“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us… To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:3&6
All world religions teach some form of making the worshipper acceptable in God’s sight by his own labor. However, in Christianity God makes the believer acceptable, therefore, God receives the praise and the glory, as our verses suggest, because He and not man is the author of salvation.
We all know what it means to be disappointed by others, and to disappoint others by our behavior or work performance. However, God who is rich in mercy and love chose to make His people acceptable, so He would not be disappointed but give hearty approval. The key phrase that unlocks the mystery of God’s gracious work is “in the beloved.” Jesus Christ is the beloved by the life He led as a man for thirty-three years, the death He died as having received the punishment of sin in His own body, and the resurrection he attained by having lived and perfectly obedient life to the Father.
Thought for consideration: because of the Beloved Christ, the heat is off and acceptance is guaranteed!