John 4 – Children of God Who Received the True Light

John 1:9–13

 

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." Amen.

 

The World That Knew Not the True Light and the Illusion of the Jews

In our last session, we explored the theme, "The light came, but the world did not recognize it." Not even the Jews, who believed they had received the Law and were God's chosen people, were an exception. They, too, did not know Him. In that sense, while John the Baptist's testimony was indeed a witness, we observed that it ultimately served as a testimony to the fact that "you do not know Him." As we repeatedly confirm this fact of our own ignorance, you might find yourself thinking: "How could they not see the light when it came? What use is such an eye? One might as well leave it at home. Those are the eyes of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah; they must repent." And then, all too often, one quickly skips over to verse 12 for themselves. Today's text, John 1:12, says, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

 

Our Misconception of the Ability to Receive and the Testimony of Scripture

People look at this verse and think, "See, there are people who receive Him. There are those who do not, but there are also those who do." Thus, they think: "There are enemies like Kim Jong-il who do not receive Him, but there are also those who do. Let us be among those who receive Him." However, dear brothers and sisters, beneath such thoughts lies a deeply hidden, fundamental premise: the idea that we are beings capable of receiving Him. We believe we hold the initiative—that we have the power to decide whether to receive Him or not. Such a thought might be acceptable among ourselves, but it does not align at all with the overarching message of the Gospel of John.

 

Let us examine this more closely. Let us look at John 8:31. In the New Testament, it is on page 159 or 160. "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" What a magnificent word this is! It is a passage you all love dearly—the promise that the truth will set you free. Ordinarily, we might respond, "Yes, give me the truth. I will learn it and become free." But human nature is not like that. Observe.

 

Human Nature That Refuses to Admit Its Blindness

Look at verse 33: "They answered him, 'We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?'" In other words, when Jesus says, "I will open your eyes," those who are blind retort, "When have we ever been unable to see? We can see perfectly well. Just speak, and I will see."

 

This attitude is not isolated. Turn a page to John 9:39. "Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.' Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, 'What? Are we blind too?' Jesus said, 'If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.'"

 

They claim they can see. Even when Jesus says, "There is none among you who is not blind," the Pharisees insist they are different and fully capable of seeing. Throughout the entire Gospel of John, the author points directly to this issue. Today’s text also brings the conclusion of verse 12 into focus in verse 13.

 

The Miracle of Reception Enjoyed Only by Those Born of God

Look at verse 13. It firmly declares: "Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." This means the "ones who receive Him" mentioned in verse 12 are precisely those who are born of God. It does not mean I have the inherent ability to receive Him; rather, it expresses that only those born of God are the ones who receive Him. Therefore, the Gospel of John is not a book that teaches "if you do this and that, you can believe." Instead, it starts from the declaration: "If you are an ordinary person, it is only natural that you do not believe."

 

Yet, we constantly try to force this belief. We want to turn Christianity into a sophisticated organization. We think that if we build a well-structured organization, people will look at it and say, "That religion is quite wonderful," and come of their own accord. But John, who recorded the Scripture, takes the opposite view. He suggests that when one hears the Gospel, it is perfectly natural for it to be unbelievable. Rather, it is an extraordinary and strange thing for someone to hear the Gospel and respond, "Yes, I will believe." John is saying that receiving Him is fundamentally impossible by human effort because one must be born of God to do so. Perhaps the sun could rise in the west. Perhaps a train could run across a sandy beach. Perhaps someone could win the lottery every single week for a year. But this—receiving God by our own strength—is impossible. Even if all those other miracles were to happen, this remains impossible.

 

Irresistible Grace Upon the Blessed

However, you might think: "Wait, there are people who say they have received Him. There are clearly those who confess Jesus Christ as their Lord. What does that mean?" It means this: If someone—if you—have come to confess, "Yes, I have received the Lord. I believe in the cross of Jesus Christ. He died for me," then that person has passed through a staggering miracle that they themselves cannot explain.

 

The Bible calls such a person "blessed." What is the characteristic of the blessed man in Psalm 1? He is a tree "transplanted" by streams of water. A transplanted tree—how could a tree move itself? It is a tree moved by God. That is the blessed person. The fact that you receive Jesus and call upon the name of the Lord is evidence that you have passed through an unspeakable miracle. You might be able to heal an incurable disease through prayer. You might be able to cross the Pacific to reach Seoul. You might even command a mountain to move from here to there. Perhaps such things could happen. But receiving God is impossible; it cannot be done by our own power.

 

Salvation Accomplished by God’s Will and Zeal

Salvation is born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, nor of a husband's will. If this is true, then your believing in Jesus cannot be a condition you use to bargain with God. You cannot say, "Now that I believe in Jesus, from now on..." You cannot attach such conditions. To say, "Lord, now that I believe in Jesus, give me smooth sailing in all things," or "Lord, I have received Jesus, so now You must naturally give me signs and blessings," is the same as saying, "I do not understand at all what it means to believe in Jesus." It means you do not understand the weight of that reality.

 

Don't you love this verse? "All things work together for good." Who could hate such a word? We think, "Yes, it will all turn out well. God will somehow make something good out of this." But if you love that word only for that vague hope, you and I are barking up the wrong tree. It is like scratching someone else's leg and saying it feels itchy. Do you know why the Apostle Paul cried out those words so desperately? It is because the fact that you have become who you are today did not come from natural descent, human desire, or human will, but from the will of God.

 

The Laws of the Kingdom Beyond Lineage and Human Conditions

Let us look at Romans 8:28. It is on page 250 of the New Testament. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Here, the phrase "according to his purpose [will]" clearly appears. We are those born not of natural descent or human will, but of God's will. Therefore, we must understand who it is that is born of God's will and what that truly means.

 

Let us look closer at verse 13. It begins, "Born not of natural descent..." To put it simply, no matter how good your family background is, set aside your lineage for a moment. Put away the pride of saying, "My father is a pastor," "My father is an elder," or "Our family has been Christian for five generations." Set aside the claim, "I am a descendant of Abraham." If your family has believed in Jesus for twenty generations, that is something to be thankful for. But that does not make you a "fine" person before God. It does not mean your family is shielded by an iron armor of God's blessing.

 

The Essence of the Gospel vs. Worldly Teachings

In this sense, terms like "generational curses" or "generational blessings" are inherently unbiblical. No matter how great a curse might flow through your family line, could it possibly be greater than your sin? You are in the One who has resolved all of that; how can a generational curse remain? How can it shake you? You are people who have been brought to life from the judgment of hell because of Jesus Christ. Why, then, do you fear some fate flowing through your family? That is more akin to a shaman's ritual. "Our ancestors sinned, so we are suffering; let us pray for the sins of our ancestors"—how can that be Christianity? How can that be what the Bible says? Be careful.

 

Next comes the phrase "nor of human decision [the will of the flesh]." This refers to being born of the flesh—our natural instincts and tendencies. In our common language, it refers to our reason or emotions. It means we are not born of so-called religious experiences or religious sentiments. Nor can we know God through mere intellectual enlightenment. Following Jesus Christ as described in the Bible is not a matter of "realization." It is because you are in Jesus Christ that you come to understand the Word of God when you read it; you do not come to know Jesus because you first achieved realization. The Bible says it does not happen that way.

 

The Authority of Children Unattainable by Human Will and Conviction

Thirdly, John states that it is not of a "husband’s will [the will of man]." In short, it is not something achieved by our own will or determination. It is true that in this world, our will and determination often prevail. We know of "self-made" individuals who, despite dire circumstances, possessed a fierce will to achieve their goals—working by day and studying by night to finish school and eventually earn doctorates. This is possible. Some establish great companies or reach the heights of politics through sheer resolve, serving as an inspiration to us all. We learn from their biographies that they lived with a clear purpose from a young age. Human will is a powerful thing. It can revive a dying company or even found a new religion.

 

God’s Act of Salvation Transcending Historical Conviction

But dear brothers and sisters, John tells us here: one does not become a child of God through strong conviction, will, or determination. I hope you do not view these three things—lineage, fleshly instinct, and human will—negatively. They are, in fact, very positive things in human society. How great is a family lineage? How proud one feels of their family! If I had a prestigious genealogy, I might have used it to boast a little, but as my family were refugees, I don't even know my roots. If one’s family were illustrious, why wouldn't they speak of it? And why not boast of one’s "flesh"—their innate intelligence or physical strength? If you have a high IQ and never forget what you've seen once, isn't that something to be proud of? A person who achieves whatever they resolve to do because of their strong will is a remarkable person. Human history has largely been shaped by such things. There were good influences and bad; when Hitler began to dominate Germany through his will and resolve, the world eventually went to war. One cannot deny his influence. How often has an individual’s will affected history? But even a will and conviction strong enough to move a corner of human history, even the most brilliant lineage or flesh, cannot do this: they cannot make one a child of God.

 

God’s Decision and the Will of the Predestined Cross

However, if that impossible thing has happened to you—if you have come to confess a heart for God and Jesus Christ that you cannot deny—then because it was something that could not be done by any other means, there is only one conclusion. "This was not born of human will, but of the will of God." Because that impossible thing has occurred, we can speak with boldness.

 

Then, does "according to God's will" simply mean God did as He pleased? Does it mean it just happened because God wanted it so? No. Scripture wants to convey a much deeper meaning. The meaning of "we became according to God's will" is found throughout the Gospels. Let us look at Mark 14:36. "'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" What was the Father’s will then? It was for Jesus to bear the cross. When "God's will" appears in the Bible, it does not refer to God acting on a whim or doing whatever He feels like in the moment.

 

God’s Zeal Beginning Before the Creation of the World

When God says, "I will do according to My will," it does not mean He deals with you without any plan, just acting as things come to mind. It does not mean that one day God feels good and says, "You are saved," and "You are not."

 

Doing according to God's will means, as Ephesians 3:11 says, acting "according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ultimately, this can be expressed as: "according to God's decision," "according to God's plan," and "according to God's zeal."

 

This refers to the plan God established from the moment humanity abandoned Him to live as they pleased—a plan He never forgot. Instead, He promised through the seed of the woman, "I will rescue you, I will show you My love." It is the work of salvation to be accomplished through Jesus Christ. It is the will of God that He begins and He finishes. That Christ dies and Christ rises—that is the will of God. It is by this, the Bible says, that you receive and believe in Jesus Christ.

 

The Unbreakable Love of God and the Panorama of Salvation

If this is the zeal of God's love, sent through Jesus Christ from before eternity—or rather, sent into this history at the very moment we had forgotten God and were yet sinners—to save His children, then we can say this:

 

"Yes, Lord. It is only natural that for those called according to Your purpose, all things work together for good." If God is working with such zeal to save us, how could that work possibly fail? If that is true, Lord, then what can now separate us from that love? Who can snatch away that zeal of God?

 

And then, your eyes begin to open wide. You begin to see the magnificent panorama of God's salvation—the love and zeal of God who has called you, calling each of your names through this history from Adam until now.

 

The Grace of Sonship, the Joy of the Apostles

You know Paul, don't you? You know Peter as well. Paul and Peter were people who saw countless miracles. They were different from us. How amazed must a brilliant man like Paul have been to see people healed just by placing his handkerchief on them? How could such a thing be possible? Yet, I have never seen in any of the epistles of Paul or Peter where they claimed to have staked their lives on the miracles they saw.

 

They took the fact that God had seated them in the position of His children as their greatest satisfaction and their greatest joy. Do you think Paul ran the race to the end, being faithful to God until his whole body was poured out like a drink offering, simply because he was a different kind of person from us—someone naturally strong and willful from the start?

 

Christ’s Miracle Supporting the Weak

Look at 1 and 2 Timothy. Look at 1 and 2 Corinthians. Paul writes letters to the Corinthian believers. He delivers God's message. Then look at what he says in 2 Corinthians: "I am deeply distressed in my heart. I was so worried that you might have been hurt by the letter I wrote before, that your hearts might have been pained by it. But now I thank God. Rather, through that, you have been made right." You can see how "small-minded" and sensitive Paul was. He didn't just say, "I delivered God's word and that's that," but said he was distressed because of it. He was that sensitive. Paul was not an inherently "dynamic" person who drove things forward by his own power. When told to be imprisoned, he was simply imprisoned. But what held Paul to the end and kept him from wavering? Was it the miracles he saw? Was it because he received some special grace that kept his mind constantly sharp? No. It was because of this: "To be in Christ, even death is gain." The fact that I am one who is in Christ, that I have experienced this incredible miracle of being a child of God—a miracle incomparable to anything else—that itself was his greatest satisfaction.

 

Our Tragedy of Forgetting the Fundamental Miracle

Our tragedy lies right here. We know so little about this, and we have so little interest in it. After believing in Jesus, we are only interested in the blessings we will receive; we have so little interest in what a gargantuan miracle it is simply to have believed in Jesus. If our illness isn't healed after believing in Jesus, we demand of God, "Why won't You heal me?" If our business fails, we glare at God and ask, "Why do You give me such pain?" Because you do not know what kind of miracle has happened to you, you keep forgetting who God is.

 

When I was young, everyone received New Year's money after bowing to their elders. Occasionally, I would meet a "wonderful" elder who would give me a paper bill instead of coins. When given a 5,000-won bill, a child cannot really calculate how much money that is. (Since you have lived in America a long time, you'll remember that it was a lot of money back then.) I was just happy to receive paper money. I would count "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" and see the three zeros and think, "Wow, great!" and head home. Then, my mother, who had gone with me, would invariably try to "trade" for that money on the way.

 

The Folly of Trading for Worldly Blessings Due to Ignorance of Value

She would pull out two 100-won coins and say, "Look, aren't they shiny? You can buy everything you want to eat with these." Since bubble gum was 5 won back then, you really could buy a lot. But the clincher was when she told me to compare the number of zeros. "How many? Four. You only have three. See, this is more." At that point, a child just gives in. Two coins with four zeros—I'll take the trade. I would happily hand over the 5,000-won bill to my mother. It was essentially an "offering" to her. And yet, I was happy. Why? Because I didn't know the value of the 5,000-won bill. That is why I traded it.

 

Because we do not know how staggering the Jesus we believe in and the very fact that we believe are, we try to trade them away so easily. We try to trade them for the colorful blessings of the world, for shiny success, for living a bit more comfortably in this life. We trade the power of the Gospel given by Jesus Christ for a little bit of psychological comfort. It is no different from saying, "God, if You just do that for me, I'll do anything."

 

The Unshakable Will of God and the Power of the Gospel

The Bible clearly says that anything not accomplished by the will of God and in the name of Jesus will ultimately crumble. But this also means that if something is born of God's will and done in the name of Jesus, nothing can ever shake it. If Jesus Christ has come to you according to God's will and given you the heart to say, "I see, that is who Jesus was. I was a helpless human being. I cannot live without depending on the Lord," then nothing in this world can shake you.

 

We are people who are often only satisfied when we hold all the causes and effects in our own hands. It means we feel good when we can align the causes and effects in our lives. For example, if you suddenly put your hand in your pocket and find money, you are surprised and happy, asking, "When did this money get here?" If you don't know the cause and effect, you might think, "Is my wife testing me? Or is this money I was supposed to use elsewhere and forgot?" and you are too cautious to spend it. This example shows how much our obsession with knowing cause and effect governs our life’s joy and decisions.

 

Human Nature Seeking a Cause vs. The Collision with Grace

Thus, we feel at ease when we hold the cause and effect in our hands. But because of that, we are sometimes unable to be free from ourselves. For instance, because the word "grace" is similar to "free of charge," everyone likes the word "free." Who doesn't like a free gift? But when that "free gift" comes with the condition, "It did not come from you," people dislike it. It is because the cause is not within you. Then, anxiety begins to creep in. A person needs to have some kind of cause within themselves to feel at peace.

 

So, a desire arises to say at least something like, "Well, I was at least lucky." Even though our generation went to middle and high school through the "lottery" system, mothers would still talk differently when they gathered. "My child was lucky in the lottery, but they must have talent; they got into Kyungbock or Kyunggi." People want to find a cause like this. "My child is different. I am at least lucky"—that is the human heart.

 

God’s Absolute Sovereignty Beyond the Frame of My Understanding

Rather than saying, "God, I am truly grateful," we want to say, "I believed. I had faith." We don't want to say, "God, thank You so much for saving me." We want to own the cause—the fact that "I believed." Thus, rather than listening to what the Bible says as it is, we want to create a Bible that we can understand.

 

Both unbelievers and we ourselves admit that we are not perfect. But when it's put another way, people dislike it. We know we aren't perfect, but if told, "Because of that imperfection, you cannot know God, so you must come and depend on Him unconditionally," that is something people cannot accept. They find it hard to accept the call to depend on God precisely because they are imperfect. Their imperfection makes them unable to depend on Him.

 

Who among unbelievers is certain about what happens after death? They all say they don't really know. We all know there is fear within them. Yet when told, "Here is the Word of God. It says what the reason for death is and what will happen afterward. It will be fulfilled according to this Word, so listen," they say, "Next time." That is humanity.

 

Sincere Confrontation and Supplication Before God

Dear brothers and sisters, please look at yourselves sincerely. If you honestly know that you are imperfect, honestly admit that you cannot see. Know that it is something that cannot be done by your own strength, and tell that to God. Seek God’s help. Please do not forget that God is a Person who can meet you and talk with you about your problems and your life. Never forget that He is a God who stands sincerely before you, and when you ask questions sincerely, He becomes a sincere God to you. Please do not forget that He has never once rejected those who seek to depend on Him. If you are truly, sincerely thinking in your heart, "People say Jesus is so good, but I don't really know why," if you don't understand why people come to church and sing with joy, why they shed tears, why they follow this person called Jesus like madmen, or why a pastor stands up here every Sunday and shouts at the top of his lungs to believe in Jesus—if you truly don't know—then stand sincerely before God.

 

Faith Grasping the Miracle Beyond Human Limits

Seek His help. I know well how strong your will is, but it is not enough. I know how brilliant your minds are, but that is not enough either. If that were enough, then the countless philosophers and people throughout human history, whether believers or not, would have found an answer and humanity would not have to endure this situation. But you see it in history. Isn't it pride to think that your mind can do what has not been done in thousands of years? Then, don't think of it as something difficult; talk to God sincerely. "Lord, if You exist, please accept my question. I want to depend on You. I know through experience and through Your Word that I cannot do this by my own strength."

 

The Life of a Saint Enjoying the Miracle of Sonship

And to you, beloved saints who believe in Jesus, please realize how staggering a thing it is that you possess. Do not trade it for anything else. Remember what a magnificent miracle has happened to you. Please accept the fact that you cannot live without being thankful. Now that you believe, you must be convinced. You must realize this. The life of Paul was not vibrant and healthy because he took better vitamins than you; it was because of the same fact—that he could call upon God through Jesus Christ. Do not forget that the same faith that allowed him to say at the end of his life, "I have finished my course," is within you as well.

 

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for coming to us first with Your will and zeal to make us Your children, even when we could not recognize the True Light.

 

We confess that it was not by our will or effort, but solely by Your irresistible grace that we have come to enjoy this great miracle. Now, let us not trade the value of this salvation for the small blessings or successes of this world, and let us live making the unbreakable love of God, who holds us, our lifelong and greatest satisfaction.

 

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.