Acceptance

1. Acceptance

Arriving at my first Army duty station as a prior Marine

Even the most self-assured person struggles with acceptance.

However, all of you, teens have it especially hard, due to your lack of experience and perspective.

Realize Jesus Christ Has Accepted You

“God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Now the devil doesn’t want you to understand that. He does not want you to understand that you are accepted by Jesus Christ. In spite of your weakness, your fears, your failures, He accepts you.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1 Jn 4:9)

“He hath made us accepted in the beloved.”(Ephesians 1:6)

Who is in the beloved? Who is the beloved? Jesus—and in Jesus, you are accepted.

Fact number one is Jesus Christ has accepted you.

Jesus accepts you.

Jesus accepts me.

When I say that Jesus Christ accepts us, that does not mean that Jesus Christ accepts our sin or that He approves my sin. But, it means that He loves and receives me.

Now I want you to catch this:

Jesus Christ does not change you so He can love you; He loves you in order to change you.

He doesn’t love you because you’re valuable; you’re valuable because He loves you.

He just loves you!

Accept Yourself

Number two: When I know that He accepts me, and when I accept that He accepts me, then I can accept me, not because I think I’m so great, but because of who He is and what He’s doing in me.

We need to learn to accept ourselves.

Self-acceptance—it’s not narcissism. You’re supposed to accept yourself.

Is a man supposed to love himself? Absolutely! I’m to love my neighbor as I love myself.

Leviticus 19:18 (KJV 1900)

18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.Leviticus 19:18

If I don’t love myself, how can I love my neighbor? I must love me in order to love you.

I must accept me.

Now when I’m talking about loving me, I’m not talking about looking in the mirror and singing “How Great Thou Art.” I’m not talking about that.

Accept Others

The third step: Because I accept me, I can accept you.

again

Matthew 22:39 (KJV 1900)

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

I don’t have anything else to prove, I’m no longer threatened

I don’t have to go around trying to push myself up and put you down. I don’t have to go around maneuvering you and manipulating you.

I can accept you, because I’ve accepted me.

I don’t have to project my frustrations on you and try to manipulate you.

when I see who Jesus Christ is, when I understand the grace of God:

He has accepted me; I accept the fact that He accepts me; now I accept me; and now I accept you.