Chosen Accepted

Duane Vander Klok

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:3-14

 

Too many people live their lives believing that God is mad, disappointed, or uninterested with them. Nothing could be further from the truth! The Bible tells us that as a believer, you are accepted in the Beloved. You are highly favored by God. 

 

Did you know that you have special advantages because you are highly favored? You have the authority over death, sin, and the devil that Jesus purchased on the cross. And one day of favor can get you further than one thousand days of labor. 

 

Now, Luke 2:52 tells about that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. We know that you can have differing levels of favor on your life. There is nothing you can do to make God love you less, but there are things you can do to make you love God less. Sin hardens your heart toward God, and when we are caught in a cycle of sin, you are not able to hear, know, and pursue God as well. When you sin, God does not love you less, but you begin to love God less. 

 

As you grow in favor as a believer, take care that your eyes are firmly fixed on Jesus each day. When you wake up in the morning, remember that God wants to bless you, know you, and speak to you. How can you prioritize hearing His voice each day?