The Family Name

John 1:12 – “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Some years ago, I watched a soldier crouch down to greet his little one at the airport. The child came running through the crowd—arms outstretched, backpack bouncing, tears in eyes—and the father knelt low enough to catch her.

That’s what John is talking about here. “To all who did receive him…”—not the perfect, not the polished, not the people who always get it right—but those humble enough to run into the arms of Jesus. The Gospel is not an exam to pass, it’s a gift to receive.

We live in a world obsessed with proving worth. We flash our résumés, highlight our achievements, polish our reputations. But the family of God isn’t earned; it’s bestowed. The title “Child of God” isn’t something you work your way into—it’s something Christ works into you.

You can’t do anything to make God love you more, and you can’t do anything to make Him love you less. You don’t have to climb a ladder to reach Him. He’s already stooped down to meet you where you are.

When John says we have been given “the right to become children of God,” it’s as if heaven has issued an adoption decree. The papers are signed in the blood of Christ, the seal is the Holy Spirit, and the new family name is yours to bear.

So today—pause. Let that sink in. You are not an orphan wandering the wilderness of life. You are a child of the King. Your name is known. Your place is secure.

Have a Great Week!

-Pastor Corey

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A Prayer:

Father, thank You for welcoming us into Your family through Jesus. Teach us to live as Your beloved children—trusting, resting, and rejoicing in Your grace. Help us remember that we don’t earn Your love; we receive it. In the name of Your Son, our Brother and Savior, we pray. Amen.