But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become 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. – John 1:12-13
What does it really mean for someone to receive a gift? It means that the gift has had its intended effect in the life of the one to whom it was given. The gift wasn’t ignored, but rather was… worn, admired, enjoyed, watched, sprayed on, driven, laughed at, listened to, eaten, put to work or played with. In a very real sense, an unused gift is an unreceived gift. That’s why some people become believers and some do not … they are either changed by what is offered to them in Jesus, or they live as if He isn’t even there. How can you and I know if we have received the gift of God’s Son? We do not ignore Jesus. Instead, we regularly-though-imperfectly look to Him do the good work of sanctifying and satisfying us as children of God.
