John 1:12-13 But As Many As Received Him

In John 1:12-13 John begins to tell us how even though the world did not know Christ (cf: John 1:10-11) when He came into this world that He created and that His own special people the Jews did not know Him nor receive Him when He came into the world; that as many as received Him will be saved. In other words, it is the ones who by faith alone ask God to forgive them on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross will be saved. He tells us how these who ask for forgiveness for their sins will become the children of God and the fact that man cannot be saved by any human effort of good works or mental effort of the will, but only by the grace of God (cf: Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.) I hope you will listen to this message and explore this passage as it answers many questions about working and willing ourselves into Heaven, it just cannot be done.