“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”–Ephesians 1:3–6
People do all sorts of things in order to be accepted by a group. Some wear certain clothing and fashions. Others adopt particular hairstyles. They may change what they eat, where they live, and more in an effort to fit in. There are even tragic cases of people severely damaging their lives or committing crimes in an effort to be accepted. As Christians, we have been given the precious promise that we have been accepted by God—not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus did. As a result, nothing can change that status.
The same grace of God that provides our salvation also settles our standing in His eyes forever. The Bible does not tell us that we might be accepted or that we can be accepted, but that we have already been accepted. The righteousness of Christ that has been applied to our account makes us fit to stand in the very presence of God despite our failings and shortcomings. Recognizing this truth frees us from the constant cycle of worry and uncertainty that comes from trying to be good enough to measure up to a standard we can never meet. God’s grace works in us to give us the ability live righteously so that our witness and fellowship with God are not hindered. But our acceptance is external, coming through God’s grace, and it is eternal, never changing or failing.
