Ephesians 1: 6 (KJV)
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Paul started this epistle to the church at Ephesus with the reality of the spiritual blessings bestowed on everyone of them in Christ Jesus, and also that before the foundation of the world, God had planned that we would be His children, not by blood or the will of man but, through adoption of of sons.
This is the pleasure of God’s will, that we would become adopted beloved children of God, accepted just as Jesus is accepted by the Father. Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers (brethren). It was God’s plan all along.
Think about this for a minute. Who is referred to as “The Beloved” in the scripture above? Let’s look deeper.
Matthew 3: 16 – 17 (KJV)
16 And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up straightway out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him.
17 And lo, a voice came from Heaven, saying, “This Is My Beloved Son, In Whom I Am Well Pleased.”
The voice came from heaven as an endorsement of the person of Jesus. It had been rumoured that Jesus was the Messiah, some doubted him, but God himself spoke from heaven to confirm what they may have doubted. Everyone heard the voice, including John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin.
Later on, everyone who would believe in Jesus as the Lord and Saviour, in His finished work of death, burial and resurrection would also be called “Beloved” of God and the Father.
The word accepted used in Ephesians 1: 6 is the Greek “CHARITOO” … It means to cause to find favour. This was the exact word Gabriel spoke to Mary at the blessed annunciation.
Luke 1: 28 (KJV)
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Here, we see that Paul and Gabriel used the Greek word “CHARITOO” which means to cause to find favour. Mary found favour from God to have her womb carry the saviour, we (believers) also have found favour from God to be accepted in the beloved.
This is big! This is a blessing! To be called a child of God is act of God’s favour.
The saints of old, the prophets and even kings desired to witness this glorious verity, they longed for it; they prophesied it but never witnessed it.
Everyone in the day of Pentecost, from the book of Act till now who heard the Gospel and believed Jesus is “highly favoured” by God. This is what it really means to be accepted in the beloved. Glory to God!
John alluded to this reality too…
1 John 3: 1 – 2 (KJV)
1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.
2 Beloved, now we are 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.
My God! My God! This is big! It want to make me shout. I am shouting already, I can’t keep calm about this.
My dear friend, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. Now, we are the sons of God. And that’s only the beginning. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, we shall be exactly like Him in all of his immortality, glory and beauty. Glory to God!
DECLARATION
I am the beloved of the Father. I am accepted in the beloved. I am awakened to the fatherhood of God. I am highly favoured because of Christ in me.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
Romans 10: 9 – 10; 2 Corinthians 5: 21
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