Read John 1:10-14
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (v. 12).
I witnessed Chester die three times in the emergency room at Oak Hill Hospital. Each time he returned to life he cried, “I have gone to hell and come back! Don’t let me die again!” This time was different — he asked for his wife. She stood at the foot of his bed as he confessed his sins to her and added the words, “I ask you and I ask God to forgive me!” Seconds later, he died again and the team resumed the code blue. After cardio version, he announced, “I have gone to heaven and come back, if I die again, let me go!”
The power given to us by Christ himself is to ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart. Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He will, with a speed faster than the speed of light, forgive and make us children of God! The power God gives us is summarized in 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Now we can say, “I’ve been adopted; my name is written down, and I’m a child of the King!” (Lyndell Scoles)
Receive Him today. It is His free gift to us. Delivery guaranteed!
This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, June 30, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. <a href="http://www.heraldandbanner.com/product/opening-word/">Order your copy!</a>
Photo credit: "<a href="https://flic.kr/p/6MNkrT">The glory of the sky</a>" by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/">Kevin Dooley</a> used under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a> / Cropped.