Acceptance
With God
In whom has God
made us accepted?
“Praise be to the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ who blessed us in the heavenly
realms with every spiritual blessing
in Christ. For he chose us in him
before the creation of the world to
be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love he predestined us to be
adopted as his sons through
Jesus Christ, in accordance with
his pleasure and will – to the
praise of his glorious grace, which
he has freely given us in the One he
loves.” Ephesians 1:3-6.
What great gift
comes when we accept Christ?
“For my
Father’s will is that everyone
who looks to the Son and believes in
him shall have eternal life,
and I will raise hum up at the last
day.” John 6:40 (See also
John 17:2.)
God’s
Word as Evidence of a Acceptance
What
is the foundation of faith?
“Consequently,
faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the word
of Christ.” Romans 10:17.
What
is the first and primary evidence of
our acceptance with God?
“We accept
man’s testimony, but God’s
testimony is greater because it is
the testimony of God, which he has
given about his Son. Anyone who
believes in the Son of God has
testimony has this testimony in his
heart. Anyone who does not believe
God has made him out to be a liar,
because he has not believed in the
testimony God has given about his
Son. And this is the testimony: God
has given us eternal life, and this
life is in his Son. He who has the
Son has life; he who does not have
the Son of God does not have
life.”
1 John 5:9-11.
Note – The
primary basis of all faith and
acceptance is the Word of God –
that which God himself has said. To
receive and believe this is the first
essential to salvation – the
first evidence of acceptance.
Why did John
write his testimony concerning
God’s love and purpose in giving
Christ?
“But these things
are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and by believing you
may have life in his name. John
20:31.
Evidence
Within Us
What
witness does the true believer in
Christ have that he is accepted of
God?
“Anyone who
believes in the Son of God has the
testimony in his heart. Anyone
who does not believe God has made
him out to be a liar, because he
has not believed the testimony of God
has given about his Son.” 1 John
5:10.”
Note – Faith and
feeling should not be confounded.
Faith is ours to exercise in the Word
of God, regardless of our feelings,
and often in opposition even to our
feelings. Many fail to accept the
pardon and assurance of the
acceptance of Heaven, because they do
not take God at His word, but instead
turn their attention to their
changeable moods and feelings. Faith
always precedes the joyful
feelings that naturally result
from the assurance of forgiveness and
acceptance. This order is never
reversed.
What is another
evidence of divine acceptance?
“We know that we
have passed from death to life, because
we love our brothers. Anyone who
does not love remains in death. 1
John 3:14.
Three
Witnesses of Acceptance
What three definite
witnesses of acceptance are mentioned
by John?
“The Spirit,
the water and the blood;
and these three are in
agreement.” 1 John 5:8.
How
does the Spirit witness to our
acceptance with God?
“Because you are
sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son
into our hearts, the Spirit who calls
out, “Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:6. “The Spirit
himself testifies with our spirit
that we are God’s
children.” Romans 8:16.
Of
what is Christian baptism an
evidence?
“For all of you
who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ.”
Galatians 3:27.
Note – In
baptism, the water and the Spirit
both bear witness of God’s
acceptance. The same Spirit which, at
Christ’s baptism, “This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased,” witnesses to the
acceptance of every sincere believer
at his baptism.
To
what does the blood of Christ
witness?
“We write to you
to make our joy complete. This is the
message we have heard from him and
declare to you: God is light; in him
there is no darkness at all. If we
claim to have fellowship with him yet
walk in darkness, we lie and do not
live by the truth. But if we walk in
the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and
the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies
us from all sin.” 1 John
1:4-7. “In him we have
redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of
God’s grace.”
Ephesians 1:7. (See
also Revelation 1:5,6.)
Jesus
and Acceptance
How
only do any become children of God?
“You are all sons
of God through faith in Christ
Jesus.” Galatians 3:26.
When
may we find acceptance with God
through Christ?
For he says, “In
the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I
helped you.” I tell you, now is
the time of God’s favor, now
is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2.
To
whom, therefore, should we ascribe
glory and honor?
”And from
Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful witness, the firstborn
from the dead, and the ruler of the
kings of the earth. To him who loves
us and has freed us from our sins by
his blood, and has made us to be a
kingdom and priests to serve his
God and Father – to him be
glory and power for ever and
ever.” Revelation 1:5,6.
The
Man With the Steamer Ticket
There is a
story told of a man who purchased a
steamer ticket to Europe, and then
proceeded to get together a supple of
food to last him for the trip. He has
a somewhat miserable time of it,
until one day someone found him
eating cheese and crackers in a
secluded corner. He was informed that
his ticket entitled him to fine,
appetizing meals at the dining table.
Thereafter he was well fed. God has
provided salvation through Jesus
Christ. Many promises are given to
us. Faith accepts the blessings
Heaven proffers, yet there are too
many today that are like the man with
the steamer ticket. They do not
realize that through neglect they are
being robbed of the opportunity to
gain eternal life through Jesus’
sacrifice on the cross.
All
hail the power of Jesus name! Let
angels prostrate fall; Bring forth
the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord
of all! Oh, that with yonder sacred
throng we at his feet may fall, Join
in the everlasting song, And crown
Him Lord of all! - Edward
Perronet.
