John began his gospel account by introducing Jesus as “the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9). Sadly, not everyone recognized Him for who He was.
John wrote, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). They did not see Jesus as “the true Light.” Instead, they saw Him as a mere man. However, there was a special benefit for those who recognized Him as “the true Light.” John explained, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
It is important to notice that receiving Jesus did not automatically make one a child of God. Salvation does not come at the point of belief in which one accepts the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. Rather, recognizing the truth about Jesus gives one the “right” or power to become a child of God, which occurs when one is “born again…of water and the Spirit” (John 3:3, 5).
So remember that those who believe have the right to become children of God. We have no hope if we do not accept Jesus for who He is. However, if we do recognize Jesus for who He is, we need to take advantage of the right that God has granted us to become one of His children by being born again.