◄ You Are Accepted – Cease From Your Striving ►

He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:6

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38,39

Nothing Can Separate Us

His Word is truth. His promises are altogether sure. He is faithful and true. There is not a thing in heaven or on earth that can separate us from His love. There is nothing in the earthly or spiritual realm that can divorce us from His care. There is no created thing including our own rebellious selves that can remove us from Him.

Nothing To Do With You

No man or woman, principality or power can touch you or any blood-bought believer. WHY – because of what you are or what you did? No! Because you are a good Christian who reads the bible and prays? No! Because you have done lots of good deeds and witnessed about the Lord? No! Because you have restrained yourself and tried to follow His good example? No!

All To Do With Him

God’s faithfulness to you has nothing whatsoever to do with you, but it has everything – absolutely everything to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. You are accepted by God because He has accepted you in the Beloved, in Christ. You are accepted in Christ and you are accepted because of Him alone.

All Depends On Him

There is nothing too dark or vile that can separate a believer from God. There is nothing so good or worthy that can gain an unbeliever His acceptance – except believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. It never has and it never will depend on man – it all depends on Him.

Man’s False Perception

Many Christians find this total acceptance by God, very difficult to understand. Many spend much time seeking to remain in His good books, by being “good”, They think that if their foot slips, or temptation strikes, that God’s favour is lost – Not so !! There is one and one basis alone for your acceptance by God, and mine. We are both accepted in Christ, and that acceptance has nothing to do with us.

God’s Full Satisfaction

Our heavenly Father is fully satisfied with His Son on our behalf, which means He is fully satisfied with us, because of Christ. Nothing in heaven and nothing on earth can alter this eternal gracious truth. Nothing you can do, or omit doing, will influence His acceptance of you, in Christ.

Finger of Grace

Those times when the days seemed dark, do not influence His acceptance of you. Seasons of rebellion, or times when faith wears thin – never altered His love for you. He is like the shining sun, ever there to bestow His blessings upon His children, but dark clouds of rebellion or doubt, only hide His face, but never His acceptance. He has the finger of His grace upon your life and has engraved you on His hands, but like a wise parent with a temperamental child, He waits and waits and waits.

Cords of Love

Sometimes it appears that He has withdrawn His every blessing from you, but those are often the times He is drawing you closer to Himself, with cords of love. He waits for you simply because you are accepted in Christ. He waits for you to cease from your own striving, in a spirit of helplessness. He waits for you to accept His terms of acceptance, not your own efforts to please. Jesus reminds us, ‘without Me you can do nothing’. And Paul questions, ‘who shall separate us from the love of God in Christ?’

Eternal Unconditional Love

Shall.... tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or famine? or nakedness? or peril? or sword? or principalities? or powers? or things present? or things to come? or height? or depth? or any other creature? I am persuaded that nothing shall separate us from His love, for we are accepted eternally and unconditionally in the Beloved.