Why am I accepted?

The desire to be accepted is our strongest desire. Sigmund Freud taught that the sex drive was the greatest human desire. Others have argued that men lost at sea have a greater desire than to have sex—they desire food and water, to find direction, to feel comforted, etc.

Think of how the desire to be accepted governs these things in our life: what we wear, how we comb our hair, how we talk, what we drive, where we go, how we act, and what we do.

Every human religion apart from Christianity is man’s effort seeking to be accepted by God. This could be our number one issue, because we all want to be accepted for who we are. Yet at the same time, we all see that what we are needs improvement.

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

Lord, teach us that our value lies in being accepted in Jesus, that our sins are forgiven and washed away, and that the righteousness of Jesus is ours now because we are united to Him by faith. Amen. PRAYER

We do this because we are designed to be loved. We are made in God’s image, and God is love. We do it also because we are aware of our own insufficiencies. 1.The natural self is constantly seeking acceptance from self and others.

What do we mean by the natural self? This is what the Greek NT and the KJV calls “the flesh.” It involves all of our natural desires and directions before we get a “new nature” by faith in Jesus Christ.

So Proverbs deals with these distortions -- pride, laziness, lack of patience, failure to honor and respect others, wrong use of the tongue, etc. 2. Sin is not just a transgression of the law, for its effects also distort or pervert the way we were made in God’s image.

Proverbs deals with character issues that run outside of God’s laws. Nonetheless, they have to do with reflecting God’s image to others. In other words, how do I glorify God if I am a genuine child of God by faith in Jesus Christ? What is interesting is that these very same issues reappear in the epistles of the NT.

The fourth commandment tells us to keep the day of the Sabbath holy or set apart, special, superior to all other days of the week. Bruce Waltke tells us that this commandment reminds us that we are not machines. Our self-worth is not determined by our level of productivity. We rest in the Lord and not in the laurels of our labors.

So, our self-worth is not determined by how much money we make. It is also not determined by how attractive we look, whether in terms of beauty or being “buffed up.” Our self-worth is related to being in Christ. If we are accepted in the beloved, that is, in Jesus, then we will want for ourselves what the Lord wants for us. We will desire to be good servants of one another, using our new-found abilities in Jesus.

Because his righteousness is superior to my very best. Because his righteousness is coupled with love that says I accept you just the way you are right now. Because his righteousness motivates me like no one else can to be on a superior path for myself and others. 3. Why do I need the righteousness of Christ?

Philippians 3:8-10 More than that I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish. I do this in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ.

This is the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death."

I need the righteousness of Christ to replace all that is lacking on my part. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4. What should be our response to the grace of God in Jesus Christ?

We glorify the Lord when the focus of our daily living is on Him. Hebrews 12:2 "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Jesus Christ is our Rabbi/Teacher. "This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." John 3:2 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

Focusing on Jesus will help us to live out the “new nature.” "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

How can we glorify Him? We should obey Him because He has been given all authority. Matthew 28:18 “Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

We are always naturally on the look-out for ways to boost our self-esteem. As we grow older and wiser, let’s look to Jesus who clothes us with the perfection of his righteousness. Let us live out our self-image by reflecting on Him. By getting to know God better, we get closer to His image in which we were once created. APPLICATION