There are so many precious gems of the treasure of God's Word that can give us peace, joy, comfort, and assurance of our standing in the Lord Jesus Christ before God, but to know that I am made accepted, (and not only I, but every one of God's elect), is truly the pearl of great price! Oh, to know that it is not what I am, or I am not; or what I do, or don't do, but ALL that my precious Savior is before the Father that makes me "accepted" is beyond my conprehension: I just can't find words to express what this means to me; especially moreso, as I look at myself and all of my failures each and every day. Yes, I have to confess with the apostle Paul: "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death" (Romans 7:24) is my experience every day; and yet I know that as it is said of God's people of old: "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel" (Numbers 23:21) is also true of us because we have been made "accepted in the beloved"; and therefore, we are "holy and without blame before...the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4,3,6). Why? Because as Paul says: "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness ("without blame"), and sanctification ("holy")..." (1 Corinthians 1:30). In other words, ALL that the beloved Son of God is to the Father, so are we also in Him. HALLELUJAH!!!

    Oh, beloved, may the precious Holy Spirit of God give us this understanding of what it means to be made "accepted in the beloved" Son of God, and fill our hearts with rejoicing and our lips with praises; and the faith by which we can believe it and receive it for ourselves. In times of doubts and fears when sin in our lives raises its ugly head and condemns us; or that our God and Father has forsaken, and hid His face from, us (Isaiah 54:7,8); or that we just can't simply get the assurance (whatever the reason), that we are accepted of God; yes, even when it gets so dark that you can't see His face, remember, keep "looking unto Jesus", who is "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), and remember, that as God looks at His beloved Son, who "is altogether lovely" (Song of Solomon 5:16) and "in whom" He is "well pleased" (Matthew 3:17), so He sees you in Him; for He has made you, and me, accepted in His beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.