RTBS: 01/14 John 1:12-13

RTBS | John 1:12–13 — “Born, Not Built”

Focus: Regeneration, Identity, and the Source of True Sonship

📖 Main Passage John 1:12–13 (NKJV)

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

1. SEEK

Opening Prayer “Father, strip away every false foundation I’ve trusted in. Let me see clearly what it means to be Your child — not earned, not inherited, not manufactured, but given by You alone.”

Private Reflection

What have I subtly trusted in to prove my standing before God?

Do I live like a son… or like a religious employee?

If my works were stripped away, what would my confidence be?

2. EXPLORE (Expanded)

Let’s walk the text slow and honest.

“But as many as received Him…”

The word receive is very important to notice here.

Salvation is not achieved — it is received. Not admired. Not respected. Received.

This is very much counter culture to how we share and present the gospel today.

We often present the gospel as a goal we must achieve, or an item we must track down and get.

But scriptures says that salvation is found in those who RECEIVE Him.

Imagine a king is conquering nations, and he comes to a small village.

Before he arrives a representative comes to the village and says the king will not destroy you if you just lay down your weapons, open the gates, allow him in, and pledge your allegiance to him

So the king gets to the village, and he finds a small group of people who have done exactly as they were told.

They are at the open gates, bowing to the king, with their weapons on the ground.

The king is pleased, but he continues into the city to find a mad rush of people cleaning and preparing putting gifts together, and the leaders of the city come with their guards to meet the king and try to earn his favor with them.

This is the difference between achieving salvation and receiving.

Now achieving would actually make a lot more sense

It would make far more sense for the king to tell them he is going to come destroy them and take everything they have unless they can give some good reason why he shouldn’t

But that’s not what the king said, and thats not what God said

The minute we try to achieve salvation, is when we are actually doing less than if we did nothing.

The people who tried to earn the king’s favor would have actually offended him, because they didn’t even do what he said

Scripture is clear that salvation is something to be received not achieved.

“…to them He gave the right to become children of God”

This is legal language. Authority. Status. Standing. God doesn’t just tolerate believers — He adopts them.

So in our example, the king doesn’t just say I won’t destroy you and leaves.

He makes them a citizen of his nation, and gives them citizenship status and rights just like anyone else under his rule.

But that isn’t even it

The king then says to all of these peasant village people who aren’t even his own, and he says I am going to take each of you and bring you back to live in my palace, and you will called my sons and daughters. You will be treated and respected as my own children.

We often over emotionalize the meanign of being a child of God.

Yes it is a wonderful thing and we should be joyful over it, but we must not forget the technical standing, and the gravity of what that means.

It doesn’t say we become like children of God, or we become a picture of the children of God, we actually become his children

But not for everyone

There is an aspect of the king’s requirements that can’t be missed.

He said for them to throw down their weapons, open the gates to let him in, and declare their allegiance to him

What if the people threw down the weapons, opened the gates, and even appeared to submit to him by bowing down, but there is no true allegiance there, just a show to earn his favor

That is where belief comes in

“…to those who believe in His name”

This word believe has become very difficult for some to understand. And this is mostly due to the word itself and how we use it, and our culture.

But it is really a simple concept “Biblical belief is being fully persuaded of the truth and therefore trusting in it rather than yourself.”

We get this definition primarily from the word believe itself in the original language.

The word believe is translated from the greek word - pisteuo (to entrust, or have faith in)

So traditionally the way to understand belief is being personally persuaded and entrusted in two things

Who Jesus was and what he came to do. (AKA The Gospel)

You can believe OF Jesus - believe that he was was who he said and came to save sinners, but not entrust yourself to him

This is the village people at the gate of the city who believed everything the king said, but they never actually gave their allegiance over to him

I think one question can simplify any question of doubting salvation.

Answer this question.

If you stood before God today, and he asked why he should let you into heaven, what would you say?

If you say because of Jesus - you believe of him

If you say ANYTHING other than Jesus (i was good, I believed he was real, I believed he died on a cross, etc.)

Its not a belief in the fact of who he said he was and what he came to do, but to be entrusted to him personally

“who were born…”

Faith in Christ is described as a new birth. That old person you were is quite literally thrown out and you are born again as a child of God

And then John shuts every other door:

Not of blood — not family lineage, or any inheritance

Not of the will of the flesh — not effort or discipline

Not of the will of man — not religion, rituals, or systems

“…but of God.”

This word is called regeneration. That we are regenerated into a new person under christ by the power of God alone. God does the saving.

3. ANALYZE

3.1 | Core Doctrine: Regeneration (The New Birth)

Definition: Regeneration is the sovereign act of God whereby He imparts new spiritual life to the believer, enabling repentance and faith.

Key Scriptures - HAVE SOMEONE READ

Ezekiel 36:26–27 — A new heart, a new spirit

John 3:3–8 — You must be born again

Titus 3:5 — Not by works, but by renewal of the Spirit

1 Peter 1:23 — Born again by the Word of God

Theological Clarity

Regeneration precedes works

Regeneration produces faith

Regeneration establishes identity

You don’t behave your way into sonship. You live from it.

Now regeneration is a major point of contention with those who believe in Calvinism.

They would say that regeneration PRECEDES faith

That God transforms us, and that transformation results in the belief

They would say we because we are so sinful, we have no good within us, so we don’t have the ability to choose God, therefore, he chooses us, and then against our will we then believe in him

But what the Bible says is that belief always precedes regeneration.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 5:24 ““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

John 6:47 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Acts 16:31 “So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”” \

Scripture consistently references this order of belief, then salvation or regeneration

But we must not take this too far to be believe we have a part in the actually regeneration

This would be like the village men at the gate, doing all the things the king said, then when he gets there they say oh we don’t need you we can save ourselves

They had to decided to follow the king, but it was the king’s work and power that saved them

3.2 | Misconception Exposed

The Lie: “I’m a Christian because I was raised right, tried hard, or cleaned myself up.”

The Truth: You are a Christian because God made you alive.

If salvation depends on you — it will eventually fail. If it depends on God — it will never collapse.

4. CROSS REFERENCES

John 3:3–7

Ephesians 2:1–9

Romans 8:15–17

Galatians 4:4–7

1 John 3:1

5. CONNECT

5.1 | Application to Daily Life

Stop relating to God like an employee — you’re a son.

Obedience flows from identity, not anxiety.

Assurance grows when you remember who did the saving.

5.2 | Discussion Questions

What false foundations have you trusted instead of new birth?

How does sonship change the way you approach obedience?

Where do you still act like salvation depends on performance?

How should this doctrine reshape how we disciple others?

6. HEAR

Read aloud together:

“But as many as received Him… who were born… of God.”

Final Gut-Check

Are you trusting heritage or new birth?

Are you working for approval or walking as a son?

Have you received Christ — or just respected Him?

Remember: You are not saved because you chose God. You chose God because He gave you life.

That’s solid ground. That’s rest for tired men. That’s the gospel.