Receiving Jesus. - What does it mean?

[St. SteVen]

Maybe you went forward. And you prayed the prayer. You received Jesus. Now what?

Or perhaps you took a different route to connect with Jesus? Now what?

Let's focus on the idea of receiving Jesus. What does it mean?

Below is a key verse to work from.

John 1:11-12 NIV
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God—

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- So you received Jesus: what does it mean?
- What needs to change?
- What will spiritual growth look like?

]

 

[ElieG12]

In that text he refers to the Jews who did not accept him as the Messiah sent by God.

Jesus was sent specifically to the Jews because the promises of the kingdom were made to them first. Relatively very few accepted him.

 

[St. SteVen]

In that text he refers to the Jews who did not accept him as the Messiah sent by God.

Jesus was sent specifically to the Jews because the promises of the kingdom were made to them first. Relatively very few accepted him.

Agree. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." - vs 11
But what about these? "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God—" - vs 12

And these.

John 10:16 NIV
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.
They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

] cc: @Cyd

 

[St. SteVen]

Receiving Jesus. - What does it mean?​

This concept of "receiving Jesus" is the product of evangelicalism.
The aim of tent meeting revivals. A response to an invitation to a relationship with... Jesus? (or church) ???
An offer to be "born again". To "go forward" at a meeting and pray the "sinner's prayer".

And while some good can come of this, the view is not universal within the church.
Especially between Protestantism and Catholicism.

And I did this as a product of my evangelical upbringing.
Called out of a "life of sin" at the ripe old age of 8 years old.

But what if I had been raised Catholic, or Episcopalian? (Lutheran, Methodist, or whatever) ???
This would have laid out a different path to a relationship with Jesus.

Jesus is the way, but how many ways are there to Jesus?

We've all heard the biblical claim that Jesus is the way. (the truth and the life...) But how many ways are there to Jesus? - Does your church provide the only way to Jesus? - Do other churches provide a way to Jesus? - Do other religions provide a way to Jesus? - Can Jesus find someone...

www.christianityboard.com

[

 

[Rockerduck]

Receiving Jesus. - What does it mean?​

This concept of "receiving Jesus" is the product of evangelicalism.
The aim of tent meeting revivals. A response to an invitation to a relationship with... Jesus? (or church) ???
An offer to be "born again". To "go forward" at a meeting and pray the "sinner's prayer".

And while some good can come of this, the view is not universal within the church.
Especially between Protestantism and Catholicism.

And I did this as a product of my evangelical upbringing.
Called out of a "life of sin" at the ripe old age of 8 years old.

But what if I had been raised Catholic, or Episcopalian? (Lutheran, Methodist, or whatever) ???
This would have laid out a different path to a relationship with Jesus.

Jesus is the way, but how many ways are there to Jesus?

We've all heard the biblical claim that Jesus is the way. (the truth and the life...) But how many ways are there to Jesus? - Does your church provide the only way to Jesus? - Do other churches provide a way to Jesus? - Do other religions provide a way to Jesus? - Can Jesus find someone...

www.christianityboard.com

[

Hello there,
I understand where you are coming from. I've had friends who were saved young like you, but my daughter has you beat. She was 5 years old and now 38. People who were saved, and received the Holy Spirit later in life, know the sinful lifestyle that they were saved from and have a greater Joy from remembering and retaining the experience of salvation. It's a 2nd birthday. Mine is in Oct.

 

[St. SteVen]

Hello there,
I understand where you are coming from. I've had friends who were saved young like you, but my daughter has you beat. She was 5 years old and now 38. People who were saved, and received the Holy Spirit later in life, know the sinful lifestyle that they were saved from and have a greater Joy from remembering and retaining the experience of salvation. It's a 2nd birthday. Mine is in Oct.

Girls grow up quicker than boys. I needed an extra 3 years to become a "dirty rotten sinner". - LOL

What were the circumstances of her conversion?

[

 

[Behold]

Let's focus on the idea of receiving Jesus. What does it mean?

It means the sinner has recognized their individual desperate need of God's Forgiveness, and so, they find it as The Cross of Christ.

The reason this is RECEIVED, is because a sinner cannot do this for themselves, so they reach out to God, through Faith in Christ and God GIVES Them, "the Gift of Salvation", as "The Gift of Righteousness" that is "The Gift of Eternal Life".

 

[face2face]

Maybe you went forward. And you prayed the prayer. You received Jesus. Now what?

Or perhaps you took a different route to connect with Jesus? Now what?

Let's focus on the idea of receiving Jesus. What does it mean?

Below is a key verse to work from.

John 1:11-12 NIV
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God—

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- So you received Jesus: what does it mean?
- What needs to change?
- What will spiritual growth look like?

]

The first point that comes to mind when speaking of “His own” – Plural: “His own People” - they were his Father’s people!

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. He has chosen you to be his people, prized above all others on the face of the earth. Dt 7:6.

What type of hospitality should a people like this show?

It was far from the welcome the three angles received of Abraham which means the faith of Abraham was scarce in the land.

F2F

 

[face2face]

Also, keep in mind others accepted him...

Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 12:21 So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Jn 12:20–23.

But so few of his own Jewish People accepted him!

F2F

 

[Lambano]

The word used in the Greek of John 1:12 is one that I am of course quite familiar with:

λαμβάνω ("lambano"), Strongs G2983

Of the definitions offered, I think 3.1.1 is what John had in mind:

To claim, procure, for one's self; to associate with one's self as companion

With maybe a dash of 4.4 for seasoning:

To take; to receive a person, give him access to one's self

So, to receive Jesus means to associate yourself with His person, His teaching, His people, His life, His death, and in the future His resurrection; and to give Him access to your life and to your innermost self.

(Though I cannot say definitively how that last one works.)

 

[St. SteVen]

The word used in the Greek of John 1:12 is one that I am of course quite familiar with:

λαμβάνω ("lambano"), Strongs G2983

Of the definitions offered, I think 3.1.1 is what John had in mind:

To claim, procure, for one's self; to associate with one's self as companion

With maybe a dash of 4.4 for seasoning:

To take; to receive a person, give him access to one's self

So, to receive Jesus means to associate yourself with His person, His teaching, His people, His life, His death, and in the future His resurrection; and to give Him access to your life and to your innermost self.

(Though I cannot say definitively how that last one works.)

That's helpful, thanks. Brings many things to mind.

To me it means giving Jesus best friend status.
This is where the "fear of God" idea gets in the way.
A best friend is someone you can trust on every level.

The worst hurts in human relationships come from
betrayal of the bond of best friends. IMHO

Best friends hang out just to be together.
No need for an invitation or meeting agenda.

What do you suppose Adam and God talked about in their cool of the evening walks?
Or Enoch, who wandered away with God until he was closer to heaven and too far away from earth to return.

Some can't wrap their head around a relationship like that with Jesus.
They want to hold him away at arms length for fear, or a personal sense of unworthiness.

What does Jesus say?
Come to me and I will give you rest. I'm a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
No greater love than this, that one would lay down his life for a friend.

I long to walk with you every day, but you need to invite me along.
Mindful of my presence and deep concern for every aspect of your life.

You can be open with me about anything. I will listen to you.
I come with comfort, not condemnation.

[

 

[amadeus]

Maybe you went forward. And you prayed the prayer. You received Jesus. Now what?

Or perhaps you took a different route to connect with Jesus? Now what?

Let's focus on the idea of receiving Jesus. What does it mean?

Below is a key verse to work from.

John 1:11-12 NIV
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God—

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- So you received Jesus: what does it mean?
- What needs to change?
- What will spiritual growth look like?

]

Wanted to change and saw a need to change. Repentance, true repentance is a change in direction... the new direction is toward Jesus, to become like Him. " Help thou mine unbelief"! Seek His face! What is His face? What does it look like? Alone, indeed, without Him we can do nothing, but through Him, with Him, all things are possible. "Without a vision, my people perish"!

Mt 13:15	For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mt 13:16	But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.