John 1:12-13 English Standard Version (ESV) 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Today’s bible verse became very meaningful to me today. I’ve read the words before but I had a nightmare last night and woke up feeling manipulated and guilty. Those are two very strong emotions from my past. That past is gone and over thanks to God.
Not of blood speaks to me that my parents are not to blame nor do they get the credit. They did not lead me into Kingdom living but their failures left me with a longing for something more.
The will of the flesh speaks to me about chasing after happiness and never finding it. Nothing I did to try and make myself happy filled that longing. Mistakes were made and only made me feel the worse for it.
Then I was born again and the past had nothing to do with my change, my rebirth, it was totally God’s will to do so. Being a child of the living God is nothing like having earthly parents. There is no way to compare this experience with the past except to say I am where I was meant to be from the moment I was born.
We all have a past that led us to Jesus Christ and every tale is different, even if similar. That is not unlike being born again. We are all children of God, the same yet different. How we are the same is in how God loves us with His perfect love. How we respond to that perfect love differs in each of us because pf who we were in the past and how that knowledge affects our love response.
Luke 7:47 English Standard Version (ESV) Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”