To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
God receives undeserving sinners as His own children because they are united to Jesus, His beloved Son, by His free and glorious favor rather than by any merit of their own. This acceptance is full restoration to confidence and love as welcomed children, not barely tolerating pardoned culprits, with their sins laid on Christ and His righteousness counted as theirs so they stand innocent before God. Those joined to Christ in living faith share the Father's love for the Son, becoming members of the royal family, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, partakers of the divine nature and hid with Christ in God. It was secured at great cost when Christ clothed divinity with humanity and bore sin and death to satisfy justice, bridge the gulf made by transgression, and open the way back to God. The same delight the Father spoke over Christ at His baptism belongs to every believer, so that pleading Christ's merit gives access in prayer, requires humble faith and entire obedience, and will end in standing before the throne with sins blotted out to the praise of God's grace.
Verse Wording and Context
The verse stands in the opening blessing and promises of Ephesians 1:1-8. It was written from the prison-house at Rome to the brethren in Ephesus, to the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus, as instruction formed under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, pure, elevating and ennobling, and precious for every soul. It sets forth that God the Father has blessed believers with all spiritual blessings in Christ, chosen them in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love, and predestinated them unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. The plan of redemption was laid by a sacrifice, a gift, and the verse discloses the unsearchable riches of Christ, the treasure of grace freely offered to fallen men, which language is inadequate to express in its fulness. It is full of rich encouragement, setting before believers the privileges and opportunities, the hope and confidence, given by and through their Advocate Jesus Christ the righteous, uplifting Christ as the world's Redeemer in whom is redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.
The chapter is full of assurance for those striving for the eternal kingdom. The verse teaches that God's grace is the reason for praise and that believers are accepted in Christ, whom it identifies as the beloved. It is one of the assurances given again and again in Ephesians 1 that believers are blessed with spiritual blessings, chosen to be holy and without blame, and predestinated to adoption as children, with redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. It is a divine promise to be studied and claimed in all its depth and fulness by faith in God's power, instead of leaning on the arm of the law and trusting in worldly powers. The Father has promised to accept us in the Beloved and has made provision for salvation through the gift of Jesus, and those bearing heavy responsibilities have the privilege of coming into sacred nearness with God by presenting this Word back to Him in prayer with assurance, asking and receiving on the ground of His promise. God means just what He says when He declares believers accepted in the Beloved, and this acceptance is a privilege to be taken by faith, so that those who have received Christ are not to trifle with God by unbelief and are not to lose Him, but are to obtain a right experience in walking by faith, working by faith, and accepting by faith in the Beloved.
The Beloved is Christ, the beloved Son of God, in whom God has made believers accepted by Him. God's grace is glorious and worthy of praise, and through Jesus Christ believers are accepted by God. This acceptance belongs to God's purpose of making them His children through Christ and is joined to redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. God's grace and power are manifested to His commandment-keeping people in this acceptance in Christ, the Beloved.
The grace is glorious and freely given, and through it believers are accepted in Christ, the Beloved, giving praise to the glory of God's grace and calling for a thankful spirit and appreciation. Grace is God's free favor to undeserving sinners: through the covenant and the Saviour it brings adoption, redemption, regeneration, and heirship with Christ. God's love and provision came before human love or worthiness; Christ died for sinners, and God does not abandon people to condemnation or evil's power. Grace is not needed by sinless angels, but is shown to sinful human beings. God gives it to those who hunger for it, not because they deserve it, but because their need and unworthiness qualify them to receive it. Everything is owed to free, sovereign grace, grace in the covenant ordaining adoption, and grace in the Saviour effecting redemption, regeneration, and adoption to heirship with Christ. This grace is to be revealed to others by sowing patience, compassion, and love and reaping the harvest sown, while character is now forming for eternity and life on earth is training for heaven.
To the praise of the glory of His grace means openly confessing what God's grace has done, especially in one's own personal experience, with each person's praise marked by individuality and supported by a Christlike life that reveals the working of divine power in self. This open acknowledgment rather than secret enjoyment of gospel gifts is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world and has irresistible power working for the salvation of souls.
The verse belongs to God's purpose to adopt people as His children through Jesus Christ according to His will, freely bestowing His grace upon them in the Beloved to the praise of the glory of His grace. This acceptance in Christ is the condition God requires of men placed in His churches and institutions, who are to seek Him with the whole heart, with the promise that He will be to them a present help in every time of need. This acceptance belongs to all who come to Christ in faith and accept Him as their personal Saviour; God's predestination includes those who return to loyalty and obey His commandments. All who are willing to be saved by Christ are God's elect, and the obedient are those predestined from the foundation of the world, His chosen people predestined to adoption and to obedient faithfulness, with no one excluded from salvation who is willing to be saved by Christ.
God's Eternal Adopting Purpose
Before the foundation of the world God chose people in Christ to be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined them to 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 He made them accepted in the Beloved, in whom they have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace abounding in wisdom and prudence. With this He made known the mystery of His will and gathered together all things in Christ, giving an inheritance obtained to the praise of God's glory to those who trusted in Christ, with power wrought as in Christ's resurrection and exaltation far above all principality and power. Every human being is of consequence with God, and this shows the largeness of what Christ asks the Father to bestow on those who believe, a wonderful possibility and fullness that is the privilege of every follower, nothing greater than the character Christ revealed. Receiving this blessing calls for dying to self in order to live to God and for following in the footsteps of Christ.
Through a right understanding of Christ's mission and work people may be complete in Him and accepted by God, a benefit available to all who receive and believe in Jesus. Those who receive Christ and believe in His name receive the grace and standing of God's children through adoption in Christ, and God's purpose in this gracious act is to glorify His name. This acceptance belongs with God's purpose to make them holy and blameless in love and adopt them as His children, through whom they also have redemption and forgiveness of sins, for Christ came to save sinners from their sins. God freely welcomes believers in Christ the Beloved through the glory of His grace as part of the spiritual blessings given in heavenly places in Christ, freely given to fallen people through the plan of redemption, resting not on human merit but on Christ through whom they receive redemption and forgiveness. Those who respond to Christ's drawing and humbly receive and obey God's Word are among His chosen people.
People are made acceptable to God through Christ, not by human merit, works, or feelings, for Christ's imparted grace received through faith in Him as substitute and surety makes them God's adopted children and elect, to the praise of God's glorious grace. People from every nation, language and people are accepted in Christ through God's glorious grace, bringing praise to the glory of that grace. Their acceptance belongs to God's purpose to reveal and display the riches of His kindness and grace through Christ in the ages to come. After Jesus' resurrection this transforming grace was seen when God took imperfect people and renewed them, as in the apostles and evangelists whose lives were renewed and enlarged through Christ so that they feared God rather than people and influenced later generations.
God will display His glory by acknowledging His believing children before the universe, in this world and throughout eternity. Being made accepted in the Beloved to the praise of the glory of His grace is set forth as one of the privileges of the Christian.
Accepted in Christ Alone
God accepts humanity in Christ as its representative, and despite sins and weaknesses no one is cast aside as worthless. The sinner has nothing in himself to commend him to God, yet because Christ died for him he may be accepted in the Beloved. That acceptance gives hope to the erring and discouraged, teaching them to trust mercy and forgiveness and showing that Christ's strength enables a noble and virtuous life. The glory resting on Christ is the pledge of this love, so that prayer for help to resist temptation reaches heaven and finds acceptance, and every believing soul is addressed as a beloved child in whom God is well pleased.
Acceptance rests on free grace given in Christ, not on human merit, strength, or the amount of work done. Those who respond to Christ's drawing and receive and obey the word with childlike humility are received as obedient children. Christian character is perfected through Christ's strength, virtue and righteousness, and when believers serve humbly, distrust self and rely on Christ, His perfection and sufficiency make their work acceptable to the Father. His righteousness covers the defects of those who sincerely and humbly strive to obey, and the Father regards them with tender love.
The plan is not barely tolerating a pardoned culprit, pardoned and released without friendship and trust, but pardoning, cleansing from all sin, drawing near to the heart of Infinite Love, and fully restoring to confidence and love as welcomed, blessed, accepted children. God retains all His justice and holiness while pardoning the transgressor, indeed revealing His holiness in greater glory in cleansing, and saves because He loves the purchase of Christ's blood, waiting as a Father at the very entrance of heaven to welcome the repenting believer with abundant entrance to the mansions of the blest. Though sin separated finite man from God, through the merits of Jesus as surety and substitute man is again connected with God and declared accepted in the Beloved, with the way open by humble repentance and faith in Christ as the only Saviour. The gates of heaven are open and light and power are given, bringing the glory of God to man so that he may overcome sin in the flesh and leaving no excuse to remain in sin, so that those who come back to God will regain what Adam lost.
Those who unite their interests with Christ in love share in the Father's acceptance of the Son after His atoning sacrifice, for God loves them as He loves His Son. It is God's will that believers be so thoroughly identified with His Son as to be one with Christ as Christ is one with the Father, with entire soul, body and spirit bound up with Christ in God and life hid with Christ in God. In that oneness they share Christ's peace, joy and glory, which is His character, and their character is to show Christlikeness in loyalty to God. Christ stands between God and believers, revealing God's glory to them and covering their defects and transgressions with His spotless righteousness, and those who receive Him become God's children and joint heirs with Him, overcoming as He overcame because they suffer with Him.
To be accepted is to be regarded not as in Adam but as in Jesus Christ, as a son or daughter of God, a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King, an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. Even the humblest, lowliest believer is held so firmly that God will no more cast him off than demolish His own throne. Those who accept the offer of pardon give themselves without reserve, follow Christ, share in the divine nature, are changed into His image by grace, and receive power to become children acknowledged and rewarded as the purchase of Christ's blood. This acceptance makes human approval or opposition secondary and is incompatible with selfishness, pride, spiritual coldness, sloth and cowardice, leading true servants to speak and act to reflect light for the saving of souls unto the reward in the day of judgment.
Acceptance comes through living union with Christ by faith in Him as a personal Saviour, joining weakness to His strength, emptiness to His fullness, and frailty to His enduring might. Through the Holy Spirit the believer thus becomes a partaker of the divine nature, receives life and grace from Christ, bears fruit, and has petitions accepted through Him as one called His brother. By entire dependence through living faith believers are accepted to all intents and purposes, as the sap of the vine flows to every truly united branch and grace is given in large measure, a connection the whole heaven acknowledges. Even weak, sinful people may thus become complete in Christ, attain glory and virtue by learning of Him, become like God in character, add grace to grace and advance heavenward, an acceptance belonging to those born again of water and of the Spirit who have entered new life and escaped the corruption in the world through lust.
In that union sins are laid on Christ and His righteousness is counted as the believer's, for He was made sin that they might be made God's righteousness in Him. Through faith and union with Christ believers therefore have access to God. To be accepted in the Beloved is a great work in which believers are complete in Him, purified from selfishness so that influence is fragrant and pure and undefiled. They become a savor of life unto life to the unsaved, grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus, and through earnest cultivation of the Christian graces win souls to the truth as laborers together with God.
Sacrifice and Imputed Righteousness
Acceptance was laid by sacrifice and gift, made possible by self-giving that redeems and forgives sin. Christ stepped down from high command, laid aside crown and royal robe, clothed divinity with humanity, placed himself at the head of humanity, and for human sake became poor so that through his poverty people might inherit heavenly treasure. He bore the penalty of transgression and suffered death to save from eternal death, and because of that suffering God looks on people with a Father's compassion and receives them through his Son. Rather than destroying fallen human beings, which would be easier, his work is to reform, uplift and elevate them and bring them back to God with a place in glory. Through the cross people are brought near and reconciled, for without it there would be no union with the Father or hope of salvation, and when sinners trust in Christ at the cross their sins are pardoned and they may rejoice with full joy.
Sinners are accepted because Christ bore sin, answered the claims of the law, and cleanses by his blood. Through repentance and confession each soul coming just as they are is received, pardoned, has the dark record blotted out, and may start afresh forgiven, claiming every day and hour that transgressions are pardoned. This cleansing comes when a person makes a firm determined decision to obey, keep the commandments without weighing advantage, and stand on Christ's side, after which words and actions exert influence for good. Being accepted is being made like Christ in character, with the image of God renewed in mind and heart and character, receiving his wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That acceptance opens the way to prepare for the second appearing, to be vindicated at his appearing by putting away all evil and overcoming through his blood, on condition of holding the beginning of confidence firm unto the end.
In living faith-union the believer's sins are reckoned to Christ and Christ's righteousness is imputed to the believer, so the trusting stand as innocent and as God's righteousness in him. Christ was made sin in order to prove the righteousness of his own life in their behalf, and that righteousness is the ground of acceptance through faith, with his perfect obedience credited to those who receive and believe as he stands surety before God. The sinless One offered himself with all iniquities laid on him, and clothed with the robe of the Saviour's righteousness and partaking of the divine nature the unworthy under sentence of death stand justified before the Father and gain eternal life escaping corruption through lust. Defects of those who humble themselves, work in lowliness with distrust of self and reliance on Christ, and put forth humble efforts with sincere will and contrite heart to live up to requirements are covered by the perfection and fullness of the Lord our righteousness, for Christ adds his perfection and sufficiency to service done in the right spirit and the Father looks on them with pitying tender love as obedient children.
Through atonement and mediation Christ advocates as Representative and High Priest for those who receive him and brings them to God as sons and daughters, and God is satisfied with the atonement and glorified through the mediation. Taken from among men, bone of bone and flesh of flesh to understand temptation, he alone could with hope approach God in both human and divine natures, the only begotten Son who knew no sin bearing sin's penalty, and through him God welcomes all who come in the name of the great High Priest with no favor given by position or authority. When Jesus as Representative takes up the pending case in heaven's court the suit is gained so there is no need to doubt, and he pours mercy and grace and truth into the soul. His prayer reaches the throne and its answer assures acceptance, and prayers of those hungering for righteousness ascend with his righteousness giving fragrance like holy incense, so even the weakest and most suffering have hope and can share the divine nature. Confession and humbling of the soul is the only position of safety and hope for receiving this, to be sought with the whole being in praise in the time of judgment.
Christ as surety and substitute joins earth and heaven like the ladder with base on earth and top reaching heaven, opening the way after sin separated people from heaven so praise reaches God. With his long human arm he encircles the fallen race while with his divine arm he grasps the throne of the Almighty, uniting earth with heaven and finite man with the Infinite God. The communication cut off by transgression is renewed and an open door stands that none can shut, the earth divorced from heaven united again through Jesus. He has bridged the gulf so wanderers far from God can return, and through faith in him as accepted Substitute and obedience to the commandments those accepted will be brought back to the Eden home, bowing in gratitude for provision to take away sin.
Because redemption is completed and justice satisfied, struggling people are declared justified before angels and representatives of unfallen worlds, and where Christ is his church will be. Acceptance is through faith in his sacrifice after turning from transgression in repentance, on condition of obedience to the Creator's commandments, for his sacrifice gives no excuse to disregard the law. The law remains unchanged, Christ became surety for the guilty and died for the unjust, and acceptance includes accepting the duty to obey and be renewed in mind, so none can be accepted while continuing in transgression. His complete atonement also vindicates the holy law, ends transgression, and brings everlasting righteousness for his people. To those who love his Son God gives no smaller blessing than he gives his Son, loving believers and pitying every weakness, and when they trust him he strengthens and blesses them and makes them accepted to the praise of his grace, giving courage.
Perfect Christian character is formed not in human strength but in the strength and virtue and righteousness of Christ. The donation of the Holy Spirit, the greatest gift to finite people and free to all, marked the enthronement of the only begotten Son in his mediatorial kingdom. In the gift of the Comforter is demonstrated the perfect reconciliation effected between God and humanity.
Baptism Voice and Prayer
The voice heard at the Jordan was spoken to humanity as well as to Christ. Just before He entered public ministry, after being baptized by John, He prayed on the banks of the Jordan, the glory of God descended in the form of a dove, and the Father declared His delight in His beloved Son. In that delight in Christ, God declares people received through Him, and followers are assured they are accepted in Him. The dove-like glory and voice acknowledge Him as the accepted Substitute, who took humanity's transgressions and their penalty upon Himself and thereby opened a way of escape from sin.
As He bowed and prayed, heaven opened with glory resting upon Him and the Father's voice declaring pleasure in His beloved Son as heaven's pledge in behalf of humanity. His prayer cleaved through the heavens and was answered by a dove in appearance like burnished gold encircling the Son of God, and that answer declares that every son and daughter of Adam who takes hold of the crucified and risen Saviour is accepted in the Beloved. As the second Adam He redeemed Adam's disgraceful failure and fall by passing over the three leading temptations whereby man is beset, divinity flashing through humanity, and by the divine nature combined with the human overcoming where Satan was baffled and fled. Because He overcame and trod the winepress alone, He makes it possible for believers to come off more than conquerors, with angels having charge over them, for as God gave power to Christ He will give it to them. This acceptance should be an incentive to strive earnestly and perseveringly to please the Saviour and to live so that He did not die in vain, which gives encouragement to every believer who believes in Him by obeying His commandments, since Christ is the only hope of salvation.
The glory resting on Christ pledges God's love, and the light that fell on Him falls on those praying for help against temptation. The prayer that ascended at the Saviour's baptism embraces every believer, opening the way for people to pray to God, take hold of His strength, and make peace with Him. Those who follow His steps of repentance, faith, baptism, and covenant relation with God are accepted by God though weak in themselves, through Christ's sacrifice in stepping down from high command, laying aside crown and royal robe, clothing divinity with humanity, placing Himself at the head of humanity, and becoming poor so that through His poverty they might inherit heavenly treasure. That acceptance gives the same access Christ had at His baptism, so their prayers cleave through Satan's hellish shadow and through darkness into the sanctuary above, and the same glory that flashed from heaven at Christ's baptism is revealed to every earnest seeker. Because they are thus accepted, they can be strong in gospel hope, lay hold of the power that saves completely all who come to God, and when they come in God's appointed way fulfilling every requirement they can claim God's richest promises as their own; acceptance calls for taking hold of privileges, expecting large things, placing oneself under God's molding hand to be made a vessel unto honor, committing the keeping of the soul to Him as unto a faithful Creator, and standing in moral dignity with life hid with Christ in God. Every sincere prayer is thus accepted in Christ, the Beloved, with the Father's words of pleasure in His Son assuring those who pray that they are heard, giving hope in affliction that prayer may be answered and trouble removed, while Jesus as Intercessor and Substitute hears petitions and gives grace and power, so prayers are honored in heaven.
When Christ's righteousness and merit are pleaded at the throne and asked in His name, the person is accepted in the Beloved so the Father is glorified in the Son. This promise is to be believed because it proves God's love, for believers are His purchased property bought at infinite price, valued at the price of Jesus. The manner of that love is seen at the cross of Calvary where God gave His only-begotten Son to die for the world so believers would not perish but have everlasting life. Having been bought at such cost they have no right to spend God-given capabilities, time and talents in service of the world and sin or in aiding the powers of darkness, but must set their affections on things above where Christ sits on the right hand of God. At Pentecost the disciples received evidence of this acceptance, that prayers offered to God in faith would be answered as Christ had promised, and their unity and renunciation of selfishness accompanied the marked outpouring of divine grace.
Faith, Obedience, Transformed Life
Being accepted in the Beloved comes when a person is emptied of self, no longer putting self first and the Lord second, humbling the heart before Him, trusting wholly in His hands, and taking acceptance by faith rather than relying on self. Without Christ the heart is cold, but when one feels need of the Sun of Righteousness and comes to Jesus confessing sinful, unworthy, hopeless helplessness and crying to be saved or else perish, he is made accepted in the Beloved by faith in that sincere coming. Then the heart is warmed by the rays of divine love, and he comes to know by living experience what it means to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Even those most fully given to sin are accepted in Christ when they give themselves without reserve to God and cast the helpless soul on Christ for help against the strength of sin and evil habit, and the grasped helping hand proves it. As soon as the needy sinner receives Jesus as personal Saviour, Christ who will save to the uttermost and cast out none receives him, cries of distress and woe are changed to songs of praise and thanksgiving, and God speaks light into the heart once darkened by sin until it is irradiated by the presence of Him who is the light of life. Those thus accepted love Christ because He sought them and brought them back, understand the science of soul-saving from their own temptation and rescue, and become successful workers entrusted with saving souls who know how to seek the lost, point sinners to the Lamb of God, and bring many prodigals to the Father.
God requires entire obedience that one may be accepted in the Beloved, choosing the way of holiness cast up for the ransomed rather than walking in the ways of the world, in the path of self-righteousness, or in the path of selfish indulgence, for even secret bowing to unseen idols places the soul in the ranks of the Lord's enemies. Those who do the works of Christ are accepted in the Beloved, for union with Christ makes believers channels of His blessings bearing vine-fruit that reveals God's mercy, forgiveness and truth, and God loves them as He loves His own Son. The Sabbath is the sign heaven has given that man is accepted in the Beloved, for refraining from labor on the seventh day testifies to the world that he is on God's side and strives to live in perfect conformity to His commandments, recognizing as Sovereign the God who made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, with promise that if obedient he may enter the city of God and partake of the fruit of the tree of life.
God is pleased to acknowledge the service of believers in the Beloved, which is Christ, because it is done through His grace and strength, and their work and influence give glory and praise to God who works through them. Their secret kindness and self-denial develop Christlike character and show union with Him, and the good work begun on earth will reach its completion in eternal life to come. This acceptance is part of the character God approves and calls people to prepare for day by day, bringing praise to the glory of His grace. God gives His favor to the repenting, believing sinner because of what He thinks of Christ as Substitute, not because of what any person can do or what is thought of the sinner apart from Christ, so that when one surrenders wholly and fully believes, Christ accepts the soul to mold it after His likeness, His blood cleanses from all sin and frees the conscience from condemnation, all can be made perfect in Christ Jesus and claim sanctification and enjoy God's favor without anxiety, and this assurance strengthens ministers and believers to hold forth the Word of life, listen to God, serve faithfully, and lead many to salvation.
When the children of God have put on immortality they will stand before the throne of God and of the Lamb accepted in Christ, with all sins blotted out and all transgressions borne away, able to look upon the undimmed glory which mortal eyes could not endure. This belongs to those who have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings and workers together with Him in redemption by laboring for souls, and they will then see Him as He is and share with Him the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom to praise God through all eternity. The Father has confirmed His covenant with Christ to receive repentant and obedient people and to love them as He loves His Son, so where Christ is the redeemed will be, brought into favor with God through the marvelous plan of salvation and the great sacrifice of the King of glory, elevated by the merits of His blood and by obedience finally exalted to the throne of Christ. Those thus changed from sin to holiness are acknowledged and rewarded as people purchased by Christ's blood, to the joy of the truly converted, and the future home of the righteous and their everlasting reward are high and ennobling themes for the young to contemplate with the noblest powers of mind.
Poor souls once regarded with indifference and without interest become precious and are accepted in the Beloved when united with Christ, and those who keep their souls in the love of God, bound up in love with His heritage and loving the purchase of Christ's blood, have hearts melted from icy selfishness by the Spirit and rejoice that these souls are accepted. God has opened the way to receive help from the source of all power and has accepted His people in the Beloved, and this acceptance belongs to those who unite with the church by baptism, sealed as men and women born again of water and of the Spirit who have entered upon new life as partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption in the world through lust. That grace makes believers accepted in Christ to the praise of His glory, manifested to His commandment-keeping people.
God receives undeserving sinners as His own children because they are united to Jesus, His beloved Son, by His free and glorious favor rather than by any merit of their own. This acceptance is full restoration to confidence and love as welcomed children, not barely tolerating pardoned culprits, with their sins laid on Christ and His righteousness counted as theirs so they stand innocent before God. Those joined to Christ in living faith share the Father's love for the Son, becoming members of the royal family, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, partakers of the divine nature and hid with Christ in God. It was secured at great cost when Christ clothed divinity with humanity and bore sin and death to satisfy justice, bridge the gulf made by transgression, and open the way back to God. The same delight the Father spoke over Christ at His baptism belongs to every believer, so that pleading Christ's merit gives access in prayer, requires humble faith and entire obedience, and will end in standing before the throne with sins blotted out to the praise of God's grace.
Verse Wording and Context
The verse stands in the opening blessing and promises of Ephesians 1:1-8. It was written from the prison-house at Rome to the brethren in Ephesus, to the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus, as instruction formed under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, pure, elevating and ennobling, and precious for every soul. It sets forth that God the Father has blessed believers with all spiritual blessings in Christ, chosen them in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love, and predestinated them unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. The plan of redemption was laid by a sacrifice, a gift, and the verse discloses the unsearchable riches of Christ, the treasure of grace freely offered to fallen men, which language is inadequate to express in its fulness. It is full of rich encouragement, setting before believers the privileges and opportunities, the hope and confidence, given by and through their Advocate Jesus Christ the righteous, uplifting Christ as the world's Redeemer in whom is redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.
The chapter is full of assurance for those striving for the eternal kingdom. The verse teaches that God's grace is the reason for praise and that believers are accepted in Christ, whom it identifies as the beloved. It is one of the assurances given again and again in Ephesians 1 that believers are blessed with spiritual blessings, chosen to be holy and without blame, and predestinated to adoption as children, with redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. It is a divine promise to be studied and claimed in all its depth and fulness by faith in God's power, instead of leaning on the arm of the law and trusting in worldly powers. The Father has promised to accept us in the Beloved and has made provision for salvation through the gift of Jesus, and those bearing heavy responsibilities have the privilege of coming into sacred nearness with God by presenting this Word back to Him in prayer with assurance, asking and receiving on the ground of His promise. God means just what He says when He declares believers accepted in the Beloved, and this acceptance is a privilege to be taken by faith, so that those who have received Christ are not to trifle with God by unbelief and are not to lose Him, but are to obtain a right experience in walking by faith, working by faith, and accepting by faith in the Beloved.
The Beloved is Christ, the beloved Son of God, in whom God has made believers accepted by Him. God's grace is glorious and worthy of praise, and through Jesus Christ believers are accepted by God. This acceptance belongs to God's purpose of making them His children through Christ and is joined to redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. God's grace and power are manifested to His commandment-keeping people in this acceptance in Christ, the Beloved.
The grace is glorious and freely given, and through it believers are accepted in Christ, the Beloved, giving praise to the glory of God's grace and calling for a thankful spirit and appreciation. Grace is God's free favor to undeserving sinners: through the covenant and the Saviour it brings adoption, redemption, regeneration, and heirship with Christ. God's love and provision came before human love or worthiness; Christ died for sinners, and God does not abandon people to condemnation or evil's power. Grace is not needed by sinless angels, but is shown to sinful human beings. God gives it to those who hunger for it, not because they deserve it, but because their need and unworthiness qualify them to receive it. Everything is owed to free, sovereign grace, grace in the covenant ordaining adoption, and grace in the Saviour effecting redemption, regeneration, and adoption to heirship with Christ. This grace is to be revealed to others by sowing patience, compassion, and love and reaping the harvest sown, while character is now forming for eternity and life on earth is training for heaven.
To the praise of the glory of His grace means openly confessing what God's grace has done, especially in one's own personal experience, with each person's praise marked by individuality and supported by a Christlike life that reveals the working of divine power in self. This open acknowledgment rather than secret enjoyment of gospel gifts is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world and has irresistible power working for the salvation of souls.
The verse belongs to God's purpose to adopt people as His children through Jesus Christ according to His will, freely bestowing His grace upon them in the Beloved to the praise of the glory of His grace. This acceptance in Christ is the condition God requires of men placed in His churches and institutions, who are to seek Him with the whole heart, with the promise that He will be to them a present help in every time of need. This acceptance belongs to all who come to Christ in faith and accept Him as their personal Saviour; God's predestination includes those who return to loyalty and obey His commandments. All who are willing to be saved by Christ are God's elect, and the obedient are those predestined from the foundation of the world, His chosen people predestined to adoption and to obedient faithfulness, with no one excluded from salvation who is willing to be saved by Christ.
God's Eternal Adopting Purpose
Before the foundation of the world God chose people in Christ to be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined them to 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 He made them accepted in the Beloved, in whom they have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace abounding in wisdom and prudence. With this He made known the mystery of His will and gathered together all things in Christ, giving an inheritance obtained to the praise of God's glory to those who trusted in Christ, with power wrought as in Christ's resurrection and exaltation far above all principality and power. Every human being is of consequence with God, and this shows the largeness of what Christ asks the Father to bestow on those who believe, a wonderful possibility and fullness that is the privilege of every follower, nothing greater than the character Christ revealed. Receiving this blessing calls for dying to self in order to live to God and for following in the footsteps of Christ.
Through a right understanding of Christ's mission and work people may be complete in Him and accepted by God, a benefit available to all who receive and believe in Jesus. Those who receive Christ and believe in His name receive the grace and standing of God's children through adoption in Christ, and God's purpose in this gracious act is to glorify His name. This acceptance belongs with God's purpose to make them holy and blameless in love and adopt them as His children, through whom they also have redemption and forgiveness of sins, for Christ came to save sinners from their sins. God freely welcomes believers in Christ the Beloved through the glory of His grace as part of the spiritual blessings given in heavenly places in Christ, freely given to fallen people through the plan of redemption, resting not on human merit but on Christ through whom they receive redemption and forgiveness. Those who respond to Christ's drawing and humbly receive and obey God's Word are among His chosen people.
People are made acceptable to God through Christ, not by human merit, works, or feelings, for Christ's imparted grace received through faith in Him as substitute and surety makes them God's adopted children and elect, to the praise of God's glorious grace. People from every nation, language and people are accepted in Christ through God's glorious grace, bringing praise to the glory of that grace. Their acceptance belongs to God's purpose to reveal and display the riches of His kindness and grace through Christ in the ages to come. After Jesus' resurrection this transforming grace was seen when God took imperfect people and renewed them, as in the apostles and evangelists whose lives were renewed and enlarged through Christ so that they feared God rather than people and influenced later generations.
God will display His glory by acknowledging His believing children before the universe, in this world and throughout eternity. Being made accepted in the Beloved to the praise of the glory of His grace is set forth as one of the privileges of the Christian.
Accepted in Christ Alone
God accepts humanity in Christ as its representative, and despite sins and weaknesses no one is cast aside as worthless. The sinner has nothing in himself to commend him to God, yet because Christ died for him he may be accepted in the Beloved. That acceptance gives hope to the erring and discouraged, teaching them to trust mercy and forgiveness and showing that Christ's strength enables a noble and virtuous life. The glory resting on Christ is the pledge of this love, so that prayer for help to resist temptation reaches heaven and finds acceptance, and every believing soul is addressed as a beloved child in whom God is well pleased.
Acceptance rests on free grace given in Christ, not on human merit, strength, or the amount of work done. Those who respond to Christ's drawing and receive and obey the word with childlike humility are received as obedient children. Christian character is perfected through Christ's strength, virtue and righteousness, and when believers serve humbly, distrust self and rely on Christ, His perfection and sufficiency make their work acceptable to the Father. His righteousness covers the defects of those who sincerely and humbly strive to obey, and the Father regards them with tender love.
The plan is not barely tolerating a pardoned culprit, pardoned and released without friendship and trust, but pardoning, cleansing from all sin, drawing near to the heart of Infinite Love, and fully restoring to confidence and love as welcomed, blessed, accepted children. God retains all His justice and holiness while pardoning the transgressor, indeed revealing His holiness in greater glory in cleansing, and saves because He loves the purchase of Christ's blood, waiting as a Father at the very entrance of heaven to welcome the repenting believer with abundant entrance to the mansions of the blest. Though sin separated finite man from God, through the merits of Jesus as surety and substitute man is again connected with God and declared accepted in the Beloved, with the way open by humble repentance and faith in Christ as the only Saviour. The gates of heaven are open and light and power are given, bringing the glory of God to man so that he may overcome sin in the flesh and leaving no excuse to remain in sin, so that those who come back to God will regain what Adam lost.
Those who unite their interests with Christ in love share in the Father's acceptance of the Son after His atoning sacrifice, for God loves them as He loves His Son. It is God's will that believers be so thoroughly identified with His Son as to be one with Christ as Christ is one with the Father, with entire soul, body and spirit bound up with Christ in God and life hid with Christ in God. In that oneness they share Christ's peace, joy and glory, which is His character, and their character is to show Christlikeness in loyalty to God. Christ stands between God and believers, revealing God's glory to them and covering their defects and transgressions with His spotless righteousness, and those who receive Him become God's children and joint heirs with Him, overcoming as He overcame because they suffer with Him.
To be accepted is to be regarded not as in Adam but as in Jesus Christ, as a son or daughter of God, a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King, an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. Even the humblest, lowliest believer is held so firmly that God will no more cast him off than demolish His own throne. Those who accept the offer of pardon give themselves without reserve, follow Christ, share in the divine nature, are changed into His image by grace, and receive power to become children acknowledged and rewarded as the purchase of Christ's blood. This acceptance makes human approval or opposition secondary and is incompatible with selfishness, pride, spiritual coldness, sloth and cowardice, leading true servants to speak and act to reflect light for the saving of souls unto the reward in the day of judgment.
Acceptance comes through living union with Christ by faith in Him as a personal Saviour, joining weakness to His strength, emptiness to His fullness, and frailty to His enduring might. Through the Holy Spirit the believer thus becomes a partaker of the divine nature, receives life and grace from Christ, bears fruit, and has petitions accepted through Him as one called His brother. By entire dependence through living faith believers are accepted to all intents and purposes, as the sap of the vine flows to every truly united branch and grace is given in large measure, a connection the whole heaven acknowledges. Even weak, sinful people may thus become complete in Christ, attain glory and virtue by learning of Him, become like God in character, add grace to grace and advance heavenward, an acceptance belonging to those born again of water and of the Spirit who have entered new life and escaped the corruption in the world through lust.
In that union sins are laid on Christ and His righteousness is counted as the believer's, for He was made sin that they might be made God's righteousness in Him. Through faith and union with Christ believers therefore have access to God. To be accepted in the Beloved is a great work in which believers are complete in Him, purified from selfishness so that influence is fragrant and pure and undefiled. They become a savor of life unto life to the unsaved, grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus, and through earnest cultivation of the Christian graces win souls to the truth as laborers together with God.
Sacrifice and Imputed Righteousness
Acceptance was laid by sacrifice and gift, made possible by self-giving that redeems and forgives sin. Christ stepped down from high command, laid aside crown and royal robe, clothed divinity with humanity, placed himself at the head of humanity, and for human sake became poor so that through his poverty people might inherit heavenly treasure. He bore the penalty of transgression and suffered death to save from eternal death, and because of that suffering God looks on people with a Father's compassion and receives them through his Son. Rather than destroying fallen human beings, which would be easier, his work is to reform, uplift and elevate them and bring them back to God with a place in glory. Through the cross people are brought near and reconciled, for without it there would be no union with the Father or hope of salvation, and when sinners trust in Christ at the cross their sins are pardoned and they may rejoice with full joy.
Sinners are accepted because Christ bore sin, answered the claims of the law, and cleanses by his blood. Through repentance and confession each soul coming just as they are is received, pardoned, has the dark record blotted out, and may start afresh forgiven, claiming every day and hour that transgressions are pardoned. This cleansing comes when a person makes a firm determined decision to obey, keep the commandments without weighing advantage, and stand on Christ's side, after which words and actions exert influence for good. Being accepted is being made like Christ in character, with the image of God renewed in mind and heart and character, receiving his wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That acceptance opens the way to prepare for the second appearing, to be vindicated at his appearing by putting away all evil and overcoming through his blood, on condition of holding the beginning of confidence firm unto the end.
In living faith-union the believer's sins are reckoned to Christ and Christ's righteousness is imputed to the believer, so the trusting stand as innocent and as God's righteousness in him. Christ was made sin in order to prove the righteousness of his own life in their behalf, and that righteousness is the ground of acceptance through faith, with his perfect obedience credited to those who receive and believe as he stands surety before God. The sinless One offered himself with all iniquities laid on him, and clothed with the robe of the Saviour's righteousness and partaking of the divine nature the unworthy under sentence of death stand justified before the Father and gain eternal life escaping corruption through lust. Defects of those who humble themselves, work in lowliness with distrust of self and reliance on Christ, and put forth humble efforts with sincere will and contrite heart to live up to requirements are covered by the perfection and fullness of the Lord our righteousness, for Christ adds his perfection and sufficiency to service done in the right spirit and the Father looks on them with pitying tender love as obedient children.
Through atonement and mediation Christ advocates as Representative and High Priest for those who receive him and brings them to God as sons and daughters, and God is satisfied with the atonement and glorified through the mediation. Taken from among men, bone of bone and flesh of flesh to understand temptation, he alone could with hope approach God in both human and divine natures, the only begotten Son who knew no sin bearing sin's penalty, and through him God welcomes all who come in the name of the great High Priest with no favor given by position or authority. When Jesus as Representative takes up the pending case in heaven's court the suit is gained so there is no need to doubt, and he pours mercy and grace and truth into the soul. His prayer reaches the throne and its answer assures acceptance, and prayers of those hungering for righteousness ascend with his righteousness giving fragrance like holy incense, so even the weakest and most suffering have hope and can share the divine nature. Confession and humbling of the soul is the only position of safety and hope for receiving this, to be sought with the whole being in praise in the time of judgment.
Christ as surety and substitute joins earth and heaven like the ladder with base on earth and top reaching heaven, opening the way after sin separated people from heaven so praise reaches God. With his long human arm he encircles the fallen race while with his divine arm he grasps the throne of the Almighty, uniting earth with heaven and finite man with the Infinite God. The communication cut off by transgression is renewed and an open door stands that none can shut, the earth divorced from heaven united again through Jesus. He has bridged the gulf so wanderers far from God can return, and through faith in him as accepted Substitute and obedience to the commandments those accepted will be brought back to the Eden home, bowing in gratitude for provision to take away sin.
Because redemption is completed and justice satisfied, struggling people are declared justified before angels and representatives of unfallen worlds, and where Christ is his church will be. Acceptance is through faith in his sacrifice after turning from transgression in repentance, on condition of obedience to the Creator's commandments, for his sacrifice gives no excuse to disregard the law. The law remains unchanged, Christ became surety for the guilty and died for the unjust, and acceptance includes accepting the duty to obey and be renewed in mind, so none can be accepted while continuing in transgression. His complete atonement also vindicates the holy law, ends transgression, and brings everlasting righteousness for his people. To those who love his Son God gives no smaller blessing than he gives his Son, loving believers and pitying every weakness, and when they trust him he strengthens and blesses them and makes them accepted to the praise of his grace, giving courage.
Perfect Christian character is formed not in human strength but in the strength and virtue and righteousness of Christ. The donation of the Holy Spirit, the greatest gift to finite people and free to all, marked the enthronement of the only begotten Son in his mediatorial kingdom. In the gift of the Comforter is demonstrated the perfect reconciliation effected between God and humanity.
Baptism Voice and Prayer
The voice heard at the Jordan was spoken to humanity as well as to Christ. Just before He entered public ministry, after being baptized by John, He prayed on the banks of the Jordan, the glory of God descended in the form of a dove, and the Father declared His delight in His beloved Son. In that delight in Christ, God declares people received through Him, and followers are assured they are accepted in Him. The dove-like glory and voice acknowledge Him as the accepted Substitute, who took humanity's transgressions and their penalty upon Himself and thereby opened a way of escape from sin.
As He bowed and prayed, heaven opened with glory resting upon Him and the Father's voice declaring pleasure in His beloved Son as heaven's pledge in behalf of humanity. His prayer cleaved through the heavens and was answered by a dove in appearance like burnished gold encircling the Son of God, and that answer declares that every son and daughter of Adam who takes hold of the crucified and risen Saviour is accepted in the Beloved. As the second Adam He redeemed Adam's disgraceful failure and fall by passing over the three leading temptations whereby man is beset, divinity flashing through humanity, and by the divine nature combined with the human overcoming where Satan was baffled and fled. Because He overcame and trod the winepress alone, He makes it possible for believers to come off more than conquerors, with angels having charge over them, for as God gave power to Christ He will give it to them. This acceptance should be an incentive to strive earnestly and perseveringly to please the Saviour and to live so that He did not die in vain, which gives encouragement to every believer who believes in Him by obeying His commandments, since Christ is the only hope of salvation.
The glory resting on Christ pledges God's love, and the light that fell on Him falls on those praying for help against temptation. The prayer that ascended at the Saviour's baptism embraces every believer, opening the way for people to pray to God, take hold of His strength, and make peace with Him. Those who follow His steps of repentance, faith, baptism, and covenant relation with God are accepted by God though weak in themselves, through Christ's sacrifice in stepping down from high command, laying aside crown and royal robe, clothing divinity with humanity, placing Himself at the head of humanity, and becoming poor so that through His poverty they might inherit heavenly treasure. That acceptance gives the same access Christ had at His baptism, so their prayers cleave through Satan's hellish shadow and through darkness into the sanctuary above, and the same glory that flashed from heaven at Christ's baptism is revealed to every earnest seeker. Because they are thus accepted, they can be strong in gospel hope, lay hold of the power that saves completely all who come to God, and when they come in God's appointed way fulfilling every requirement they can claim God's richest promises as their own; acceptance calls for taking hold of privileges, expecting large things, placing oneself under God's molding hand to be made a vessel unto honor, committing the keeping of the soul to Him as unto a faithful Creator, and standing in moral dignity with life hid with Christ in God. Every sincere prayer is thus accepted in Christ, the Beloved, with the Father's words of pleasure in His Son assuring those who pray that they are heard, giving hope in affliction that prayer may be answered and trouble removed, while Jesus as Intercessor and Substitute hears petitions and gives grace and power, so prayers are honored in heaven.
When Christ's righteousness and merit are pleaded at the throne and asked in His name, the person is accepted in the Beloved so the Father is glorified in the Son. This promise is to be believed because it proves God's love, for believers are His purchased property bought at infinite price, valued at the price of Jesus. The manner of that love is seen at the cross of Calvary where God gave His only-begotten Son to die for the world so believers would not perish but have everlasting life. Having been bought at such cost they have no right to spend God-given capabilities, time and talents in service of the world and sin or in aiding the powers of darkness, but must set their affections on things above where Christ sits on the right hand of God. At Pentecost the disciples received evidence of this acceptance, that prayers offered to God in faith would be answered as Christ had promised, and their unity and renunciation of selfishness accompanied the marked outpouring of divine grace.
Faith, Obedience, Transformed Life
Being accepted in the Beloved comes when a person is emptied of self, no longer putting self first and the Lord second, humbling the heart before Him, trusting wholly in His hands, and taking acceptance by faith rather than relying on self. Without Christ the heart is cold, but when one feels need of the Sun of Righteousness and comes to Jesus confessing sinful, unworthy, hopeless helplessness and crying to be saved or else perish, he is made accepted in the Beloved by faith in that sincere coming. Then the heart is warmed by the rays of divine love, and he comes to know by living experience what it means to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Even those most fully given to sin are accepted in Christ when they give themselves without reserve to God and cast the helpless soul on Christ for help against the strength of sin and evil habit, and the grasped helping hand proves it. As soon as the needy sinner receives Jesus as personal Saviour, Christ who will save to the uttermost and cast out none receives him, cries of distress and woe are changed to songs of praise and thanksgiving, and God speaks light into the heart once darkened by sin until it is irradiated by the presence of Him who is the light of life. Those thus accepted love Christ because He sought them and brought them back, understand the science of soul-saving from their own temptation and rescue, and become successful workers entrusted with saving souls who know how to seek the lost, point sinners to the Lamb of God, and bring many prodigals to the Father.
God requires entire obedience that one may be accepted in the Beloved, choosing the way of holiness cast up for the ransomed rather than walking in the ways of the world, in the path of self-righteousness, or in the path of selfish indulgence, for even secret bowing to unseen idols places the soul in the ranks of the Lord's enemies. Those who do the works of Christ are accepted in the Beloved, for union with Christ makes believers channels of His blessings bearing vine-fruit that reveals God's mercy, forgiveness and truth, and God loves them as He loves His own Son. The Sabbath is the sign heaven has given that man is accepted in the Beloved, for refraining from labor on the seventh day testifies to the world that he is on God's side and strives to live in perfect conformity to His commandments, recognizing as Sovereign the God who made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, with promise that if obedient he may enter the city of God and partake of the fruit of the tree of life.
God is pleased to acknowledge the service of believers in the Beloved, which is Christ, because it is done through His grace and strength, and their work and influence give glory and praise to God who works through them. Their secret kindness and self-denial develop Christlike character and show union with Him, and the good work begun on earth will reach its completion in eternal life to come. This acceptance is part of the character God approves and calls people to prepare for day by day, bringing praise to the glory of His grace. God gives His favor to the repenting, believing sinner because of what He thinks of Christ as Substitute, not because of what any person can do or what is thought of the sinner apart from Christ, so that when one surrenders wholly and fully believes, Christ accepts the soul to mold it after His likeness, His blood cleanses from all sin and frees the conscience from condemnation, all can be made perfect in Christ Jesus and claim sanctification and enjoy God's favor without anxiety, and this assurance strengthens ministers and believers to hold forth the Word of life, listen to God, serve faithfully, and lead many to salvation.
When the children of God have put on immortality they will stand before the throne of God and of the Lamb accepted in Christ, with all sins blotted out and all transgressions borne away, able to look upon the undimmed glory which mortal eyes could not endure. This belongs to those who have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings and workers together with Him in redemption by laboring for souls, and they will then see Him as He is and share with Him the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom to praise God through all eternity. The Father has confirmed His covenant with Christ to receive repentant and obedient people and to love them as He loves His Son, so where Christ is the redeemed will be, brought into favor with God through the marvelous plan of salvation and the great sacrifice of the King of glory, elevated by the merits of His blood and by obedience finally exalted to the throne of Christ. Those thus changed from sin to holiness are acknowledged and rewarded as people purchased by Christ's blood, to the joy of the truly converted, and the future home of the righteous and their everlasting reward are high and ennobling themes for the young to contemplate with the noblest powers of mind.
Poor souls once regarded with indifference and without interest become precious and are accepted in the Beloved when united with Christ, and those who keep their souls in the love of God, bound up in love with His heritage and loving the purchase of Christ's blood, have hearts melted from icy selfishness by the Spirit and rejoice that these souls are accepted. God has opened the way to receive help from the source of all power and has accepted His people in the Beloved, and this acceptance belongs to those who unite with the church by baptism, sealed as men and women born again of water and of the Spirit who have entered upon new life as partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption in the world through lust. That grace makes believers accepted in Christ to the praise of His glory, manifested to His commandment-keeping people.