Open your Bibles, if you would, to Ephesians chapter one. Now, last week, we looked at how we're accepted in Christ. We're accepted in Christ. And we're gonna see today that the Holy Spirit has Paul use a different phrase. You know, he could have said we're accepted in Christ, but the Holy Spirit had Paul pen, we're accepted in the beloved.

And there's a reason for that. Putting together this message, I found out how much more that emphasizes the love of God with his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Beloved brings forth an even deeper relationship between the Father and the Son, because the Holy Spirit's having Paul pen these words, right?

And he's calling Christ the Beloved. The Beloved. So the name of the message is in the Beloved. In the Beloved. We'll look at who the beloved is. It's it's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the beloved one and We're beloved in him. We're beloved of God in him. It just is so overwhelming. I'm telling you. It's just so overwhelming The Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnated in the flesh.

He's the Word of God who was with God in the flesh and He was sent by the Father Think of this the father the father sent his beloved one He sent his beloved one Isn't that amazing to die for sinners such as we That's amazing what grace we're showing what grace was showing and and And Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is God's eternal Beloved Son. His eternal Beloved Son.

So let's start with reading verses 3 to 7 of Ephesians chapter 1. Verses 3 to 7 of Ephesians chapter 1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heaven and places in Christ, according as he has chosen us in him, that's Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.

Singular, right? The Beloved. That's Christ. In whom we have redemption through his blood, see that identifies it is Christ because we're redeemed by the blood of Christ, aren't we? Oh, it's wonderful. And then look what comes through the redemption through Christ's blood, the forgiveness of sins. How many? Amen, sister. All our sins. And it's all according to the riches of his grace. God's grace.

So we see here, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, that Paul uses this title, Beloved for Christ. Beloved for Christ. In verse 6, he brings forth that we are accepted by God in the Beloved. In the Beloved. My. And that's in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Beloved. He's the Beloved.

In the Beloved, the words in the Beloved emphasizes that our redemption has been worked out by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we see that tie in with verse 7, right? In whom we have redemption. That's through the Beloved. Through His blood.

We're redeemed, Beloved, by the Lord Jesus Christ. We're forgiven of all our sins by the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Beloved One. Now Paul, again, he could have used in Christ or by Christ, and he does that elsewhere, right? We see in Christ all through the scriptures.

But we see here that he deliberately chose in the beloved, and we know that's by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, but he didn't put in Christ. He put in the beloved. Isn't it amazing how that little word, we know it's still Christ, But now he uses the word beloved.

Beloved. You know what this is doing? This is highlighting the special relationship between the father and the son. It's bringing that forth and setting it before us. And notice it's the beloved. It's singular. Remember what God said? This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. Hear ye Him. Hear ye Him.

This term conveys that Christ is one with the Father. He's one with the Father. Think of this, he's one in substance, he's one in indivisibility. You can't divide the Trinity. They're one. He's the only begotten of the Father. He's not merely adopted as we are. We're adopted in him, and he's the beloved. He's the beloved one. He's always been with the Father from eternity.

He's been the Father's delight from eternity. And remember this, that He and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are one. The three are one. Remember what He said to His disciples? If you've seen me, you've seen the Father. He's the representation of the Father.

And you know, in Hebrews it says, all that God has to say to man, he said through Christ. Isn't that amazing? So marvel at this phrase. Marvel that God, the Holy Spirit, had this phrase put in here, in the beloved. This phrase refers to Jesus Christ as the beloved Son of God. the beloved son of God from all that time has ever been and before in eternity. He's always been the beloved one of the Father.

He's equal with God. Remember, we saw that last week. He thought not robbery would be equal with God, but he humbled himself and became a man. Oh, my. My, it's just incredible. So, let us not skip over little words like this. In the beloved. There's so much packed in here, beloved. And we're the beloved of God because we're in the beloved. Isn't that wonderful? My.

This tells us about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. This phrase, in the beloved, tells us about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only begotten Son of God. Eternally And he's been eternally with God There's never been a time when he wasn't with God and there's never been a time when he was not God Even when he was a man, he was still God And he became a man so he could die for our sins and and And I love that verse 7 in whom we have redemption through his blood. He's a real man and He's God and yet He's man. This is amazing. This is amazing. And you know, He's eternally being loved by the Father. Oh, it's amazing.

Now, Paul deliberately varied his terminology to in the Beloved instead of in Christ. It brings the full force and intensity, beloved. What is, after all, the most wonderful thing about us being in the Beloved is we are saved from all our sins. We are accepted by a holy and righteous God in the Beloved. The Beloved has saved us. The Beloved became a man. and died for our sins, beloved, on Calvary's Christ, died as our substitute.

And the Father who loves the Son more than we can ever imagine poured His wrath out upon Him for us. My, what love God has for chosen sinners. that he would send his only begotten son, his son who he loved from eternity, who's equal with him, to die for sinners such as we.

This is the greatest love story ever told. Ever told. It's amazing. Absolutely amazing and the term beloved it emphasizes Christ's unique relationship with the Father Because he is one whom God has loved from eternity And he's loved us in Christ And in John 17 23 tells us he loves us as he loves Christ God the Father loves us as he loves Christ because we're in Christ and This is the one, the beloved is the one on whom the whole of God's love and affection are centered. Think of that too. God's, all God's love and affection is centered on the sun. Therefore, because we're in the sun, all God's love and affection is centered upon us. Now let's let that sink in.

Oh my. That's amazing. That's incredible. Martin Lloyd-Jones says that this title expresses so perfectly and so completely the relationship between the Father and the Son. He, Christ, is the beloved one of God. My, that's our Savior. That's our Redeemer. And this phrase, and the beloved, tells us about our relationship to God, too. Because we are in Christ. We are in Christ, beloved. God loves us as he loves his son. And think of this, we share now in the same intimate relationship. We share in this same relationship that Jesus has always enjoyed with the Father. Now, can we wrap our heads around that? No, but it's true. It's true.

And in the Beloved, it also helps us measure the Father's love by showing us that God sent his eternally beloved Son out of heaven into our sinful world. How much does God love us? So much that he would send the beloved one to die in our room and place. My, I'll tell you why. That fills me with joy. Does it fill you with joy? That God loves us so much. It's humbling, isn't it? It's so humbling. It's so humbling. mind. Now let us consider this. This is something that we don't often consider.

Let us consider what it, oh, what it meant for God the Father to watch the beloved son be reviled. He saw all that. For God the Father to watch the beloved son be laughed at. To watch the Beloved Son be persecuted, the sinless one. To watch the Beloved Son be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The Father watched that.

Consider what it meant for him. And to watch him ultimately be crucified and die. The father, though, knew, because he sent the son. He knew what he was going to go through, didn't he? But he had to watch that. Imagine if we had to watch somebody doing that to our children. How would we feel? See, God's not like us, though, is he? And I know how I would react, and I know how you would react. But God's not like us.

God sent Christ to die. And he must. He must. And marvel at the Father's great love for his elect, for his people. That he sent Christ to die. The Beloved One. He sent His Beloved Son into this world to die for sinners. This shows His great love, doesn't it? Does it not manifest His great love? Oh my! I'll tell you.

The Father watched as sinful people rejected His Son. I was there. Were you? The father watched as sinful people persecuted his son. In my past, I persecuted Christians. Laughed them to scorn. Mocked them. Have you? And then, to watch his son be crucified. And this is an amazing thing.

According to the foreknowledge of God. and according to his will and purpose to save you and I from our sins. Glory be to God. What forgiveness we've received, beloved, in the beloved. What mercy we've received, what grace we've received through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's totally undeserving, isn't it? We don't merit it at all. Look what he's done. Look at the great love of God in Christ. Manifests in the world, but yet the world still rejects him.

And we were there. And then he saved us. We were born again. We were already saved 2,000 years ago. Then we're born again. Given faith to believe on Christ. And now we just adore the beloved one. That's a miracle of grace. Hey? That's a miracle of grace. So when you see Paul, you see he was a curser and a persecutor and a murderer. Man, we were all there.

We might not have murdered people in the flesh, but we sure did think we got angry with them in our hearts and oh yeah. What great love God has for his people. What long suffering he has with his people. You know, he's not, there's a verse in 2 Peter that people take and they say, well look, God died for, he's long suffering with the world. No, he's long suffering with his people.

Not willing that any of them should perish. And not one of God's elect will perish, because Christ already purchased them on Calvary's cross. They're accepted in the Beloved. They're accepted in the Beloved. Isn't that amazing? Oh, I'll tell you why. And marvel at the fact that God spared not His Son. He didn't spare His Son, beloved. He delivered Him up for us all, and that's all the elect. He delivered Him up for you and I. Oh my! What a Savior! What a Redeemer is Jesus Christ! What love! manifested to sinners. He didn't spare the Word of God.

He plunged this sword of justice in him, in our room and place. Even though he loved them from eternity, even though he's the beloved one, he plunges this sword of justice in him, that it might never fall upon us. Oh. My. He's loved them. He's loved them from eternity. He's loved them with all the intensity of his holy love. And yet he delivers his son up for us.

Hmm. I was thinking about this. It's so incredible. What love is manifested here for God's chosen people in Christ, that He would send His Son to die for rebels, sinners, in every thought, word, and deed. That He would send His Son to die for us. This is immeasurable love, beloved. You cannot measure that love. and let we who are the born again blood washed people ponder this week. Let us really ponder this this week.

That we are accepted in the beloved. We are accepted in the beloved one, the word of God. My. My. And the term beloved highlights the fact that God the Father willingly gave up his son, the beloved one, to die for us. And then we see in verse 7, in whom we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins.

And marvel at the fact that the beloved one who was in the bosom of the Father from all eternity, enjoyed perfect joy with Him, He chose to leave glory. He was sent by the Father, but He willingly chose to leave glory. Now, this is the King of the angels. This is the King of everything visible and invisible. This is the one who by all things by Him consist. And he was the creator, the word of God. And he willingly left heaven to save you and I. Sinners, born sinners, sinners even after we're saved.

I'll tell you what, this is the greatest love story ever told. Ever told. People love love stories, right? People love feel-good stories. This is a love story, but it came at a cost, didn't it? The precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll tell you. He chose to leave eternity. He chose to leave angels bowing down before him, worshiping him. He chose to leave heaven for us. He was sent by the Father, but he willingly went.

Oh. And think of this, the Word of God takes on human nature and experiences weakness and suffering, misunderstanding, persecution, and ultimately, he goes to the cross where he cries, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? I saw some guys online, they were, they kind of think, I think these folks think they're smarter than they are. Donny Bell says they're too big for the britches, right? They were saying, well, God didn't forsake God. Because he's God, he can't be forsaken. But Christ, who is God in the flesh, cried. My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?

I'm gonna take God's word over what some fella wants to think he's smarter than the average Joe. Correcting the word of God. What? The master's words. And you know why these words are so precious to me? Because I still remember a phrase Henry Mahan said, and Scott might have said it too. I just didn't know all of this.

God, the Father, forsook God, the Son, so that we would never be forsaken. Oh, praise His mighty name. Oh, my. Praise His name. I'll never be forsaken and neither will you, beloved, because God forsook God. It's amazing. Marvel at the fact that the eternally beloved one experienced abandonment for our salvation. That's what those words bring forth. He was forsaken that we might never be forsaken. And let us marvel at God's love even in that statement for us. and sending his son, knowing that he would cry those words.

He's always been with the father. They've never been separated. And he cries, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? Oh. And marvel, beloved God, the great love the Christian receives from both God the Father and God the Son. The measure of this great love that you can't measure is a central theme found in Christ, who is called the Beloved. God's love is expressed in Christ to his people. Hmm.

In this phrase, in the beloved, also refers to the Lord Jesus Christ's ministry as well. Because it's relation to the doctrine of eternal generation of the son. He's always been the son. There's never been a time when he hasn't been the son. Let us marvel at the importance of the incarnation then. God, the eternal son, becomes a man. Virgin birth. In Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God becomes a man. Totally sinless. Perfect. And what's he going to do? He's going to live a perfect life for you and I, isn't he, Brother Travis? In our room and place.

And then you can go to the cross and die for your and our sins. So that we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Glory be to God. Glory be to God. The incarnation is amazing. When we consider the incarnation, it really is amazing. That God the Father watches his beloved son suffer as a man, so that his elect, who he chose in Christ, might be forgiven of all their sin. All of it. He watches that.

Do you imagine how the angels were? Remember the Lord said, I can call six legions of angels, and they'd be there just like that. And that's enough angels to destroy the whole world. But he goes and suffers and dies to redeem us from all our sins. He took on human flesh. He emptied himself and took on human flesh to save us from our sins.

My. In the born again blood-washed Christian is called Beloved also, revealing the intimacy surpassing anything imaginable in this world, we who are the redeemed of the Lord marvel at the fact that we are now called the beloved too, but more so that we're accepted in the beloved. We're accepted in Christ. My.

So let us ponder this this week. Let us think about this week in the days to come. We are trusting and resting each day, aren't we, in Christ, right? Because we're going through this world, and we just keep going to Christ, going to Christ. Looking at him who is the author and finisher of our faith, who saved us from all our sins, And let us remember, as we're looking to Him, that we're loved by the Father with an eternal, immeasurable love. So much so that He sent the Beloved to die in our room and place. You know, our Lord proclaims this, this great love. He says in John 17, 23, I in them, and thou in me, that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me.

I know I keep hitting on this, but Think of this. Think of what we learned. Think of what we learned through this study. We've learned about our adoption, which brings forth that the Father's loved us. We've learned that he's loved us with an everlasting love in this study so far. Hmm. These are facts.

We've been looking at the first verses of this wonderful book and we found out that we're called by God. That we're chosen by God in Christ. That we're predestined to be adopted by God through Christ. That we're made holy by Christ. That we're blameless before God in Christ. And that we're accepted in the beloved who is Christ.

And that's only the first six verses. Oh my, oh my, this is amazing. I'll tell you what, this is going to be a wonderful study, beloved. We're only, we're finishing verse six today, but you know, I could preach another 30 messages on verse six and not even come close to it.

Listen to this in Colossians. I'm going to read a couple of verses that bring forth that we're accepted in the beloved. Colossians 3 12 to 14 put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved look at that we're called beloved bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering for bearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel within against any even as Christ have forgiven you so you also do do you and above all put Put things above all things put on charity, which is love, which is the bond of perfectness But look at that. We're called holy and beloved in that verse verse 12 of colossians 3 and then over in 2nd timothy listen to this but we are Bound to give thanks always to god for you brethren beloved of the lord That's the title of ours we're beloved of the lord Because God from the beginning chose you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth. Whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That's 2 Thessalonians 2.13 and 14.

So let us leave here in awe and wonder today after the main message. We've looked at this wonderful phrase in the Beloved, which tells us about the Father's love for the Son, the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son. And let us be in awe that through Jesus Christ enjoyed perfect fellowship with the Father. He humbled himself by becoming a man and died on a cross as our substitute. And let us remember how this demonstrates the immeasurable love of God.

You can't plumb it. And may we prayerfully this week consider this phrase, in the beloved. Let's just think upon that this week. In the beloved. Because this is the key to understanding the depths of God's love. It really is. We can't understand God's love outside of Christ. outside the beloved. We just can't. And then we can't understand Christ's love for the sheep outside of Christ. Why would God love sinners such as we? Well, because we're objects of His divine love, His eternal love.

Now that's humbling, isn't it? Oh my. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Salvation, our Redeemer, our Shield, our Buckler, the Holy One of God. Praise Him that we're accepted in the Beloved, accepted in Christ. Isn't that wonderful? My, oh my, it's incredible. Amen and amen. Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to have this time together.

Oh, it's such a blessed time to gather together and study your Word and read your Word. Oh, how you illuminate the Scriptures and just bless our hearts. And oh, we thank thee, Father, for sending your beloved Son, your eternally beloved Son, to die for our sins. And thank you, Lord Jesus, you who are the beloved, beloved to God and beloved to us, who are your redeemed people. Thank you for coming to this world. Thank you for coming and saving us from all our sins. And thank you, Holy Spirit, for regenerating us and giving us faith to believe on the beloved one, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in your name, Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.