“To the praise of the glory of His Grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved.”
Ephesians 1:6
There’s nothing we can do to earn it; we must simply receive it and spend the rest of our lives in thanksgiving for it.
“Accepted in the Beloved.”
What do those words mean to you, Pilgrim? Even if you know the word “accepted” is the Greek word “charitoo” and means “to endue with special honor, highly favored, made acceptable, etc.” and comes from “charis,” which is the root word for Grace, how does it make you feel to know you’re “accepted in the Beloved”?
Think of it this way:
You’re a homeless beggar. . .living from hand-to-mouth on handouts from strangers. . . hopping boxcars to get from place-to-place. . . sleeping under overpasses or in hobo jungles and sometimes sleeping on pieces of cardboard over steam vents in the sidewalk on cold, winter nights.
But, one day a total stranger drives up in a big stretch limousine, gets out in his $900 suit, taps you on the shoulder and says “Come on, get in. I want you to come live with me in my 40,000 sq. ft., 50-room mansion. Everything I have will be at your disposal and you’ll never want for anything else the rest of your life.”
What would you think?
Well, most likely, you’d think you were dreaming. Then, you’d think the rich guy had lost his mind. You might even think it’s too good to be true and refuse to get in the limo for fear that you were being set up or being lured into a trap by some psycho.
In some ways, the Gospel of our being “accepted in the Beloved” seems too good to be true.
Far-fetched. Ridiculous. Preposterous. Impossible.
“Why would Almighty God, Who owns everything that is. . .Who’s perfect, holy and just. . . possibly want to have the likes of me around? Why, He knows everything about me—how stinking sinful and wretched I am. Surely He knows I’ve done too many things wrong and am just too sinful to be forgiven.”
But, dear Pilgrim, that’s why it says we’re “accepted/made acceptable in the Beloved.”
The key words there are “IN THE BELOVED.”
The Scriptures declare “For He (God) has made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin—that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21). Or, another way to put it is “This One, the sinless Son of God, took our place on the Cross and took upon Himself our filthy rags of wretchedness while placing His gleaming, spotless, white robe of Righteousness upon us.”
Has there ever been a more unequal exchange? His Righteousness for our wretchedness? Never! But, that’s why it’s called Grace. . .Amazing Grace. . .God’s Grace. So freely given to all who believe. Cease from trying to please or appease Him, weary one. Accept His Gift of Acceptance even now as His Blood makes you acceptable to the Father. Hallelujah!!
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated September 27, 2009
