May 24 - Experiencing His Acceptance

     To receive God’s provision for rejection, you must grasp two basic facts. First, God did not make a lot of different provisions for each of the various needs of humanity. Instead, He made just one, all-inclusive provision that covers all the needs of all people. This cover-all provision was the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.

     Second, what took place on the cross was an exchange that God Himself had planned. All the evil consequences of our sins came upon Jesus so that, in return, all the benefits of Jesus’ sinless obedience might be made available to us. For our part, we have done nothing to deserve this, and we have no merits or rights by which to claim it. It proceeded solely out of the unfathomable love of God.

     Therefore, it is futile to approach God on the basis of some merit or virtue that we imagine we possess. Nothing we have to offer of ourselves can be compared with the merit of the sacrifice that Jesus offered on our behalf.

     Christ bore our rejection on the cross, along with all of the shame and betrayal, agony and heartache. In fact, a broken heart was the cause of His death. We are accepted because of His rejection. We are accepted in the Beloved. It was an exchange. Jesus bore the evil so that we might receive the good. He carried our sorrows so we might have His joy. The way is opened for man to come to God without shame, without guilt, without fear. Jesus bore our rejection so that we might experience His acceptance.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim the truth of the exchange Jesus made for me: I am accepted because of His rejection. I receive the good because He bore the evil. I have His joy because He carried my sorrows. I proclaim that Jesus endured my rejection that I might have His acceptance with the Father. Amen.