by Pastor Jeff Barbieri

“Some accept the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord and then spend the rest of their lives trying to get him to accept them.”  – Dr. Charles Solomon [1]

That is a profound statement from Dr. Solomon. I have personally heard him say, “A Christian must accept their acceptance in Christ.”  But…
•    What is our acceptance in Christ?
•    Why is it hard for many to rest in it?
•    How can I accept my acceptance?
•    What positive outcomes will occur in my Christian life and ministry when I accept my acceptance in Christ?

In this Thought of the Week and the next few installments, I want to answer these important questions about God’s acceptance of us in Christ. The key verse for our discovery together will be Ephesians 1:6

“to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved”(NKJV).
This verse states that believers are accepted by God in the Beloved, that’s Jesus. The word “accepted” means to highly favor, to honor. It is an intense word, stated in the Greek past tense, indicating a complete action, statement of fact. No matter what your sin, no matter how bad you were or are, when you accept Jesus as the God/Man who died for you on the cross and rose again from the dead, you were accepted by God in Christ. But how can that be? Is that fair?

I think the following real life situation will help clarify these questions. A childhood friend recently called me seeking answers about the gospel. Some Bible-believing Christians had shared with him that eternal life, acceptance by God could not be earned by good works, but only by faith in Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9). The teaching of God’s grace troubled my friend who protested with this question, “Does that mean that if Hitler believed on Christ he would be accepted by God?” 
I replied to my friend that he was looking at the question from the wrong perspective. He was looking at how bad Hitler was instead of how incredibly awesome Jesus is. I pointed out that :
•    Jesus is God and Man in the flesh ( John 1:14)
•    Jesus lived a perfect life ( Hebrews 4:15-16)
•    Jesus died on the cross for every sin of the world ( I John 2;2)
•    Jesus rose again from the dead ( I Cor. 15:1-4)

I counseled my friend not to look at the gospel from the human perspective but to consider it from the divine perspective; God’s provision of Jesus is greater than all sin.

I would counsel you the same way. If you can’t accept your acceptance in Christ, you are giving your sin more power than the work of Jesus. Yes your sin, my sin, and Hitler’s sin is real and horrid. We should not debate that. But neither should we dismiss the greater truth that God’s provision of Jesus Christ to deal fully with all of our sin is equally real as the writer of Hebrews states:

“…for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14 (NASB).

You are perfected forever not by good things you do, nor are you rejected because of bad you do. You have been perfected forever by one sacrifice and therefore you are accepted in Christ by God (Ephesians 1:6) … He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
Our salvation is restoration of relationship where God accepts us in Christ. Accepting your acceptance is the foundation of growing and living a vibrant Christ life. Please know that the foundation of your life here and into eternity is your complete acceptance by God in Christ!

[1] Handbook to Happiness, p.21

http://mountainviewbiblechurch.com

For more on this theme, see the article by Miles Stanford here.

Mary K. Thomas, M.A., is your instructor for these lessons, which deal with the brain, the mind, the emotional center of our soul, overcoming addictive behavior, and learning how to experience grace in our Christian walk. Our salvation is much bigger than perceived, including the healing from hurtful pasts and deep woundedness.  Experience the abundant life in Christ, making the Lord very real in your life!

Disc 1
Part A – The Foundations of Healthy Thinking
Part B – The Formation of the Triune Brain
Part C – Brain Facts Continued

Disc 2 – Functions Explained
Part A – The Reptilian Brain
Part B – The Limbic System
Part C – The Limbic System Continued
Part D – The Limbic System Continued

Disc 3
The Formidable Trio vs. The Neo Cortex Brain

Bonus CD
Instructional & Study Materials

For details and ordering information, visit ReleasingGrace.org

Grace discipleship is simply profound and profoundly simple. Here is a practical four lesson booklet, “Discipleship Basics,” by Dr. Phil Jones. These lessons are not intended to be comprehensive, but are foundational and user-friendly.

Here is a free copy of the PDF notebook: discipleship-basics-all-lessons-booket-format

Here is a four message downloadable audio series that corresponds with the lessons. They are at Grace Fellowship Internationals’ Sermon.net audio channel here.

These were produced and preached at First Baptist Church of Powell in Tennessee.

What’s the best way to encourage others to want to walk with Christ? In this 3-minute video, Pastor Bryan Chapell explains that it’s not trying to get them to do what you know is right. It’s something else. Watch now.

“Member Care Media (MCM) is a media ministry of TransWorld Radio especially prepared for Cross-Cultural Workers around the globe whose obedience to the Great Commission has taken them to difficult places. It is our goal to encourage, enhance and enable these workers in their places of calling so that they will stay effective and fulfilled.”

These audio resources are helpful for pastors serving in North America as well.

Here’s a recommended series to check out: In this 7 part series of 10 minute MemCare radio programs Edmund Spieker shares Biblical insights of how the Truth can set you Free!