Resting in Divine Acceptance—Freedom from Ourselves
Have you ever come to the raw, unfiltered realization that there is absolutely nothing in your flesh—not one solitary thing—that deserves anything but the judgment of God? It sounds harsh at first, doesn’t it? Yet, this truth is one of the most liberating realizations we can ever come to as believers.
Today's Abide Above devotional captured this beautifully with these words:
"No man’s heart will ever be gladdened by the joy of divine acceptance until he has learned that there is not a single bit about him, as a man in the flesh, that does not deserve the judgment of God."
At first glance, this can feel like a hard pill to swallow. But let me tell you—once we grasp this, once we truly understand the futility of trying to make the flesh acceptable to God, we step into a freedom that changes everything.
The End of Ourselves
For decades, I tried to rely on my flesh—on my own efforts, my good intentions, and even my "righteous deeds"—to please God. But here's the catch: my flesh, even on its best day, is utterly incapable of earning God's favor. Whether it's "Grade A" flesh (the polished, impressive kind) or "Yucky" flesh (the outright sinful kind), all of it stands condemned. As Romans 7:18 reminds us:
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells."
When I finally came to the end of myself, admitting that there was nothing in me that could earn God's love, I found an incredible truth waiting on the other side.
Acceptance in Christ
The beauty of the gospel is that we don’t have to focus on ourselves at all—not our failures, not our accomplishments, not even our progress. Instead, our focus shifts to Jesus Christ, the One in whom we are perfectly and eternally accepted.
Abide Above puts it this way:
"It is a wonderful moment when by faith we appropriate and occupy our position in the favor of the Father—when we know that we are received by Him in all the acceptance of His Son. We do not then think of ourselves, or our unworthiness, at all. We think of the Lord Jesus—His perfections, His suitability to divine favor, His infinite acceptance with the Father—and by faith we have access into the favor of which He is so worthy."
This is not just theology; it’s life-changing truth. As 1 John 4:17 reminds us, "As He is, so are we in this world." The same favor that Jesus enjoys with the Father belongs to us because we are in Him.
Freedom from Self-Occupation
One of the greatest joys of understanding our acceptance in Christ is the freedom it brings from self-occupation. No longer do we have to live in the exhausting cycle of trying, failing, and self-reproach. Instead, we rest in the truth that Jesus’ perfections, not our own, are what the Father sees.
The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:3:
"For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Our focus is no longer inward but upward, no longer on our shortcomings but on His sufficiency.
The Prodigal's Robe
Luke 15:22 captures this transformation beautifully in the story of the prodigal son:
"But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him.’"
The father didn’t lecture the son about his failures or demand restitution. Instead, he clothed him with the best robe—a picture of Christ’s righteousness covering us. When we understand this, we stop striving to earn favor and begin to rest in the favor that is already ours in Him.
Living in Freedom
So how do we live out this glorious truth?
Stop Measuring Yourself: Your worth is not in your performance but in Christ’s finished work. Rest in His sufficiency.
Shift Your Gaze: Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Let His perfection and infinite acceptance with the Father fill your mind.
Walk in Confidence: Knowing you are fully accepted in Christ frees you to live boldly, not striving to earn love but flowing out of the love that is already yours.
Conclusion: Fully Free in Him
When I consider this truth, I am overwhelmed by its simplicity and its depth. To know that we are completely free from ourselves and wholly accepted in Christ—this is the gospel. It is His victory that we rest in, His righteousness that we wear, and His life that we live.
Let’s stop striving and start abiding. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the perfect Son who has brought us into the eternal favor of the Father.
Reflection Question:
Are you striving to earn acceptance, or are you resting in the infinite acceptance you already have in Christ?
Closing Thought:
In Christ, you are fully accepted, fully loved, and fully free. Shift your focus from yourself to Him, and live in the joy of His sufficiency.