One of the worst feelings in life is the feeling of being rejected. It is awful beyond description. Yet most of us have experienced it in some way. You can probably think of something that still lingers in your mind—a part in a school play, a place on the team, the cold shoulder from the “in crowd”, over looked for a promotion, etc. Things like that can hurt us deeply and can linger for years. But there’s something much worse than these things.
Many people will be rejected by God (Matt. 7:21-23) and there is nothing worse than that. If you are unsaved you need to understand what a terrible state you are in. It doesn’t get any worse than being separated from God for eternity!
The good news is that Jesus Christ made it possible for us to be “accepted”. The word “accepted” means “to peruse with grace, compass with favor, honor with blessings”, literally “be-graced”. We talk a lot about accepting God, but strictly speaking, salvation is God accepting us, not us accepting Him.
So what causes God to accept us? The answer is “Christ”. He accepts us because of Christ. We can’t do anything to make ourselves acceptable to God, but by His grace we are “accepted in the beloved”. He does so “To the praise of the glory of his grace”—that is God’s explanation for why He saves us. Although we benefit immensely, the primary reason for salvation is the glory of God.
Instead of thinking about the ways in which you have been rejected by man, focus on the glorious fact that God has accepted you. He accepts all who accept His Son! —–David Stone 9/3/08
