2.  God has adopted us as His children.  “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5).  God has “predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph 1:5).

3. Only a few accept the right to become children of God.

4. John 1:10-13

5. The World Israel Us

6.  Jesus “was in the world.”  “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).  “The world was made through Him.”  “By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth” (Col 1:16).  “He came to His own.”  “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24).

7. Only a few accept the right to become children of God.

8.  If you are not a child of God, you need to be born of God.  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:3).  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5).

9.  “But John doesn’t connect being born of God with baptism!”  With the this morning’s narrow text, that is true.  But Jesus does--He speaks about being born of “water and the Spirit.”  “According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).  There’s another text we’ll mention later.

10.  Being born of God means that I am part of a family.  God is my Father.  I can pray to Him.  “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name” (Matt 6:9).  He will bless me with what is best (according to His will).  Matt 7:7-11.  Jesus is my brother.  “Both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb 2:11).  We are brethren.  That speaks of our love for one another: 1 Pet 1:22-23.

11.  Being born of God means that I need to live differently.  Rom 6:1-4.  Let us live the life that comes from above!