How God Accepts You

God accepts you in His only begotten Son (John 3:16). Our sin is always unacceptable to God. He sent his Son into this world to take away your sins. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). At the cross, Jesus died for your sins. You are accepted by faith in God's beloved Son. "He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).

God accepts you through the righteousness of Christ. God takes away our sins and accounts us righteous in Christ alone (2 Corinthians 5:21). Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, you receive the righteousness of God. That's why you can sing, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness."

God accepts you in Christ, though you are not perfect, and never will be in this life. We have all failed God in many different ways. The Bible calls it sin. We can never earn our way into God's favor. His unmerited favor is called grace, and it's always a gift received by faith in Christ. Then you may testify, "by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

God accepts you with love divine. His love for us is personal. God's love for you is reality seen at the cross of Jesus (Romans 5:8). He died for your sins. His sacrifice takes away all your sins (1 John 1:7). His resurrection gives believers life abundant and everlasting. God accepts you by faith in Christ (Romans 5:1). God's love for you is forever (Romans 8:38-39). 

The Holy Spirit In You

The Bible teaches that God is everywhere. He is omnipresent. However, God's will is to indwell believers. He makes His home in our hearts. Believers in Jesus Christ become the house of God. We are God's temple. The Holy Spirit indwells you. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The Holy Spirit is in all who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit indwells us to do God's will. He changes our hearts. He gives us new desires. God works in us according to His good pleasure. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). God is pleased with us, because the Holy Spirit is working in us.

The Holy Spirit is in our hearts. That is your mind, will, and emotions. He is doing more in us than we can understand. He is always doing more than we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). The Lord will use our lives to bring glory to His name. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to do God's will.

Thank God today that the Holy Spirit is in you. Rest in the assurance that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Rely on God's ability to do more through you. Give God all the glory for what He does in you and through you. The Holy Spirit is in each and every believer.

What's to God's Glory?

All things are to God's glory. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36). It is God's will for us to bring glory to him in all things. Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

Creation is to God's glory. We were created to the praise of God's glory through Christ. You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created (Revelation 4:11). We were created to bring glory to God. The Bible defines sin as falling short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).

Salvation is to God's glory. We who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:12). As a believer, God is working in you and through you to the praise of his glory through Christ, "working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, forever and ever. Amen" (Hebrews 13:21).

Prayer is to God's glory. We pray to God our Father, For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen (Matthew 6:13). Prayer should always be centered upon God's glory in all things. God's kingdom and power work to the praise of his glory. We should pray to the glory of God in all things.

Spiritual Growth

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are born again desire the "sincere milk" of God's word (1 Peter 2:2). This comes through Bible study and teaching. We are enabled by the Holy Spirit to understand more and more of God's truth in Christ. That's how your faith in Christ grows.

In the New Testament, salvation includes regeneration and sanctification. "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Through regeneration believers have been born again in Christ. Sanctification is growing as believers in Christ.

Immediately upon regeneration, sanctification sets us apart in Christ (1 Peter 1:2). Regeneration is an immediate act by the Holy Spirit within our hearts, whereas sanctification is an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit within us. Simply stated, regeneration is your new birth in Christ, whereas sanctification is your growth in Christ.

The Holy Spirit will guide us to grow in truth found in the Bible (John 16:13). It is necessary for us to yield to the Spirit, otherwise we become carnal Christians (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). Our choice is between the Spirit and the flesh. It is an ongoing battle in every believer's life (Galatians 5:16-17). Yielding to the flesh hinders your growth in Christ.

What's Preceding Grace?

Because of our sinful nature, God opens our hearts to respond to the gospel of Christ. God's preceding grace enables us to respond freely to the gospel. In conversion, we respond to the gospel through repentance, turning to God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14). These words speak of Lydia, a woman who worshiped God but had not yet heard the gospel to believe in Christ. God's preceding grace opened her heart to hear and respond to the gospel. The word "heart" describes your mind, will, and emotions. It is a term for your inward person.

God's grace initiates our conversion. God opens our hearts to hear the gospel and to receive Christ (John 1:12-13). It may be identified with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11). It is the gospel call for us to trust the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:13). God's preceding grace opens our hearts to convince us about the truth of the gospel.

Our hearts are opened to hear and understand the gospel. God's preceding grace enables us to respond freely to the call of Christ. God works concurrently with our choice. Our hearts are open to believe the gospel and receive Christ (John 1:12). Therefore, we give God all the glory!

Be Free in Christ

Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Believers are free in Christ from the condemnation of sin, the curse of the law, and eternal judgment. He purchased freedom for every believer at the cross by his own blood. Believing the truth of Jesus Christ makes you free indeed.

Be free from the bondage of sin. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). That's freedom from the bondage of sin, guilt, shame, and fear. All of us have been prisoners to the bondage of sin, until we are free in Christ. All who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ are free indeed. "For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Be free from the old life of your past. We are free from the past with a new beginning. We are forgiven of everything that we have ever done wrong. We are reconciled to God and renewed in Christ. God is working all things together for our good, according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). 

Be free from the guilt of sin. Believers are cleansed from all sin (1 John 1:7). God has justified you by faith in Christ. Our sin debt is paid in full at the cross. Believers have a new life, even everlasting life in Christ (Romans 6:23). Thank God Almighty! You are free in Christ, free indeed.

True Faith In Christ

Charles Spurgeon said, "It is not great faith, but true faith that saves you; and salvation does not lie in the faith, but in Christ whom faith trusts. Faith as a grain of mustard seed will bring salvation to you." Spurgeon made it clear. True faith in Christ saves you.

True faith is trusting in Jesus Christ our Lord. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He is the only true way to God the Father. Our faith in Christ is faith in the truth. The power is in the truth of Christ, not our faith. It is faith that receives the truth of Christ.

True faith in Christ is a gift of the Holy Spirit. He is sent to bear witness of the truth in Christ. He confirms the truth in your heart and life. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth to you through the Holy Scripture. Jesus said, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 14:6). The gift of faith comes from the word of truth, inspired by the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:17). Our faith in Christ is based upon the word of truth.

True faith abides in Jesus our risen Lord. Saving faith comes from the one who is the truth, "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Saving faith is always looking unto Jesus. Look not to yourself, nor any other but Jesus. He who is the author of our faith is also the finisher of our faith.