people reject Jesus. Don't brush this off as if they didn't know. Jesus addressed this subject in the parable of the wicked vinedressers. The parable describes a Landowner who plants a vineyard, then leases it to tenant farmers and leaves for another country. When the time for harvest arrives, the Landowner sends His servants to collect the produce, but the farmers beat and KILL them. The landowner then sends His Son, hoping they will respect Him, but they KILL Him as WELL. Let it sink in that this parable is GOD'S perspective on the incarnation! Wow! GOD'S grace and mercy are far greater than we realize.

In stark contrast to this reality of rebellion is the LOVE and CARE freely given to the faithful. When we believe in Jesus, we are granted the right to become children of God. This is not merely an intellectual acknowledgment but involves accepting Him as the Messiah and trusting in His sacrifice for salvation. This belief and acceptance are described as a spiritual rebirth, a transformation that makes us a part of God’s family. Born again.

We are tempted to take PRIDE in our spiritual rebirth, but it would be a mistake to do so. Our salvation is not achieved through physical descent or inheritance (blood), human desire or wishing it to be so (will of the flesh), or human decision-making (will of man). Instead, it is granted by God. This means that being born into a family of believers or being part of a religious community does not automatically confer salvation. Each individual must have a personal relationship with God, which is symbolized by being “born of God.” And the more we can do to cultivate our relationship with GOD, the closer we come to GOD.

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