MY ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST part1

Do not stumble at the doctrine of election. Preach the gospel to all, and (as some one has said) if you convert any one who was not “chosen,” God will forgive you.

1 Peter 1:2 KJV 1900

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

The divine order is foreknowledge, election, predestination. That foreknowledge determines the election or choice is clear from 1 Pet. 1:2, and predestination is the bringing to pass of the election. “Election looks back to foreknowledge; predestination forward to the destiny.” But Scripture nowhere declares what it is in the divine foreknowledge which determines the divine election and predestination. The foreknown are elected, and the elect are predestinated, and this election is certain to every believer by the mere fact that he believes (1 Thes. 1:4, 5). See “Predestination,” Eph. 1:5.1

1 C. I. Scofield, ed., The Scofield Reference Bible: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments (New York; London; Toronto; Melbourne; Bombay: Oxford University Press, 1917), 1312.

Then again listen to the Apostle Peter, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied” (1 Pet. 1:2). There you have exactly the same order. God the Father foreknew us from eternity, but it was up to us whether or not we would yield to Christ. When we did yield in the obedience of faith, we took our places beneath the sprinkled blood of Jesus and our salvation was eternally assured. People try sometimes to put the whole responsibility upon God and say, “If God has not chosen me, I cannot be saved.” If you will trust in Christ, you may know that God has chosen you.1

1 H. A. Ironside, In the Heavenlies : Practical Expository Addresses on the Epistle to the Ephesians. (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1937), 30.

Every one who is saved will be in heaven because he was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, and yet every man who is ever saved will be there because as a poor guilty sinner he put his personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. You may say, “I can’t harmonize this.” You do not need to do so; just believe it and go on your way rejoicing.1

1 H. A. Ironside, In the Heavenlies : Practical Expository Addresses on the Epistle to the Ephesians. (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1937), 31–32.

You will note that all three Persons in the Godhead are involved in our salvation (see also 1 Peter 1:3). As far as God the Father is concerned, you were saved when He chose you in Christ in eternity past. But that alone did not save you. As far as God the Son is concerned, you were saved when He died for you on the cross. As far as God the Spirit is concerned, you were saved when you yielded to His conviction and received Christ as your Saviour. What began in eternity past was fulfilled in time present, and will continue for all eternity!1

1 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 11.

God’s choice of individuals (1:4, 11). The verb ekelegomi implies a free choice in which some are selected from many. Three things should be kept in mind. First, Scripture affirms a sovereign God who is free to choose apart from any consideration of human actions (cf. Rom. 9). God chose to provide salvation despite His rejection by sinful man. Second, God is said to have chosen us, the church, “to be holy and blameless” through “adoption as sons.” Some note that this does not say God chose those to be saved. Third, whatever the role of God in choosing us “before the foundation of the world” His choice in no way forces any individual to believe, or keeps any individual from believing in Jesus. The Gospel invitation is real, and we do freely choose to believe or reject the Gospel.1

1 Lawrence O. Richards, The Bible Reader’s Companion, electronic ed. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991), 797.

Series Introduction:

What are my motives for waking up and deciding to live for God?

What drives you? What causes you to wake up every day and live the Christian life?

Are your motives pleasing to Christ, and are you driven by what drives Him?

Motives do matter-they are the foundations of our lives with God, our hearts are for Him, and our service unto Him.

Wrong motives produce an empty life and a ministry that is not sustainable. Pure motives sustain our passion for God and thus sustain our work for Him-even during the dry, discouraging or seemingly fruitless seasons of our lives.

Living the Christian life with less than pure and Biblical motives will produce fruitless, empty, and ultimately shipwrecked lives. Some examples of impure motives:

Guilt

Opportunity

Money

Duty

Affirmation

These motivators hinge on human resources (either our own or someone else’s) and fail to draw in the unlimited passion that God desires to give to His servants.

We need Biblical, Christ centered, and Holy motivations!!! The kind that flow from the heart of God and the pages of the Word of God!!!

Christ is worthy of our all-our purest love from our deepest devotion!!

Series Text:

Ephesians 6:6 KJV 1900

6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

SACRED MOTIVE #3- My Acceptance in Christ

Introduction:

You couldn’t be loved by God any more than you are right now. It is absolutely true.

We all love affirmation. We all desire significance and recognition; we all benefit from encouragement from others. This silent struggle for approval can often become an overriding motivation that keeps us on an unpredictable roller coaster of insecurity and instability.

In truth, we crave acceptance and approval of men, but we need it from God. We long to know we matter to others, but we forget how much we matter to Him.

We desire the approval of our peers, but we lose sight of the approval and favor we already have in Christ.

We tend to seek these things from man, when ultimately God is the only one in whom we can find our deepest desires completely fulfilled!!!

Satan the enemy knows of our need for acceptance and is quick to take advantage of it:

Enlarges our pride and self-promotion

Reminds us of our failures and that we are insufficient and undeserving.

In both of these Satan encourages us to indulge in the flesh’s craving for acceptance.

Because of this we easily fall into the trap of being motivated by the approval of others.

Note: I am not saying that it is okay for a person to continue in sin-“just because that is who they are!!”

Ephesians 1:

God reminds us that He loves us and accepts us through His Son Jesus Christ.

“Our worth is based on our birth”

If you have been born again then you don’t have anything to prove.

You can’t be any more loved than you are right now by the Lord Jesus Christ-nothing you do would cause Him to love you more or less.

He loves you fully and unconditionally. That is what Grace is all about!!!

When God’s grace-as opposed to our need for acceptance- becomes our motivator, then everything changes.

We serve because we are accepted rather than to gain acceptance, and it makes all the difference in the world.

I. A Hostage to the Approval of Others

The impure motive of seeking others' acceptance is often layered beneath seemingly godly ambitions.

A. Guilt of Comparison with others

2 Corinthians 10:12 KJV 1900

12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Colossians 3:23 “23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

B. Overwhelming frustration at our own inability

Note: God allows weakness in our lives to enlarge our capacity for His strength.

When we are seeking the affirmation of others, we become frustrated and impatient with our own limitations.

When we are self-driven, we miss ministering by God’s grace, and that always creates deep frustration.

Yes, the Christian whose heart burns for the glory of God will always desire to do more for Christ, but remembering our position in Christ will encourage us to do it in His strength alone!!

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 KJV 1900

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

C. Discouragement in the face of criticism

Dr. Lee Roberson-“Die to self, die to criticism, die to praise.”

Thomas Edison, after countless failures, said, 'I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.' His perseverance through criticism and doubt led to his brilliant inventions. Just like Moses, who doubted his abilities yet led a nation, we too can choose to trust in God’s strengths rather than our fears. Embrace criticism as a tool for growth and allow it to transform you, guided by faith.

Often, the Lord convicts us through the pain of criticism, which indicates that we are more concerned with what people think of us than we should be.

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The sting of criticism, then, isn’t primarily about the content of what’s being said; it’s about the threat posed to an inflated sense of self.

Your observation aligns with what the search results reveal about how self-regard operates psychologically. When we invest heavily in protecting our self-image, we become vulnerable to any perceived slight—and this vulnerability intensifies when we’ve positioned ourselves as the center of our own world.[1] The sting of criticism, then, isn’t primarily about the content of what’s being said; it’s about the threat posed to an inflated sense of self.

Pride elevates the self and seeks external validation of one’s worth, yet simultaneously blinds a person to genuine faults and undermines the ability to receive honest feedback from others.[2] This creates a vicious cycle: the more someone’s identity depends on being viewed favorably, the more defensive they become when that image is challenged. The exhausting effort to shield oneself from every slight and defend against criticism—whether real or imagined—becomes a relentless burden that prevents inner peace.[1]

What makes this dynamic particularly insidious is that modern culture often misdiagnoses the problem. Contemporary psychology has frequently rationalized self-centered living as psychologically healthy, essentially functioning as a justification for the consumer mindset.[3] Yet empirical evidence from social psychology demonstrates that humans naturally exhibit bias favoring themselves—accepting credit for success while attributing failure to external circumstances, rating themselves above average, and overestimating their moral character.[3] The pain you’re describing emerges precisely because pride demands constant protection, making criticism feel like a direct assault on the self rather than useful information.

[1] A. W. Tozer and Ron Eggert, The Tozer Topical Reader (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 1998), 2:123. [2] J. R. Beck, “Pride,” in Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology & Counseling, ed. David G. Benner and Peter C. Hill (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 907. [3] P. C. Vitz, “Psychology as Religion,” in Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology & Counseling, ed. David G. Benner and Peter C. Hill (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 968.

A Hostage to the approval of others.

II. Enjoying your position

Note: the joy of being accepted in the beloved refers to far more than salvation alone. It means that we are “in Christ”, a literal spiritual position that makes His Grace available to us every moment of every day!!! It means that Christ can truly be my all in all!!

A. The Christian life is designed to be a life of unity and union with Jesus Christ.

“In Christ”- we share His death and resurrection.

We have the ability to reckon ourselves dead to sin, self, and our carnal tendencies, and live in the power of the Resurrection.

Philippians 3:10 “10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

B. God does not expect the Christian life to be lived by the ability and power of the flesh, but in the power of the Living Spirit of God.

C. Wake up tomorrow with a fresh motivation-remembering that you are fully accepted and loved by Jesus Christ, and let all of His life flow from you unhindered by personal ego or pride.

III. Putting the Proper motive into practice

Note: internalizing this motive is more about adopting a mindset than acting on specifics.

Example: the glory of God: center your life on bearing fruit for Christ, deflect praise to God and others…A Lost World: Pray for laborers, carry gospel tracts, express courage in the moment, maintain a prospect list…The Word of God: Make the Bible “your” book, Read, memorize it, meditate on it, obey it.

Note: In order to be motivated by His acceptance I must realize my position:

1. My position in Christ- Romans 8

—No condemnation in Christ Jesus (8:1)

—We are freed from the law of sin and death (8:2)

—We have the Spirit dwelling in us (8:9–10)

—Our mortal bodies will be quickened (8:11)

—We are joint heirs with Christ (8:17)

—We know all things work together for good (8:28)

—We know His purpose is for us to be conformed to Christ (8:29)

—God is for us who are in Christ (8:31)

—We are freely given all things through Christ (8:32)

—We are justified (3:24–25; 8:33)

—We have an intercessor (8:34)

—We cannot be separated from His love (8:35–39)

2. My Position in Christ-Ephesians 1 and 2

—We are blessed with all spiritual blessings (1:3)

—We are positioned in the heavenly places (1:3)

—We are chosen to be without blame before Him (1:4)

—We are adopted as children (1:5)

—We are accepted (1:6)

—We are redeemed through His blood (1:7)

—We are forgiven of our sins (1:7)

—We are shown His will as He purposed in Himself (1:9–10)

—We have obtained an inheritance (1:11)

—We are the praise of His glory (1:12)

—We are sealed by His Spirit (1:13)

—We are given security of our inheritance (1:14)

—We are His workmanship (2:10)

—We are made nigh by His blood, and we have peace (2:13–14)

Conclusion:

Are you ready to start living life for His Glory?

Are you ready to wake up tomorrow and live for God because a lost world needs Jesus?

Are you ready to surrender your pride and admit that you have been living for self and others’ acceptance?

Are you ready to accept the fact that God loves you just like you are?

Are you ready to live tomorrow for God because you are already accepted by Him?

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