To Them Gave He Power

Pastor Bill Farrow

Home | Church Info | Members | Doctrine | Studies | Missionaries | Youth | Articles

This passage is a hammer against the two extremes of positions regarding the will. On the one side, there are those who proclaim that man has an absolute freedom. On the other side are those who proclaim that man's will has little to do it and that it is a responder only to what God does.

On the one hand we see it speaks  to the HyperCalvinist position in that it affirms that God does grant us the authority to become His Children. We affirm enthusiastically that this power or authority has it's origin with God and that it lies entirely with Him to enact it and bring it to pass. We have no ability to initiate this grace. It is entirely at the hand of God. This is undeniable. It is God who gives this power and authority - it does not originate with man.

''To them gave He power to become..." We cannot deny that this power is given by God, and that it is an authority that we do not have naturally ourselves. Authonty speaks of One Who has the position and right to grant such a privilege. This is not mere approval or a simple "OK". This speaks of a vesture of legal right. Only One who has such authority has the capacity to grant it to another.

On the other hand, we must acknowledge there is a power or authority being imparted here. The transaction of becoming a child of God does not occur until after this power or authority is given. Once that power is given, it lies in the hand of the elect. That it is given, we can scarcely deny. ''To them gave He power ..." The ''He" in view is, of course, the Father. As we noted before, this is an exercise of Divine power and authority. It is assuredly difficult to reconcile but we must not allow that difficulty to cause us to reject the clear teaching of the passage.

The truth of the matter is that there is an exciting balance struck here in this verse. The sovereign hand of God is upheld, but the responsibility and the ability of the elect to receive and execute the given authority is upheld as well.