Acceptance

We earn God’s acceptance when we believe and appropriately act on what He says. This is called faith. Faith is the root of the life of the Ransomed, the source of our strength, as long as it is placed in Christ. Faith results in a right walk, motivated by gratitude.

• Romans 3:27-28 HCSB Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.
• Colossians 2:5-7 HCSB For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the strength of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

When we accept who Jesus is, what He did for us and submit ourselves to His teachings, we become His. We are accepted, adopted into God’s family.

• John 17:7-10 HCSB Now they know that all things You have given to Me are from You, 8 because the words that You gave Me, I have given them. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from You. They have believed that You sent Me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those You have given Me, because they are Yours. 10 All My things are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I have been glorified in them.
• Ephesians 1:3-5 HCSB Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ; 4 for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will,

It is God’s grace that allows Him to accept us in our sinful state. Notice that Paul again emphasized in Ephesians 2 that this grace, accepted by faith, results in good works.

• Romans 5:17 HCSB Since by the one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
• Ephesians 1:6 HCSB to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.
• Ephesians 2:8-10 HCSB For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift-- 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation--created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

Israel was not rejected, even though they rejected the Messiah. However, they were temporarily set aside and this gave the Gentiles a chance to belong to the Kingdom, to also be accepted as God’s own people.

• Romans 2:28-29 HCSB For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart--by the Spirit, not the letter. His praise is not from men but from God.
• Romans 9:25-26 HCSB As He also says in Hosea: I will call "Not-My-People," "My-People," and she who is "Unloved," "Beloved." 26 And it will be in the place where they were told, you are not My people, there they will be called sons of the living God.
• Romans 11:1-2 HCSB I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the Elijah section--how he pleads with God against Israel?

• Romans 11:15 HCSB For if their being rejected is world reconciliation, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

We enjoy fellowship with God (not salvation) when we do what is right.

• Genesis 4:7 HCSB If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."
• Proverbs 21:2-3 HCSB All the ways of a man seem right to him, but the LORD evaluates the motives. 3 Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Tolerance of those who are simply different should be a hall mark of the Ransomed. We recognize that every person is a unique creation of God, loved by God. If our Master loves everyone enough to die for them shouldn’t we, His disciples have the same attitude?

• Matthew 9:10-13 HCSB While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat with Jesus and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when He heard this, He said, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick do. 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."
• Philippians 2:3-8 HCSB Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. 7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death--even to death on a cross.

Nothing we do can separate us from God’s love. In the same way, we should always love others. This does not mean that we accept or condone their sinful actions, but we love and accept others as unique and special creations of God. It is only through love that we bring a sinful person back into fellowship with god and others. Even discipline must be carried out with loving motives.

• Romans 8:38-39 HCSB For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

This acceptance should especially be demonstrated toward other Believers.

• Romans 15:5-7 HCSB Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice. 7 Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God.
• 1 John 3:14 HCSB We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.

We should even discipline ourselves to forgive, tolerate and even (if possible) reconcile with those who persecute us.

• Matthew 5:43-48 HCSB "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don't even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We must not accept or tolerate sin. Sin is our enemy, seeking to destroy us. If we allow any specific sin to dwell in our heart unattended, it will begin to spread like a malignant tumor, affecting all we think and do.

• 2 Chronicles 34:3-4 HCSB In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images. 4 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and the incense altars that were above them he chopped down. The Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images he shattered, crushed to dust, and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 HCSB It is widely reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even condoned among the Gentiles--a man is living with his father's wife. 2 And you are inflated with pride, instead of filled with grief so that he who has committed this act might be removed from among you. 3 For though absent in body but present in spirit, I have already decided about him who has done this thing as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, along with my spirit and with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 turn that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, since you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast, or with the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10 by no means referring to this world's immoral people, or to the greedy and swindlers, or to idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. 11 But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a reviler, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what is it to me to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But God judges outsiders. Put away the evil person from among yourselves.

God listens to and accepts our prayers, particularly when they involve the benefit someone besides ourselves.

• Matthew 8:5-13 HCSB When He entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!" 7 "I will come and heal him," He told him. 8 "Lord," the centurion replied, "I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured. 9 For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and to another, 'Come!' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10 Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, "I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! 11 I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus told the centurion, "Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you." And his servant was cured that very moment.

We should pray that God would accept our praise.

• Psalms 119:108 HCSB LORD, please accept my willing offerings of praise, and teach me Your judgments.
• Psalms 69:30-31 HCSB I will praise God's name with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. 31 That will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves.

God longs for the day when He can accept His people and their worship.

• Ezekiel 20:40-41 HCSB For on My holy mountain, Israel's high mountain"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"there the entire house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your contributions and choicest gifts, all your holy offerings. 41 When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will demonstrate My holiness through you in the sight of the nations.
• Ezekiel 36:23-29 HCSB I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations--the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh"--the declaration of the Lord GOD--"when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight. 24 "For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances. 28 Then you will live in the land that I gave your fathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and will not bring famine on you.

Note: Look at what elements are involved in the acceptance: (a) repentance, (b) admition of God’s holiness, (c) cleansing from sin and from other things that take God’s rightful place, (d) a new heart, (e) the Spirit’s empowering presence, (f) right living.

Just because we are Christians and trying to do what’s right does not mean that everyone will accept and love us. In fact, the opposite is true!

• John 15:18-21 HCSB "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they don't know the One who sent Me.
• Matthew 5:10-12 HCSB Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 "Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
• Hebrews 10:32-36 HCSB Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. 34 For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession. 35 So don't throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God's will, you may receive what was promised.
• Hebrews 12:3 HCSB For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won't grow weary and lose heart.
• 1 John 3:13 HCSB Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

The world did not accept our Master but, glory be to Adonai, He overcame the world! Because He overcame it, and His Spirit lives in us, we too can overcome the world.

• John 5:41-44 HCSB "I do not accept glory from men, 42 but I know you--that you have no love for God within you. 43 I have come in My Father's name, yet you don't accept Me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe? While accepting glory from one another, you don't seek the glory that comes from the only God.
• John 16:33 HCSB I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."
• 1 John 4:4 HCSB You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

We should judge a person by their character, not their age. Similarly, we should expect to be judged by our character and act accordingly.

• 1 Timothy 4:12-16 HCSB No one should despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Be conscientious about yourself and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.