Accepted

“...by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:6

Harsh, condemning, close-fisted, angry, unapproachable – these are the words that partially described my understanding of God before I became a Christian. Raised in the Greek Orthodox tradition, I believed in the holiness of God. The Lord, in my understanding, was awesome and mysterious, but I had a difficult time comprehending His love. I knew in my mind that He loved me, but experientially I viewed God as my Judge, and I correctly deduced that I fell short of His glory. I lived with an underlying sense of condemnation that stripped me of confidence whenever I tried to approach God.

What a thrill it was for me to later learn of the Father's grace and love, and of the free gift of salvation that comes through accepting Christ as Savior and Lord. Ephesians 1:6 says that we are accepted in the Beloved. What a liberating truth. To know that God accepts us or receives us freely without any reservation even though we are fallen, excites me. We love Him because He first loved us. His love is a wonderful motivator. It spurs us on to do good, grace-initiated works.

I no longer see my Lord as a harsh Judge; instead I am growing in my understanding of His love for me. Let's ask the Father to reveal to us the immense depth of His love. This revelation will transform our vision of God and will affect every aspect of our lives.

Dear Father God,

Help me to comprehend Your great love for me. Show me the height and the depth of it. Let me know deep in my heart that I am accepted by You. Let your love draw me to You and encourage me to do good works, which You have prepared in advance for me to do. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

© Copyright 2009 by Tom Toya. All rights reserved.