The spring of life

Why does someone get baptised? What does church membership declare? How does someone become a Christian, and what does that mean? John gives the answer when he tells us that "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn 1:12–13). The end of this chain of three links is our identity as children of God, a privilege granted to those who receive Christ. So this receiving and believing come before this identification. Then, behind the faith that looks to and embraces Christ, lies the sovereign work of God in making the heart new. This is the spring of life, and this is the grace of God.