a child of god
this is the way, run in it
In the beginning . . . that's how the bible opens, in Genesis Chapter 1, verse 1, and that is how the gospel of John opens, Chapter 1, verse 1. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This Word is Jesus we go on to read and discover. In the beginning was Jesus, and He was with God and He was God.
In Genesis Chapter 1, here is what the Word does. Starting at verse 1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and the darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the surface of the waters. Then God spoke and said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." God speaks, the Spirit acts, and the Word spoken brings light where there had been no light. And the rest of creation follows. Back in John Chapter 1, here is what the Word does. Starting at verse 1 again, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him (Jesus, the Word) was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." In Genesis, God creates light as His first act of creation. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, are seen in action doing this. Jesus, when He comes in the form of a human baby (God the Son becoming human so He could walk this earth in a body, to be seen touched heard and so He could fulfill God's big plan to offer a path of redemption to us from darkness and sin), He is called among other things, the true light, the Light of the World. John goes on to talk about the Word of God becoming human and displaying that true light of God on earth and the effect that has for us. Chapter 1, verse 9 onwards in John, "There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. (Jesus came so we could be lit up with the truth of who He is and God's plan for us.) He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (Even though we came into being by Jesus, when we are trapped in darkness and sin, we don't recognize Him.) But (and this is the great part!) as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name". God is the One who helps us see that Jesus is the Son of God, the light of the World, the Word made flesh for our sake, our Savior and Redeemer. God is the One who helps this light break into our lives and set us free from darkness and sin. This is called our spiritual birth. Verse 13 talks about these children of God, "who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." When we do that, when we believe that God is, that Jesus is God, that we were created by Him to know Him and love Him, and that Jesus the Son of God became human to die for us and pay for our sins and rescue us, we are born spiritually into God's family. We get to live in the light of His presence forever, to bask in the light of His love for us. I love seeing this happen in people's lives. When God's light breaks into their hearts and they believe in Him, the resulting freedom and growth spiritually is amazing! I love seeing God do this. I am a child of God. I love seeing other people become children of God. My life has been transformed and is still being transformed to allow Jesus to shine better through it, more clearly, less clouded by me, displayed for the world to see. That's what children of God look like. Vessels of light, clay jars with cracks in them, for Jesus to shine through. May I more clearly reflect Him today in all I say in do, by the power of His light and life in me, in Jesus' name, Amen.
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Franci Ballwatching and working for the kingdom of God in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham - UK Archives
January 2019
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