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Receiving Jesus

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 21, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 52.

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Receiving Jesus

By F. A. ZAPPE

F. A. ZAPPE
“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.” This scripture brings to our view the conditions with which men must comply in order to obtain power to become the sons of God. It clearly states that it is the simple receiving of Jesus into the heart, through faith, that turns on the power which enables weak, sin-sick humanity to be brought into perfect relationship with the family of God.
By nature man is the servant of sin, and has no relationship, directly or indirectly, with the sinless family. He is the child of darkness, and manifests the character of the household of Satan in his daily life.
The Holy Spirit describes his condition in these words: “Without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world;” “dead in trespasses and sins.” “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”
While we were in this hopeless state, God commended his love toward us, in that Christ died for us. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” Behold what manner of love has been bestowed upon us that we might have the privilege of obtaining a power which can enable us to manifest the character of the family into which the love of God has adopted us. The simple receiving of Jesus into the soul is the power whereby the members of the family of Satan are transformed into children of God.
Through faith and the surrender of all, we receive Jesus. Nothing less than this complies with the conditions of obtaining that power which works from within and changes the old family manners, and enables the weakest soul to become a son of God. Profession of Christlikeness is worthless unless the power to transform the life is manifested in words and actions moment by moment and hour by hour.
None need feel that when they have been adopted into the new family they will naturally have to follow a few of the old family ways as long as they are clothed in sinful flesh. The power of God is not limited thus. The Father of the new household gives the command, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” There is power enough in this command to enable man clothed in sinful flesh to obey.
Not only in a few cases, but in all cases, the receiving of Jesus into the heart carries with it power to free men from the bondage of sin and death. Those who have received the Spirit of adoption are not debtors to the flesh, to live after the flesh. They through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body. To them it is said, “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
The true object of life is the receiving of Jesus into the soul. How important it is for all who profess to be looking for the soon return of Jesus to this world, to comply with the condition of receiving that power which will enable them to live sinless lives in sinful flesh. What the world needs today is men and women who will manifest in their lives what the fully receiving of Jesus into the soul will accomplish for sinful humanity.
The waiting Guest expresses himself thus: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Philbrook, Minn.