I wonder how many people, and
there's a lot of people, went to churches this morning. Just
here in Sylacauga, there's no lack of churches, is there? Plenty
of churches. Don't need any more churches.
Need the gospel preached in the ones that already are there,
but don't need any more churches. A lot of people went. And I wonder
if it was possible When folks left these places, like you and
I will, if you were to ask them this question, what's your hope
of heaven? What's your hope of that? I mean,
just about everybody says they're going to heaven, but what reason
do they have to think that they will? What's your hope of being
accepted by God Almighty? Again, I wonder how many answers
would you get to that question. And they wouldn't all be the
same, would they? There'd be different answers.
Different answers to the question. But the Word of God gives only
one answer to that question. Only one answer, Mike. And that's
the one I'm interested in. I'm not too much concerned what
the Baptist might say, or what the Catholics might say, they
would give different answers. But what does God himself say? What does he say is the grounds
of his accepting any sinner into heaven? From the time of Adam until today,
to this very hour, There's only been one way God Almighty has
ever accepted a sinner. Let's begin by reading that answer
here in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6. Here's the answer. The only
reason we read here in Ephesians 1 and verse 6 is the praise of
the glory of His grace, that is God's grace, wherein, by that
means, because of grace, He had made us accepted. Don't you like
that word? Accepted in the Beloved. In preparing this message, I
learned a few things. For example, this word accepted
is derived from a word that literally means graced, graced. He has graced you in his beloved,
in Christ Jesus. It's only used one other time
in the New Testament and that's in Luke chapter 1 when Gabriel
told Mary, Hail thou that are highly favored, again the word
there, graced. He's graced you. Oh, I like that,
don't you? And notice, first of all, our
acceptance by God is not something done by us. That's a pretty sandy
foundation. No, but it is something that
God himself has done. He has made us accepted. He has graced us. It's God's
doing. He's responsible for this. Therefore,
as the psalmist said, not unto us. Not unto us, O Lord, not
unto us. Oh no, you by your grace have
made us accepted. You alone have made us to differ. Therefore, not unto us will a
man rob God. Will a man take credit to himself
for what only God can do and has done? Not unto us, O Lord,
but unto thy name give glory. And this was done from eternity. That's another good reason you
can't take credit for it because you weren't around when it happened. This is something God did before
the foundation of the world. Look, if you will, in verse 3
of this same chapter in Ephesians. We're told this here. Blessed,
blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Where? How? Why? In Christ, Joe. He's the answer
to all that. Turn, if you will, to 2 Timothy.
Now here Paul talks about about this again being done in eternity
past, as we call it, and then in time God makes it known to
chosen sinners. But when we learn of it, when
we learn of our choosing by God, when we learn of our election,
when we learn of our acceptance, that's not when it took place.
That's when we become aware of it. Paul mentions both these
things in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9. Who has saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works. Oh, I'm so glad
of that. Not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. but is now made manifest
by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who had abolished
death and had brought life and mortality to light through the
gospel. When I wrote the article, you
may have noticed that my text is the same as the article is
written about in our bulletin, but When I wrote the article
in the bulletin, I thought so much about this afterwards. It
led to my preparing this message. I just couldn't get away from
it. I laid in bed and thought, my soul, what a marvel, what
a wonder. Accepted in the beloved before
the foundation of the world. And I laid there and thought
about that, but my little brain just couldn't get much of a grip
on it. Just couldn't get much of a handle on it. Before God
ever created the heavens and the earth, before there was ever
a star, the moon, anything, God chose his people in Christ Jesus
and we were accepted in him before the world was. And to tell you
the truth, I didn't want to get away from it. Oh, I thought about
it more and more, all the comfort of knowing My acceptance before
God is not found in me, but in the Beloved, in Christ his Son. Turn, if you will, into Matthew
chapter 7. The Lord Jesus is here on the
banks of Jordan at his baptism. It's pointed out to John, and
John afterwards points him out to all others as the Beloved,
as the Lamb of God. In Matthew chapter 3, look at
verse 16. Our Lord comes to do that which
identifies him with his people and his own death and resurrection
and ours in him. In verse 16 we read, and Jesus,
when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water
and lo, look at this, Behold this, the heavens were opened
unto him. The heavens were opened unto
him. A lot of people were being baptized
at this time. But this never happened concerning
anybody else. The heavens weren't opened to
anybody else. Oh, but when Jesus of Nazareth
came to John, and said, Suffer it to be so now, John, because
thus it becometh us. It's necessary to fulfill all
righteousness. When he came up out of the water,
after he was immersed, covered, that's what a burial is. When
he arose from the watery grave, all the heavens were opened,
we read, unto him. He said, I am thee way. the way, the way to salvation,
to acceptance before God, to glory, to heaven itself. John
in Revelation chapter 4 said, and lo, a door was opened in
heaven. Oh, what a marvel. A door was
opened in heaven and then John heard a voice saying, come up,
John, come up, enter in, enter into heaven. And you remember
what our Lord Jesus said? I am the door. I'm the door. I'm the way into
heaven. I'm the door. No man cometh unto
the Father, not in time, not in eternity, except by me. I'm the only way there is into
everlasting glory. Verse 17 of Matthew chapter 3. when the heavens were opened
unto him. There was also a voice from heaven
speaking, saying, This is my beloved son. This is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased. In whom? In the beloved. In whom I am well pleased. Now
I want you to compare that. Turn back to Psalm 139. Psalm
139. And compare what we're told here with that verse we just read
in Matthew. And then in our text, being accepted into beloved.
In Matthew 1.39. And before we read these two
verses, I believe they could very well
apply to Christ and his church, which is his body. Think of that
when you read them. Verse 15. My substance, that
is, our beloved, Speaking to his father, my substance was
not hid from thee. Remember he said, a body hast
thou prepared me? My substance was not hid from
thee when I was made secret, made in secret, and curiously
wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see
my substance, yet being imperfect, and in thy book all my members,
the church, his body. All my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned, when yet there was none of them."
My members were written. Are you back in Ephesians chapter
1? Now with what we just read in Psalms 139, look at these
verses in Ephesians 1 verse 21. Concerning our Redeemer, we read,
that God has exalted him far above all principality and power
and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only
in this world but also in that which is to come. And that put
all things under his feet and gave him to be the head, the
head over all things of the church, which is his body, which is his
body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Someone once said, a believer,
how can I drown? How can any child of God drown
with their head so high above the water? In Ephesians 5, verse
23, we read these words. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is
the Savior, of the body. Oh, blessed union, blessed union,
firm, firm and strong. Let me read you a few words from
an article written concerning this very text, our text this
morning, Ephesians 1 and 6. This man wrote, for a sinful
creature such as I am to be accepted by God, is one of the most amazing
declarations of the gospel of Christ. However, our Lord declares
that sinners are accepted by Him in Christ according to the
riches of His grace. Every sinner that God saves,
He saves in Christ. All are freely justified, forgiven,
and members of His body. The us in the text speaks of
the oneness which every believer enjoys in Christ. We are accepted
because God the Father forever loved us in Christ. We were chosen
in Christ, redeemed by Christ, clothed with the righteousness
of Christ, and therefore accepted in Christ. We are all just alike
in the flesh, every one of us. There's no difference. We're
all just alike in the flesh. Sinners. Sinners. No exceptions. And we're all alike in Christ. Every child of God are all alike
in Christ, excepted. I like that, don't you? You know
who wrote that? He was your former pastor, many
of you. Brother Tommy Robbins, who now
beholds the king in his beauty, and though he no longer sees
like you and I yet do through a glass darkly, and though unlike
you and I this day, he now loves Christ with an unsinning heart,
not like your present pastor. Your former pastor now beholds
the king in his glory, and he views him perfectly with an unsinning
heart. And yet, yet, he is no more sure. Now think about this. He is no more sure of his acceptance
before God in heaven right now than any believer here today. No more sure. No more certain. Because the reason for both is
the same. We rest on the same foundation
The same foundation, the foundation that that multitude that none
can number stand on before the throne of God at this very hour,
beholding the king, all washed in his blood, they all stand
on the same foundation as you and I, accepted in the beloved. Isn't that a comfort? Turn, if
you will, to 1 John, 1 John chapter 3. This is what we read in John's
epistle, 1 John chapter 3 verse 1. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. Sons of God? Is that right? Sons of God, therefore the world
knoweth us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we
the sons of God. Now? Right now? Sons of God? I'm a child of the
King? Right now. Right now. You are
no more accepted in the Beloved right now than you'll be when
you enter glory. No more accepted. No more. Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be. But we know that when He shall
appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Do you want, and I know every
believer does, do you want the comfortable, cozy, cozy assurance
of your acceptance before God? We've had some cold mornings
of late. And there's always an inclination on that alarm goes
off just to stay in bed. I mean, it's cold. And it's warm
under those covers. Cozy. Would you like to cuddle
up? before God Almighty himself in
the comfortable, cozy realization that you're accepted in the beloved,
then look where God himself looks for that acceptance. His beloved
Son. How pleasing, how acceptable
is Christ to God? Think about that. My, how pleasing
is the son to the father. How acceptable is the beloved
son to his heavenly father. So is everyone who's in the beloved. Just as acceptable, just as beloved. A man named John Kent, many years
ago, expressed it in these words of a hymn he wrote. He said,
"'Twixt Jesus and the chosen race subsist a bond of sovereign
grace, that hell with its infernal train shall never dissolve or
rend entwine. One in the tomb, one when he
rose, one when he triumphed over his foes, one when in heaven
he took his seat, while seraphs sang all hell's defeat. This
sacred tie forbids their fears, For all he is or has is theirs. With him their head, they stand
or fall. Their life, their surety, their
all. With him their head, they stand
or fall. Accepted in to be loved. When
the man who wrote that hymn lay dying, with his last breath he
said, oh, I'm accepted. He raised a feeble hand, already
cold with the dew of death, and he said, accepted, accepted,
and he went home to be with his Lord. We're accepted in him,
and we're accepted as he is. Turn back, if you will, to John's
Gospel, chapter 17. John chapter 17. This is what
our Lord says in his high priestly prayer. He's getting ready to
go and trod the winepress alone. He's getting ready shortly after
this to go to the garden where he'd be arrested, where he would
command them, command them, let my sheep go their way. Shortly after this, God would
speak and say, Awake, O sword, sword of justice, sword of my
divine wrath. Awake, O sword, against the man
who is my fellow. Smite the shepherd. And yet in
his high priestly prayer, our great shepherd has no word for
himself. Oh, but again and again and over
and over he speaks of his sheep. Father, keep my sheep. Sanctify my sheep. Make them
all one. And he speaks of that eternal
union that exists between Christ and his sheep. Look at verse
23. He says, I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect
in one. accepted, graced, and to be loved. How else could they ever be perfect? How else could they ever be perfect?
That they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may
know that Thou has sent me, and has loved them as Thou has loved
me. Father, I will that they also
whom Thou has given me, that they whom Thou has given me be
with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou
hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the
world. Our Lord said in chapter 14,
let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. I go to prepare a place for you,
for you, for you, my beloved, my bride. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself
that where I am, there you may be also. It is your father's
good pleasure, little flock. Fear not, he said. It is your
father's good pleasure, your father and my father, Christ
said. It's his good pleasure to give
you the kingdom. It's his good pleasure and our
God. shall do all of his pleasure. I read the story the other day
about a father who was enabled to move his family to a much
larger house than they'd ever been accustomed to living in. I know when I was a boy growing
up, I had four brothers and four sisters. Never lived in a house
that was big enough. My father couldn't afford it.
Never had my own bed by myself until I moved out. Oh, but this
story says the father moved his family into a larger house, and
the youngest son on the day that they were moving in, his youngest
son went from room to room. And he would look in, and with
his eyes big with wonder, he would say, Father, Is this ours? Is this ours? Each time he would
ask, Father, is this ours? He didn't ask, Father, is this
yours? He said, Father, is this ours? Will that not somewhat be the
case when all God's elect enter glory? Will we not look and we
that inherit the kingdom of our Father, of our God and our Savior,
When we hear him say, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
since the foundation of the world. Father, is this all ours? Is this all ours? All these mansions
of endless delight, is this all ours? Every tear being wiped
away, is this all ours? No more crying, no more pain,
no more sorrow, no more regrets. Is this all ours? And we shall
forever be with our Lord. Oh Father, is this all ours? Yes it is. And we owe it all
because of that eternal union that exists between Christ and
his church, accepted in the beloved. Turn, if you will, to Romans
chapter 8. This is what we're told here,
that we are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. All that he
is and has is ours. Romans chapter 8, verse 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children,
then heirs. Heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we be also
glorified together. And in verse 18 of Ephesians
1, along the same line, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened,
that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Yes,
child of God. Our Heavenly Father tells you,
yes, in the Beloved, it's all ours. It's all ours. Christ the Beloved is accepted
for his own sake and we are accepted in him for his sake. Thou art
my first elect God said and then chose our souls in Christ our
head. Until his name can be erased
from the Lamb's Book of Life, his name heads the page and under
his name the names of all his sheep. Until his name can be
erased from the Lamb's Book of Life, then none of his redeemed
ones can ever be either and they shall never be. He gives them
eternal life and he says they'll never perish. From whence this
fear and unbelief? Has not the Father put to grief
his spotless Son for me? And will the righteous judge
of men condemn me for that debt of sin which Lord was charged
on thee? Complete atonement thou hast
made. Complete atonement thou hast made. And to the utmost
farthing paid whatever thy people owed. How then can wrath on me
take place if sheltered in thy righteousness and sprinkled with
thy blood? No wonder the verse speaks of
the glory. Did you notice that in the text?
The glory of his grace. Oh, what glory. What glory concerning
the grace of our great God. There is glory in every attribute
of God. His glorious power, His glorious
wisdom, but oh, how glorious is His grace to helpless sinners. Look at what His grace is. Completely unmerited, reigning
sovereign grace. Grace finding a way to answer
all the claims of justice and yet justify the sinner. How so? By a substitute. By the beloved. The beloved accepted in him. Did you pay close attention to
the hymn that Bobby sang before I stood here to preach? I find this so comforting. This
is cozy. This is cozy. Not what these
hands have done can save this guilty soul. Not what this toiling
flesh has borne can make my spirit whole. Thy work alone, my Savior,
can ease this weight of sin. Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
can give me peace within. And it does. It does. Oh, the glory of His grace is
seen in those to whom He bestows it. Could any be more undeserving? God's grace comes to the most
unlikely of sinners. The most unlikely. and bestows
mercy and grace and everlasting salvation upon them. This is
what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1. Let's read. I know this is
familiar, but let's look at it again together. His grace comes
to the most unlikely, the most undeserving, the most sinful.
In 1 Corinthians 1, this is what we're told. In verse 26, for
you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called but God,
but God. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, in things which are not to bring
to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his
presence, but of him, but of him are you in Christ Jesus. There's that expression again. In Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
that according as it is written, he that glorious Let him glory
in the Lord. Oh, the glory of His grace is
seen in what it does. It raises dead sinners to life. It raises dead sinners to life. In chapter 2 of this book of
Ephesians, We're told you had he quickened who were dead in
trespasses and sins, who were just like everybody else. Your heart, your ambition was
all wrapped up in this world. It was all about you. What happened? What happened? God Almighty,
Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life He came and said,
live. My, so what a miracle. What a demonstration of His mighty,
conquering, sovereign, reigning grace. We lived. We rose up to walk in newness
of life, following our Redeemer. We heard Him say, follow me.
And we followed Him. And again in verse 18 of Ephesians
1, Paul speaks, rather this is his prayer, that the eyes of
your understanding be enlightened that you may know what is the
hope of his calling. The hope of his calling. That's
a good hope, isn't it? A sure hope, a living hope. It
gives everlasting consolation. Isn't that a comfort? Isn't that
cozy? that blessed place to be in the
beloved. Brothers and sisters in Christ,
would you have assurance, peace with God? Then look where God
looks. Look where God looks to his beloved
son. Every sense in that everlasting
covenant of grace, when he committed the keeping of his elect into
the hands of their surety, he ceased to look to them for anything. He looks to their surety. He
looks to Him to fulfill all righteousness on their behalf. He looks to
be loved and our acceptance, our acceptance in Him, therefore,
therefore is a perfect acceptance. If God accepts sinners on the
merits of His Son, His Son's righteousness, his son's atonement,
his son's life and death, then it must be a perfect acceptance. Because God wouldn't accept it
if it wasn't. If it wasn't perfect, God wouldn't
accept it. And looking away from myself,
if Larry wants to be discouraged and hang his harp upon the willow,
I can't think of a more sure way to do it than a look in myself. Oh, but on the contrary, if I
want to rejoice, if I want to have peace assurance, if I want
to snuggle up and be cozy on the foundation of my acceptance
before God, then I look to where God looks, to the beloved. to
Christ, my perfect Savior, Redeemer, and Substitute, and I must be
perfectly accepted in Him. And it must also be a complete
acceptance. God accepts His people in Christ
completely. We're not partly justified or
partly sanctified. There's no such thing as a justified,
unsanctified believer. We're complete in Christ. in
whom dwells all fullness. If I'm in Him, in whom dwells
all fullness, how can there be any lack? How can there be any
lack in Him, in whom dwells all fullness? No wonder we're told
we're complete in Him. A perfect atonement, a perfect
obedience. God's people are never more or
less accepted at one time than at another. Never, but always
perfectly and completely accepted and to be loved. And it's an
unchanging acceptance. Since our acceptance in Christ
is perfect and complete, it must be unchanging. Can you add anything
to perfection? Our enjoyment of it may and does
vary due to our unbelief, but the reality of it never does. Never does. One old hymn expresses
it this way, better than I can. In the Beloved, accepted am I,
risen, ascended, and seated on high, saved from all sin through
his infinite grace, with the redeemed ones afforded a place. In the Beloved, how safe my retreat. In the Beloved, accounted complete. Who can condemn me? In Him I
am free. Savior and keeper forever is
He. In the Beloved I went to the
tree. There in His person by faith
I may see infinite wrath rolling over His head, infinite grace,
for He died in my stead. In the Beloved God's marvelous
grace calls me to dwell in this wonderful place. God sees my
Savior, and then He sees me. Think about that, child of God.
God sees my Savior, and then He sees me. He looks at me through
the mirror of His Beloved. God sees my Savior, and then
He sees me in the Beloved. Accepted. Accepted and free. To the praise of the glory of
His grace wherein He had made us accepted in to be loved. To the praise of the glory of
His grace. May He give us grace to praise
His grace. Amen. Amen.