The Pastor's Heart

It’s been like a navy blue blazer or khaki slacks. It goes with almost anything. There’s a verse of Scripture, or really just a phrase, that has been on my heart for a little more than a week, and I have been able to apply it in so many areas. From the blessing of personal meditation to our Men of the Word study group to conversations in counseling, it has gone with everything. The phrase is found in Ephesians 1:6: “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Have you given any thought lately to who you are in Christ? You see, that word “beloved” is a reference to our Savior, the one referred to in Matthew 3:17 as the “beloved Son.” In fact, the Spanish Bible I used while serving in Mexico has it capitalized and reads “aceptos en el Amado.” The word “accepted” has the idea of being endued with special honor or to be highly favored. The moment you were saved, you were placed in Christ. And in Christ you are now seen by the Father as a special object of loving honor and divine favor. It is impossible to put into words all that this truly means. You will have to meditate on it yourself and allow the Spirit to communicate the magnificence of this truth to your own heart. If you do, you will find the solution for self-pity. You’ll see the defeat of depression. A lift out of loneliness. Strength for your suffering. The cure for the “nobody cares” routine. You will discover that you are loved, favored, and honored beyond imagination. You are “accepted in the Beloved.” And that will go with anything you face today!