“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12 ESV)

Many of His own people did not receive Jesus, “but” those who did were born again as children of God. We recognize many races and cultural differences among humanity, but to God, we are either His children through Christ, or children of Adam. All of Adam’s kids are born spiritually dead due to the sin nature that they inherit. But to those who “receive” Christ, there is a new nature imparted, reconciling them to God and bestowing on them eternal life. The question that matters is not, “what have you done with your life?” but “whose child are you?” Have you been born again through receiving Christ?