Second Benefit Purchased by Christ: Acceptance with God

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” Hpu. 1:6.

Iy our last discourse we showed the blessed privilege of remission of sin, from the verse following our text: in this verse lies another glorious privilege, namely, the acceptance believers have with God through Jesus Christ; both which comprise, as the two main branches, our justification before God. In these words three things are observable.

1. The privilege itself, which is exceeding rich in its nature: ‘‘He hath made us accepted;” the word in the original means he hath ingratiated us, or brought us into the grace, favor, and acceptance of God the Father; endeared us to him, so that we find grace in his sight.

2. The meritorious cause, procuring this benefit for us, declared in the words, “in the Beloved;” which words refer to Christ, who is here emphatically styled ‘the Beloved,” the great favorite of heaven, the delight of God, the prime object of his love: it is he who obtains this benefit for believers: he is accepted for his own sake, and we for his.

3. The ultimate end of conferring this benefit upon believers: ‘to the praise of the glory of his grace;” or, to the end that his grace might be made glorious in praises. There are riches of grace in this act of God; and the work of believers, both in this world and in that to come, is to search and admire, acknowledge and magnify God for his abundant grace herein. The doctrine taught is, that

Jesus Christ has procured special favor and acceptance with God for all who are in him.

This point is plainly taught in Scripture: “But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made migh by the blood of Christ.” The original is a term of endearedness: nothing is thus taken into the very bosom but what is very dear, precious, and acceptable. Believers are said to be made by Jesus Christ “kings and priests unto God and his Father,” Rev. 1:5, 6; that is, dignified favorites, upon whom the special marks of honor are set by God.,

In illustrating this point three things must be doctrinally discussed: what the acceptance of our persons with God is; how it appears that believers are so accepted with God; and how Christ the Beloved procures this benefit for believers.

I. Wat THE ACCEPTANCE OF OUR PERSONS WITH GOD IS: to understand which it may be proper to remember that there is a twofold acceptance of persons mentioned inp. Scripture.

Accepting of persons is noted in Scripture as the sinful act of a corrwpt man; a thing which God abhors, being the corruption and abuse of the authority which men have in judgment; overlooking the merit of the cause through respect to the quality of the person whose cause it is; so that the cause does not commend the person, but the person the cause. This God everywhere brands in men as a vile perverting of judgment, and he utterly disclaims it himself. ‘God accepteth no man’s person.” Gal. 2:6. “There is no respect of persons with God.” Rom. 2:11.

There is also an accepting of persons, which is the gracious act of a merciful God; whereby he receives both the persons and duties of believers into special grace and favor, for Christ’s sake; and of this my text speaks:

1. This act of favor supposes a state of alienation and enmity: those only are accepted that were out of favor; and indeed so stood the case with us. Ye were alieng and strangers, ‘but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who some time were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Eph. 2:12, 18. So the apostle Peter, “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Pet. 2:10. The fall made a fearful breach between God and man. Sin, like a thick cloud, intercepted all the beams of divine favor from us. The satisfaction of Christ dissolves that cloud: “I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins.” Isa. 44:22. This dark cloud thus dissolved, the face of God shines forth again with cheerful beams of favor and love upon all who by faith are interested in Jesus Christ.

2. It includes the removing of guilt from the persons of believers by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to them: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.” Rom. 5:1, 2. The face of God cannot shine upon the wicked; the person must be first made righteous before he can be made accepted.

3. It includes the offering or tendering of our persons and duties to God by Jesus Christ. Believers indeed present themselves to God, Rom. 12:.; but Christ’s presenting them makes their tender of themselves acceptable to the Lord: “In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight.” Col. 1:22. Christ leads every believer as it were by the hand into the gracious presence of God, after this manner bespeaking acceptance for him: ‘‘Father, here is a poor soul that was born in sin, has lived in rebellion against thee all his days; he has broken all thy laws, and deserved all thy wrath; yet he is one of those which thou gavest me before the world was. I have atoned by my blood for all his sins; I have opened hig eyes to see the sinfulness and misery of his condition; broken his heart for his rebellion against thee; bowed his will in obedience to thy will; united him to myself by faith as a living member of my body; and now, Lord, since he is become mine by regeneration, let him be thine also by special acceptance; let the same love with which thou lovest me embrace him also who is now become mine.”

II. I must show you now rr appears that believers are thus ingratiated or brought into the special favor of God by Jesus Christ. And this will be evinced divers ways.

1. By the titles of love with which the Lord graceth and honoreth believers, who are sometimes called the household of God, Eph. 2:19; the friends of God, James 2:23; the dear children of God, Eph. 5:1; the peculiar people of God, 1 Pet. 2:9; a crown of glory and a royal diadem in the hand of their God, Isa. 62:3; the objects of his pleasure, Psa. 147:11. Oh, what terms of endearment does God use towards his people! Does not all this show them to be in special favor with him?

2. The gracious manner in which he treats them upon the throne of grace, to which he allows them to come with boldness. Heb.4:16. This also shows them to be in the special favor of God; he allows them to come to him in prayer, with the liberty, confidence, and filial boldness of children to a father. ‘Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father,” Gal. 4:6, the familiar voice of a dear child: yea, which is a wonderful condescension of the great God to poor worms of the earth, he says, “Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me,” Isa. 45:11; an expression so full of grace and special favor to believers that it needs great caution in reading and understanding it: the meaning is, that God has as it were subjected the works of his hands to the prayers of his saints; and it is as if he had said, If my glory and your necessity shall require it, do but ask me in prayer, and whatever my almighty power can do I will do it for you. However, let no favorite of heaven forget the infinite distance between himself and God. Abraham was a great favorite of heaven, and was called ‘“‘the friend of God;” yet see with what humility of spirit and reverential awe he addresses God, “Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes.” Gen. 18: 27.

3. God’s readiness to grant, as well as their -liberty to ask, proves them the special favorites of God. The heart of God is so ready to grant the desires of believers that it is but to ask and have. Matt. 7:7. The door of grace is opened by the key of prayer. That is a favorite indeed to whom the king gives a blank to insert what request he will: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7. O blessed liberty of the sons of God! David did but say, ‘Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness,” 2 Sam. 15:31, and it was done as soon as asked. Joshua did but say, “Thou sun, stand still in Gibeon,” and a miraculous stop was presently put to its swift motion in the heavens; nay, which is indeed wonderful, a prayer conceived in the heart and not yet uttered by the lips of believers is often anticipated by the readiness of free grace: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isa. 65:24. The prayers of others are rejected as an abomination. Prov 15:8. God casts them back into their faces. Mal. 2:38. But free grace signs the petitions of the saints more readily than they are presented; we have not the readiness to ask, that God has to give. It is true, the answer of a believer’s prayers may be a long time hid from his knowledge; but every prayer according to the will of God is presently granted in heaven, though for wise and holy ends believers may be held in doubtful suspense about them on earth.

4. The free descoveries of the secrets of G’od’s heart to believers show them to be his special favorites. Men open not the counsels of their hearts to enemies or strangers, but to their most intimate friends. - “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.” Psa. 25:14. When God was about to destroy Sodom, he would do nothing in that work of judgment until he had acquainted Abraham his friend with his purpose therein. ‘ And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” Gen.18:17. So when a king was to be elected for Israel, and the person whom God had chosen was yet unknown to the people, God as it were whispered the secret unto Samuel the day before. “Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came,” according to the manner of princes with some special favorite. 1 Sam. 9:15.

5. The Lord’s recewveng every small thing that comes from them with grace and favor when he rejects the greatest things offered by others, certainly bespeaks believers the special favorites of God. There was but one good word in a whole sentence from Sarah, and that very word is noted and commended by God, 1 Pet, 3-6: “She called him lord.” There were but some smail beginnings or buddings of grace in young Abijah, and the Lord took special notice thereof. ‘Because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.” 1 Kings 14:18. Let this be an encouragement to young people in whom there are found any breathing desires after Christ; God will not reject them if any sincerity be found in them; a secret groan uttered to God in sincerity shall not be despised. Rom.

8:26. The very bent of a believer’s will when he has no more to offer unto God is an acceptable present. 2 Cor. 8:11. The very purpose that lies secretly in the heart of a believer not yet executed is accepted with him: ‘Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart.” 1 Kings 8:18. Thus small things offered to God by believers find acceptance with him, while the greatest presents, even solemn assemblies, sabbaths, and prayers from others are rejected: ‘‘They are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them.” Isa. 1:14. Incense from Sheba, the sweet cane from a far country, are not acceptable, nor sacrifices sweet from other hands. Jer. 6:20.

II. How Curist tue BrLovep PROCURES THIS BENEFIT ror BELIEVERS. And this he does,

1. By the satisfaction of his blood: ‘When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” Rom. 5:10. No friendship without reconciliation, no rec-: onciliation but by the blood of Christ; therefore the new and living way by which believers come unto God with acceptance is said to be consecrated for us through the veil of Christ’s flesh; and hence believers have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Heb. 10:19, 20.

2, The favor of God is procured for believers by their mystical wmon with Christ, whereby they are made ‘‘members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” Eph. 5:30. So that as Adam’s posterity stood upon the same terms that he their natural head did, so believers, Christ’s mystical members, stand in the favor of God by the favor which Christ their spiritual head has: “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.” John 17: 23.

3. Believers are brought into favor with God by Christ’s becoming their altar, upon which their persons and duties are all offered up to God. The altar sanctifies the gift; and this was typified by the legal rite mentioned, Luke 1:9, 10. Christ is that golden altar from whence all the prayers of the saints ascend to the throne of God perfumed with the odors and incense of his merits: “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne: and the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3, 4.

Inrerence I. If all believers be in favor with God, how great a mercy is ut to have the prayers of such on our behalf. Would we have our desires succeed in heaven, let us seek the favor of God ourselves, and engage the prayers of his people, the favorites of heaven, for us. One believer can do much, many can do more. When Daniel designed to get the knowledge of the secret hinted in the obscure dream of the king, which none but the God of heaven could make known, it is said, ‘‘ Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known unto Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret.” Dan. 2:17, 18. The benefit of such assistance in prayer by the help of Christians is plainly intimated by Jesus Christ: “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:19. God sometimes specially regards a number of voices for the granting of some public mercy, because he delights in the harmony of many praying souls, and to gratify many in the answer of the same prayer. I know this usage is grown too formal among professors, but certainly it is a great advantage to be united with those whose prayers prevail with God. Bernard, prescribing rules for effectual prayer, closes them with this wish, When thy heart is in this frame, remember me.

2. If believers are such favorites in heaven, 7m what a desperate condition are that cause and those persons agavnst whom believers are daily engaged in prayers and cries to heaven.

Certainly Rome shall feel the force of the many millions of prayers that are gone up to heaven from the saints for many generations; the cries of the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, joined with the cries of thousands of believers, will bring down vengeance at last upon the man of sin. It is said, ‘‘The smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth; and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels, which had the seven trumpets, prepared themselves to sound.” Rev. 8:4-6. The prayer of a single saint is sometimes followed with wonderful effects: ‘In my distress I called upon the Lorn, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears: then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.” Psalm 18:6, 7. What then can a thundering legion of praying souls do? It was said of Luther, that he could have of God what he would; his enemies felt the weight of his prayers, and the church of God reaped the benefit. The queen of Scots professed she was more afraid of the prayers of John Knox than of an army of ten thousand men. These were mighty wrestlers with God, however vilified among their enemies. A time will come when God will hear the prayers of his people, who are continually crying in his ears, “How long? Lord, how long?”

3. Let not believers be dejected at the contempt of men, so long as they stand in the favor of God. It is the lot of the best men to have the worst usage in the world: those of whom the world was not worthy were not thought worthy to live in the world. Heb. 11;388. Paul and his companions were men of a choice spirit; yet saith he, “Being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the earth, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.” 1 Cor. 4:13. These are words signifying the most contemptible and abhorred things among men. How are heaven and earth divided in their judgments and estimations of the saints. Those whom men call filth and dirt, God calls a peculiar treasure, a crown of glory, a royal diadem. But trouble not thyself, believer, for the unjust censures of the blind world; they speak evil of the things they know not: “He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” 1 Cor. 2:15. You can discern the baseness of their spirit; they want a faculty to see the excellence of your spirit: he that carries a dark lantern in the night can discern him that comes against him, and yet is not discerned by him. A courtier regards not a slight in the country, so long as he has the ear and favor of his prince.

4. Never let believers fear the want of any good thing necessary for them in this world, The favor of God is the fountain of all blessings, even of all that you need. He has promised that he will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11. He that is bountiful to his enemies will not withhold what is good from his friends. The favor of God will not only supply your needs, but protect your persons: ‘“Thou wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” Psalm 5: 12.

5. Hence also it follows that the sins of believers are very displeasing to God. The unkindness of those whom he has received into his bosom, upon whom he has set his special delight, who are more obliged to him than all the people of the earth besides, O this grieves the blessed God,

What a melting expostulation was that which the Lord used with David: “J anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of.Judah; and if that had been too little, 1 would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord?” 2 Sam. 12: 71-9. But, reader, if thou be a reconciled person, and hast grieved him by any eminent transgression, how should it melt thy heart to hear the Lord thus expostulating with thee: “I delivered thee out of the hand of Satan; I gave thee into the bosom of Christ; I have pardoned thy millions of sins; I have bestowed upon thee the riches of mercy; my favor has made thee great; and as if all this were too little, I have prepared heaven for thee: for which of all these favors dost thou thus requite me?”

6. How precious showld Jesus Christ be to believers, by whose blood they are wngratiated with God, and by whose wtercession they are and shall be continued in las favor. When the apostle mentions the believer’s translation from the sad state of nature to the blessed state of grace, see what a title he bestows upon Jesus Christ, the purchaser of that privilege, calling him the “dear Son.” Col. 1:13. Not only dear to God, but exceeding dear to believers. Christ is the favorite in heaven; to him you owe all your preferment there. Take away Christ, and you have no ground on which to stand in the favor of God. O then let Jesus Christ, the fountain of your honor, be also the object of your love and praise.

T. Esstumate by ths the condition of a deserted saint wpon whom the favor of God 1s eclipsed. If the favor of God be better than life, the hiding of it must be more bitter than death. Deserted saints have reason to take the first place among all the mourners in the world: the darkness before conversion had indeed more danger, but this has more sorrow. Darkness after light is dismal darkness. Since therefore the case is so sad, let your care be the more; grieve not the good Spirit of God; you prepare for your own grief in so doing.

8. Let this perswade all men to accept Jesus Christ as they hope to be accepted with the Lord themselves. It is a fearful’ case for a man’s person and duties to be rejected of God, to ery and not be heard; and much more terrible to be denied audience in the great and terrible day. Yet, as sure as the Scriptures are the faithful sayings of God, this is no more than what every Christless person must expect in that day. Matt. 7:22; Luke 13:26. Trace the history of all times, even as early as Abel, and you shall find that none but believers ever found acceptance with God; all experience confirms this great truth, that “they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Reader, if this be thy condition, let me beg thee to ponder the misery of it.

Consider how sad it is to be rejected of God and forsaken by all creatures at once; what a day of straits thy dying day is like to be, when heaven and earth shall cast thee out together. Be assured, however thy vain hopes for the present may quiet thee, this must be thy case; the door of mercy will be shut against thee; no man cometh to the Father but by Christ. Sad was the case of Saul when he told Samuel, ‘“‘The Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me.” 1 Sam. 28:15. The saints will have boldness in the day of judgment, 1 John 4:17; but thou wilt be confounded. There is yet, blessed be the God of mercy, opportunity for reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5:19; Isa. 27:5. But this cannot be of long continuance. O therefore, by all the regard and love you have for the everlasting welfare of your own souls, come to Christ; embrace him in the offers of the gospel, that you may be ‘‘made accepted in the Beloved.”