Accepted In The Beloved

“to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

What a beautiful thing it is to know that we have been accepted in the beloved?

There is a medley that was released in 2020 that became an anchor for me in that season and one of the lyrics is:

‘I am accepted as I am because of who You are’

And I want to pause for a second there. This is the truth of the gospel. It is by grace that we have been saved not by our own merit (Ephesians 2:8). And I am highlighting this right now because I want you to rest in knowing how loved you are by your father. 

How beautiful is it to know that we are accepted as we are because of who He is? To know that despite our shortcomings, the King of glory has made us right with Him. And not only that, He has awarded us friendship with Himself. (Romans 5:10-11) That is the beauty of salvation, what makes it so miraculous.

I love the use of the word ‘in’ in this text too. That word speaks such belonging to me. That we are in His arms, we belong to Him. It’s not that we have been accepted by the beloved and are somewhat on the sidelines but, we are IN Him. 

The Bible says that God Himself has engraved our names in the palms of His hand in Isaiah 49:16. Just imagine that for a moment, your name etched into His palms. Just as an artisan with whatever medium they use etches an image or puts their stamp on their creation God has done the same with us. The only difference is the Creator is bearing that mark. 

Identity is a core foundation of our faith, it seems so trivial especially when you’ve been walking with the Lord for a decent amount of time. But, one thing I’ve observed is how many of God’s children live way below the standard of life Jesus has made a way for us to attain. Again, it’s not by works or earning right-standing with Him. But, the battle has been won! You have been given right-standing with God and you have an inheritance! 

Throughout my life I have been subject to different voices telling me who I am/who I am not. People dictated to me their perceptions of me and what I was called to do. For so long I bore an image that wasn’t mine to reflect. I people pleased to  my own detriment. I tried so hard to fit the moulds prescribed to me by others but it never worked. 

When I realised that what the Lord said about me was the only thing that mattered, it changed everything for me.

And I share that all to say that what God says about you is the only thing that matters. You are loved by Him, fully accepted in Him. Romans 8:31 says:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

So my question is what do you believe to be true about who God is to you in your own life? 

Is He just Your saviour? Is He just Your Lord? Or is He your dearest friend? The One who sticks closer than a brother? Your Heavenly Father?

Scripture is rich with affirmation of our relationship with God, the intimacy that we share with Him. His great love for us. 

The famous scripture Jeremiah 29:11 is many believer’s favourite:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

In the KJV the hope is translated as ‘an expected end’. There is such a certainty there, that the Lord has an end in mind for you. And it is a GOOD one, they are plans to PROSPER you. 

The Lord has such wonderful plans for you as His child. One of my biggest dreams since I was young has been to be a mother one day. I often imagine what they will look like, what hobbies and interests they’ll have. Who they will be in the Kingdom and in the world in general and as I was pondering this a couple of years ago I caught a revelation of the Lord’s love for me.

You see, in Psalms 139 the Bible says that the Lord knitted us together in the utter seclusion of the womb. He formed every part of you and just as a parent dreams about who their child will be God did the same with you. The only difference is that He actually created you with a plan and purpose in mind for you. He knows the gifts and talents that He has placed on the inside of you. He knows where and what He has called you to do.

So don’t be dismayed. Rather, be encouraged that your father sees you and knows all of your needs. Not only does He know them, but it is His pleasure to supply all of your needs. He already did it at the cross and as a blood-bought child of God you are entitled to receive the promises of God.

I love the lyrics of the song below.

'I don't have to prove anything

There's room at Your table for me

I am the one You love

I am the one You love.'

I would like to invite you to take a moment to listen to the song and really allow the lyrics to minister to you. You are loved beyond measure.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your perfect love for me (1 John 4:18). Thank You that I am accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6) not because of what I have done but because of who You are.

Thank You Lord that I am loved by love incarnate (1 John 4:8). I pray that my revelation of Your love for me would go to another level and as a result I would be strengthened in my understanding of who You are to me, truly (Ephesians 3:17-19).

In Your precious name Jesus I pray, amen.