“Accepted in the Beloved.”

How often the Gospel worker hears some one say, “I am so sinful that I am afraid the Lord will not accept me;” and even people who have long professed to be Christians, often mournfully wish that they could be sure of their acceptance with God. Now the Lord has given no ground for any such doubts. The question of acceptance is forever settled by what we have just read. Christ has bought us, together with all our sins, and has paid the price. That shows that He has accepted us. Why does a man go to the shop and buy an article?—Because he wants it. If he has paid the price for it, having examined it so as to know what he was buying, does the merchant worry lest he will not accept it?—Not at all; the merchant knows that it is his business to get the goods to the purchaser as soon as possible. If he does not deliver the goods to the purchaser, he is guilty of fraud. The buyer will not indifferently say, “Well, I have done my part, and if he doesn’t care to do his, he need not—that’s all; he may keep the things if he wants to.” No; he will visit the shop, and say, “Why have you not given me what belongs to me?” He will take vigorous measures to come into possession of his property. Even so it is not a matter of indifference to Jesus whether we surrender ourselves to Him or not. He longs with an infinite yearning for the souls that He has purchased with His own blood. “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. God has “chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world,” and so “He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:4-6.GTI 18.2