We face a theologically important reality in John 1:12. This verse is often read hastily, as if the status of being a child of God happens automatically without dynamics. But if we pay attention to the word “that” (or “so that”), we discover a great secret: becoming children of God is not an automatic event completed when we raise a hand or pray a prayer of profession. The word indicates a purpose, a potential, and a process that must be lived out. Believing in His name is the gateway, but walking in the “power” He gives to become children of God is a lifelong journey.
Jesus saves us not merely to free us from the legal penalty of hell, but to redeem us so that we are fully His again. We have been bought at a full price, but that redemption has a functional purpose: God wants to “work” us. The term “work” is strong because it implies that parts of our lives remain wild, worldly, and not yet aligned with His will. God works in us so that we live under His leading, so that the quality of being “children of God” becomes real in our character, not merely a religious label.
This is where justification becomes crucial. Justification means a sinner is “counted righteous” by God. However, this status is not the final goal. Being counted righteous is the granting of access or permission so that we may enter the process of being worked on to become truly righteous in action. This justification allows us, once alienated by sin, to call God “Father” with our heads held high. But after that, access is opened through Christ’s sacrifice, and God gives an extraordinary Helper: the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit is not merely to provide comfort or supernatural gifts, but to lead us into the full truth of the Gospel we have heard. Its purpose is specific: that we experience the renewal of our minds.
The main problem for humans is often the “color” of the soul, stained by worldly thinking patterns. Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, our thinking is colored by the Gospel so that synchronization occurs between the soul and the Holy Spirit. When our soul is renewed, its color becomes the same as His. This condition allows the spirit to regain control over the soul, and the soul then governs the whole physical life. This is the picture of a person living according to the spirit, not according to the flesh. When this happens, a genuine “new birth” occurs. New birth is not merely a change of religious identity, but a reflection of the original creation that was broken and is now restored.
The Bible uses rich original-language terms to explain this. In 1 Peter 1:23, the word anagennao is used, meaning “born again” or “born from above.” This is not a birth from blood or the desire of the flesh, but a spiritual birth from God Himself. Furthermore, in Matthew 19:28, the term palingenesia is used, meaning “re-created” or total regeneration. This is the climax: when a person is not merely gradually improved but experiences an inner re-creation. By this power from above, we are enabled to return to God’s original design, to become beings that reflect His glory.
To be children of God means we are on a journey to match the “color” of Christ in all things. So let us not stop at the mere status of “believing,” but fully surrender to be worked by the Lord. Let the Holy Spirit continually renew our minds day by day, so that every decision, feeling, and will is no longer driven by the world but by the life raised by Christ. Thus, our status as children of God will no longer be merely a hoped-for “that,” but a living reality that bears fruit for the glory of the Father in heaven.