Beginning Right

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” — John 1:12 (KJV)

Torrey starts with the most important thing of all:

“There is nothing more important in the Christian life than beginning right. If we begin right we can go on right.”

So what is the right beginning? Torrey points to John 1:12: as many as received Jesus, to them he gave power to become children of God. The right way to start, he says, is simply “by receiving Jesus Christ.”

What does it mean to receive Jesus? Torrey says it means “to take Christ to be to yourself all that God offers Him to be to everybody.” God offers Jesus as the one who died for your sins, so you trust him for forgiveness. God offers him as your risen Lord, so you hand your life over to him.

Torrey makes two strong points. First, nobody is too bad. Even if the reader were “the wickedest man on earth”, the moment he received Jesus, he would become a child of God. Second, nobody is too good to need it. However well brought up you are, however sheltered from bad things, you are not a child of God until you receive Jesus.

That second point matters for teenagers who have grown up in church. Knowing about Jesus, going to church and being a nice person are good. But they are not the same as personally receiving him.

And here is the encouraging part. If you have begun wrong, or not really begun at all, Torrey says it is “a very simple matter to begin over again and begin right.” You can do it today. Tell Jesus you trust him for forgiveness, and that you want him to be your Lord.

Everything else in this book builds on that beginning.

One thing to do this week: read John 1:12 and John 3:16 slowly this week. If you have never personally received Jesus, tell him today that you trust him and want him as your Lord. If you have, thank him for making you God’s child.