ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED

MEMORY VERSE: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 119:7-12, Proverbs 31:2, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

READ: Ephesians 1:3-6

One of the conditions for answered prayer is that we must pray in the name of Jesus. John 16:23-34 says this: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” When we pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ, three things are implied. Firstly, when we pray in the name of Jesus we are coming to God based on what Jesus has done on our behalf. What did Jesus do on our behalf? He took our place on the cross i.e. He died for our sins. 1 Peter 3:18 says this: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” Jesus paid the penalty for our sin when He died in our place. He also took our guilt and our condemnation, which open the way for us to come to God without feeling guilty or ashamed. We now have the right of access to God. According to Ephesians 2:13, the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross of Calvary brought us near to God. The blood of Christ is the visible and eternal evidence of His sacrifice. When we come in the name of Jesus, we come in the merits of the blood that He shed on our behalf.

Secondly, when we pray in the name of Jesus we are coming to God based on who Jesus Himself is, not who we are. Jesus is our High Priest. Hebrews 4:14 says this: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” Jesus is also our advocate before the Father. 1 John 2:1 says this: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” Hence, when we pray in the name of Jesus, we are coming to the presence of God with Him as our High Priest and Advocate. As our High Priest, He offers up our prayers to God on our behalf- and because they are offered by Jesus, we know that they reach God. As our Advocate, He speaks directly to God on our behalf. He pleads our case better than we could ever do ourselves. When we make mistakes and errors and even sin, we do not need to stay away from God and feel ashamed. We can come freely because of Jesus. Lastly, when we pray in the name of Jesus we are recognizing the relationship that we have with God through Jesus. According to Ephesians 1:3-6, God foreknew us and determined that through Jesus Christ He would adopt us into His family as His Children. All this was worked out in time and human history when Jesus came and died on our behalf. When we come to God in the name of Jesus i.e. in the Beloved (John 3:16), we are accepted by God. We are not accepted because of what we were but because of what Jesus is.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: When we come to God in Jesus, we are not rejected. God never rejects His children. We are accepted in the Beloved, and that makes all the difference in the way we come to God. Romans 8:32 says this: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things.” With Him, with Jesus, God will freely give us all things.

TO DO: Go ahead and ask Him something in the name of Jesus (in faith). In the name of Jesus, before the end of the week you will testify.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.