SUNDAY 21st
Romans 8:14-17
Accepted and Included
On resurrection morning we read some of the best news that the world has ever heard, it is found in Luke 24:5-6 ‘And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee . . .’ If we go to John’s gospel and chapter 20 we read of another statement that was made at the tomb which is also significant and important news John 20:17 ‘Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’
Did you catch the good news? Jesus is saying that his Father was now also Mary’s Father and that his God was now also Mary’s God and he included the disciples in the good news.
The work of redemption not only saves us and brings forgiveness and reconciliation but it also brings us into the privileged position of being accepted or adopted into Gods family as his sons and daughters, the God who we were estranged from because of our sin and iniquity is now our God and our Father and he calls us his children. He includes us in his family. Revelation 20 tells us about a book called the book of life, it is a record of all who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but for a moment think of it this way, it is a book that records all that have been accepted and included into the family of God, the household of faith. It is a family record, is your name included?
The modern translations miss out something that is found in the KJV in Ephesians 1:6 ‘To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.’
We are only accepted by God through our being positioned in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are positioned or placed in Christ through the new birth experience. Outside of being in Christ all mankind is hopelessly lost and will in the final analysis be banished eternally from his presence. Our being positioned in Christ is an incredible place to be, it is the place in which we are brought near to the very presence of and to the heart of God.
Ephesians chapter 2 which we have come to many times during these lockdown devotions is a great chapter in that it helps us to understand the whole idea of our being included in the purposes of God because of and through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember what it says in verses 11-13 ‘Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands — remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility . . .’
As Gentiles unbelievers we were separated from, without hope, and without God. Earlier in the chapter Paul reminds us that we were dead, following the course of this world, living in the passions of the flesh and were children of wrath. But v4 gives an amazing BUT, ‘But God’, through his grace and mercy and through the redemptive work of Christ has reached out to us and has accepted us and included us in all that he has purposed to do. Because we have been accepted and included, we have access in one Spirit to the Father, we are no longer strangers and aliens but are now included as fellow citizen with the saints and members of the household of God. (verses 17-19)
It almost impossible for me to put into words what I want to be saying today, I trust that what I have said will cause us to rejoice again and to have hearts that are full of appreciation for what God has done in Christ Jesus to bring us back into his family and into his household, we are children of God. I will close with some verses of Scripture.
Romans 8:14-17 ‘For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.’
Galatians 4:4-7 ‘But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.’
Galatians 3:25-26 ‘But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.’
I’m accepted, I’m forgiven
I am fathered by the true and living God
I’m accepted, no condemnation
I am loved by the true and living God
There’s no guilt or fear as I draw near
To the Saviour and Creator of the world
There is joy and peace
As I release my worship to You, O Lord
© 1985 Kingsway Thankyou Music CCLI788682