◄ Accepted In Christ ►

Word of Truth

In Romans 5:8 we read that: God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While Ephesians 1:5-6 tells us that:  Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. And Romans 5:1 tells us:  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Human Acceptance

Does he really accept me? Does he truly love me? Does he fully trust me.. despite my foibles, my weaknesses, my lack, my silly traits, my eccentricities... in spite of my outbursts, my failing beauty, my advancing years. Am I still accepted by the one I love? Does He still love me? These are the assurances every wife and lover yearns to have from her beloved. These are the eternal questions buried deep in the heart of every-woman…. and every-man.

God’s Acceptance

But how often does the believer desire such reassurance of God’s acceptance? How often does a Christian crave to be thus comforted by his own Lord? How often does he ask - Does God fully accept me? Does He still love and trust me with all my faults – despite my foibles, my weaknesses, my lack, my silly traits, my eccentricities? Am I still accepted by God? Does God still love me?

Preordained Acceptance

But God preordained that all who believe in Jesus are fully accepted in His beloved Son. The peace and love and acceptance of God is only through His beloved Son. Without assurance of this precious fact, many live a life of daily dissatisfaction. Without confidence in His Word, many spend their years in constant mistrust. If the failing beauty of a wife doesn’t influence the ardour of a devoted husband, how much more God’s never-failing acceptance is of the believer in Christ. God’s acceptance of you and His acceptance of me is based on one thing – the finished work of the Lord Jesus, on Calvary’s cross: being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom.3:24

Unchangable Acceptance

God’s love never changes, His truth never alters, His acceptance never ceases. His love for you does not depend on your attributes and your achievements. His acceptance of me is not influenced by my foibles and lack – my silly traits. His truth is the same forever. His truth is the same for everyone of His own. He is not influenced by our efforts or our qualities. He doesn’t”t change towards us due to our inadequacies or outbursts. Many presume that their lack, inadequacies and the remembrances of old sins requires repeatedly renewal of acceptance with God.. lest He withdraws His acceptance of them and withholds His love from them. But God never alters. He is unchanged and the unchangeable God forever. His acceptance of you and of me rests on the finished work, accomplished by Christ.

Accepted in Christ

But “Oh Dear!” – you cry. “Today I walked after the flesh!” God never changes. You are accepted in the Beloved. “Ahhh Woe is me – I am a man of unclean lips, I live in the midst of evil people!” God never changes. You are accepted in the Beloved. “Pity me – I have failed, I have not loved; I have not trusted as I should.. I have allowed sin to influence me and the flesh to rule my thoughts today!” God never changes. You are accepted in the Beloved. “Help me- I have allowed pride to seep in and conceit is lurking deep within my heart” God never changes. You are accepted in the Beloved.

Sin, Fellowship, and Acceptance

Sin may certainly affect close fellowship with the Lord. Evil doing and ungodly attitudes – may stem your intimate communion with Him, but God never changes. You are accepted in the Beloved. If we live in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.. He will certainly judge us according to our works – which will burn as wood, hay, and stubble, but God never changes. You are forever accepted in the Beloved. If we fail to keep His command and seek to live by self instead of in Christ. God never changes. You are accepted in the Beloved. There is no other basis for our acceptance – except as we are accepted In Him.

God’s Goodness

J.N. Darby put it this way: When the Holy Spirit reasons with man, He does not reason from what man is for God, but from what God is to man. Souls reason from what they are in themselves as to whether God can accept them. He cannot accept you thus. You are looking for righteousness in yourself as a ground of acceptance with Him. You cannot get peace whilst reasoning in that way.

From God to Man

The Holy Spirit always reasons down from what God is, and this produces a total change in my soul. It is not that I abhor my sins; indeed I may have been walking very well… but it is ‘I abhor myself. Until the soul comes to that point He does not give it peace – He cannot for it would be healing the wound slightly. The soul has to go on until it finds there is nothing to rest on – but the abstract goodness of God; and then, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?'”

Bestowed Grace

William R Newell puts it this way: There being no cause in the creature why grace should be shown, the creature must be brought off from trying to give cause to God for His care. He has been accepted in Christ, who is his standing! He is not on probation. As to his life past, it does not exist before God – he died at the cross, and Christ is his Life. Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn.. for God knew all the human exigencies beforehand. God’s action was independent of them, not dependent upon them.”

Assured Acceptance

Newell continues by pointing out how to live: 1)  To believe, and to consent to be loved while unworthy – is the great secret. 2)  To refuse to make ‘resolutions’ and ‘vows’ – for that is to trust in the flesh.  3)  To expect to be blessed – though realizing more and more ones lack of worth.  4)  To rely on God’s chastening (His child training hand) – as a mark of His kindness.  5)  To ‘hope to be better’ ( i.e. acceptable) – is to fail to see yourself in Christ only.  6)  To be disappointed with yourself – is to have believed in yourself.  7)  To be discouraged is unbelief – as to God’s purpose and plan of blessing for you.  8)  To be proud, is to be blind! – for we have no standing before God, in ourselves.  9)  The lack of Divine blessing, therefore, comes from unbelief, not from failure of devotion.  10)  To preach devotion first, and blessing second, is reverse God’s order – it is to preach law, not grace. The Law made man’s blessing depend on devotion. Grace confers undeserved, unconditional blessing: Our devotion may follow, but does not always do so — in proper measure.

Trusting God

Just as the wife must rest in the assurance of her man’s deep devotion to her.. despite her foibles, weaknesses, failing beauty, silly traits, eccentricities and outbursts – so must the believer rest in the arms of Gods total, full, reassuring acceptance. God never changes. You are accepted in the Beloved. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, Who has loved us and given [us] everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. For you are accepted in the Beloved.