Difference between revisions of "Acceptance"

<span> [[Genesis]] 1:26-27 </span> <span> Genesis 5:43-48 </span> <p> Above all, sin keeps a person from being acceptable to [[God]] ( <span> Genesis 4:7 </span> ; <span> [[Isaiah]] 59:2 </span> ). From earliest days sacrifices were offered to God in an attempt to make the worshiper acceptable to Him. Later, the law revealed more clearly what one needed to do to be acceptable to God. This included ethical actions (Ten Commandments) as well as sacrifices (Leviticus). [[Israel]] succumbed to the temptation of separating sacrifice from ethical action, so the great prophets again and again hammered home the truth that no sacrifice is acceptable if it is divorced from just treatment of others ( <span> Isaiah 1:10-17 </span> ; <span> [[Amos]] 5:21-24 </span> ). [[Micah]] summed up the terms of acceptance in <span> Amos 6:6-8 </span> , “What doth the [[Lord]] require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” The proper attitude of humility is as important as right action ( <span> [[Psalm]] 51:16-17 </span> ; <span> 1 [[Peter]] 5:5-6 </span> ). </p> <p> [[Jesus]] summarized the law and the prophets in the two great commandments ( <span> [[Matthew]] 22:37-40 </span> ) and held them up as the requirements for eternal life ( <span> [[Luke]] 10:25-28 </span> ). [[Paul]] saw that the law serves two purposes. (1) It makes known God's requirements, thus revealing human sinfulness ( <span> [[Romans]] 3:20 </span> ). (2) The moral law as a true expression of God's will remains a goal or guide, even though one no longer thinks God's acceptance is won by the law. The New [[Testament]] proclaims that Jesus has done what is necessary to make one acceptable to God. At the beginning of [[His]] ministry Jesus announced that His mission included proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord, the time of salvation ( <span> Luke 4:19 </span> ). Jesus revealed the will of God clearer than ever before ( <span> Hebrews 1:1-2 </span> ); [[He]] destroyed the works of the devil ( <span> 1 [[John]] 3:8 </span> ); but above all He put away sin “by the sacrifice of Himself” ( <span> Hebrews 9:26 </span> ). Paul wrote of acceptance before God mainly as justification. [[People]] are made acceptable to God because the just requirements of the law have been met by the sacrifice of Jesus ( <span> Romans 3:21-26 </span> , <span> Romans 8:3-5 </span> ). The [[Book]] of Hebrews presents Jesus as the true High [[Priest]] who offers the perfect sacrifice that effectively cleanses or covers sin so that it is no longer a barrier to acceptance by God ( <span> Hebrews 9:11-14 </span> ,Hebrews 9:11-14, <span> 9:26 </span> ). Both Paul and Hebrews taught that for acceptance by God to be effective, one must believe—accept the offer of acceptance from God in [[Christ]] and commit oneself to following the way of Jesus, confessing Him as Lord. [[See]] <a> [[Justification]] </a> ; <a> [[Atonement]] </a> ; <a> [[Love]] </a> . </p> <p> [[Joe]] Baskin </p>

<p> <translit> ak </translit> - <translit> sep´tans </translit> : A rendering of the [[Hebrew]] <span> רצון </span> , <i> <translit> recōn </translit> </i> , "delight," found only in <span> [[Isaiah]] 60:7 </span> . It pictures God's delight in [[His]] redeemed people in the [[Messianic]] era, when their gifts, in joyful and profuse abundance, "shall come up with acceptance on mine altar." [[With]] "accepted" and other kindred words it implies redeeming grace as the basis of [[Divine]] favor. It is the "living, holy sacrifice" that is "acceptable to God" ( <span> [[Romans]] 12:1 </span> ; compare <span> [[Titus]] 3:4-6 </span> ). </p>

<p> <span> 1. </span> a term which imports the <span> admission </span> of man into the <span> favor </span> of God. [[As]] things are best understood by contrast with their opposites, so acceptance is to be understood from its opposite, rejection, the sense of which will be found by reference to <span> [[Jeremiah]] 6:30 </span> ; <span> Jeremiah 7:29 </span> . To understand aright the [[Scriptural]] idea of acceptance with God, we must keep in mind the fact that sin is highly displeasing to God, and is attended by the hiding of his face or the withholding of his favor. [[Sin]] causes [[God]] to refuse to hold friendly intercourse with man; but the mediation of the [[Son]] of God restores this intercourse. [[Sinners]] are said to be "accepted in the Beloved" ( <span> Ephesians 1:6 </span> ); that is, in Christ. They are no longer held in a state of rejection, but are received with approbation and kindness. It is to be noticed that it is an idea of a positive kind which the word acceptance contains. As the rejection which sin occasioned was express, equally express and positive is the acceptance of which [[Christ]] is the author. [[One]] who had disgraced himself before his sovereign would be particularly refused any share in the favors of the court. When this breach was repaired, the excluded party would again be favorably received (Eden). (See <a> ACCEPT </a> ). </p> <p> <span> 2. </span> [[Acceptance]] ( <span> Ephesians 1:6 </span> ); in theology, is nearly synonymous with justification. We mistake the terms of acceptance with God <span> when we trust in, </span> 1, the superiority of our virtues to our vices ( <span> [[Romans]] 3:20 </span> ; <span> [[James]] 2:10 </span> ); 2, in a faith in Christ which does not produce good works ( <span> James 2:14 </span> ); 3, in the atonement, without personal repentance from sin ( <span> [[Luke]] 13:5 </span> ); 4, in the hope of future repentance, or conversion on a dying bed ( <span> Proverbs 4:1-27 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 24:1-34 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 25:1-28 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 26:1-28 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 27:1-27 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 28:1-28 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 29:1-27 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 30:1-33 </span> ; <span> Proverbs 31:1-31 </span> ). (See <a> ADOPTION </a> ); (See <a> JUSTIFICATION </a> ). </p>