#48 ACCEPTANCE THROUGH CHRIST 8-28-26

Paul says that God has “made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). What a beautiful expression. We are accepted, but our acceptance is not based upon our goodness. It is not based upon our performance. It is not based upon how well we have kept God’s law. It is not, in fact, based on anything at all in us. We are accepted “in the Beloved.” Our standing before God is connected to Christ. The Father accepts us because He accepts His Son.

At the baptism of Jesus, heaven declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). At the Transfiguration, the Father said again, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 17:5). Jesus is the Beloved. He is the One in whom the Father is completely pleased. He perfectly obeyed the Father’s will. He fulfilled the righteousness that we could never perfectly fulfill. He became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). And because He is accepted, those who are in Him are accepted.

This changes everything. We do not come before God presenting our own righteousness and asking Him to accept us because we have done enough. We come clothed in Christ. Paul says that we are “found in Him, not having my own righteousness” (Philippians 3:9). Our confidence is not, “Look at me, Lord.” Our confidence is, “Look at Christ.” He is our righteousness. He is our mediator. He is our peace. He is our acceptance. He is our everything.

ADORE HIM

Because we have been accepted in the Beloved, we should adore Him. Jesus is worthy of our deepest affection. Christianity is not merely believing facts about Christ. It is loving the Christ we believe in. The more we see His beauty, His holiness, His humility, His obedience, His mercy, and His love, the more our hearts should adore Him. He is not merely the One who saved us. He is the One we love.

APPRECIATE HIM

We should never become so familiar with the story of Jesus that we lose our wonder. Think about what He has done. He left heaven. He took upon Himself the form of a servant. He lived among us. He endured temptation. He bore rejection. He carried our sins. He went to the cross. He died in our place. He rose again. He lives forever. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

ADMIRE HIM

There has never been another like Jesus. Admire His compassion toward the broken. Admire His courage before His enemies. Admire His patience with His disciples. Admire His purity in a sinful world. Admire His willingness to obey when obedience led Him to Calvary. Admire His forgiveness from the cross. Admire His resurrection power. The more closely we look at Christ, the more beautiful He becomes.

ACCEPT HIM

God has accepted us in the Beloved, but we must receive the Beloved by faith. We must come to Christ. We must trust Him. We must surrender ourselves to Him. Jesus said, “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28). He is God’s answer to our deepest need. There is no salvation apart from Him, because there is no acceptance apart from Him.

ATTAIN HIM

Paul said, “That I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Christ was not merely something Paul wanted to know about. Christ was the great treasure he wanted to gain. This ought to be the ambition of every Christian. Not merely to gain possessions. Not merely to gain recognition. Not merely to gain success. To gain Christ. To know Him. To become like Him. To possess Him as our greatest treasure and to be possessed by Him in every part of our lives.

What a glorious truth! We are accepted in the Beloved. The Father looks upon His beloved Son with perfect pleasure, and by grace He welcomes those who belong to His Son. Therefore, adore Christ. Appreciate Christ. Admire Christ. Accept Christ. Attain Christ. And when you have Christ, you have found the One in whom you are fully accepted before God.

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Father, thank You for accepting us in Your Beloved Son. Teach us to stop trusting in ourselves and to rest completely in Christ. Give us hearts that adore Him, appreciate Him, admire Him, accept Him, and desire above everything else to attain Him. May Jesus become more precious to us every day. Amen.

BDD