September 23

Morning

to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One. — Eph 1:6 BSB

What an incredible state of privilege we have in Christ! It includes our justification before God, but the term "acceptance" in the original Greek means so much more than that. It means we are the objects of God’s delight—even His joy! How amazing is this, that we, mere mortals, sinners by nature, should be the objects of divine love and pleasure? But this is only true "in the beloved."

Some Christians mistakenly believe that they are accepted based on their own experiences. When their hearts feel lively and their hopes soar high, they assume God accepts them because they feel so heavenly-minded. But when their spirits are low and their souls cling to the dust, they fear they have lost God's acceptance. If only they could realize that their high moments don’t elevate them, and their low moments don’t bring them down in God’s eyes. They are always accepted in One who never changes, in One who is forever the beloved of God, always perfect, always spotless and without blemish. How much happier they would be, and how much more they would honor the Savior! So rejoice, believer, that you are accepted "in the beloved."

You may look within and say, “There’s nothing acceptable here!” But look to Christ, and you will see everything that is acceptable. Your sins may trouble you, but God has cast them behind His back, and you are accepted in the Righteous One. You may wrestle with temptation and corruption, but you are already accepted in the One who has conquered evil. The devil may tempt you, but be encouraged—he cannot destroy you, for you are accepted in the One who has crushed the serpent’s head. Even the glorified saints in heaven are not more accepted than you! They, too, are accepted in Christ, just as you are, and nothing can change that.

Evening

“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!” — Mark 9:23 BSB

A father brought his son, who was possessed by a demon, to Jesus after the disciples failed to heal him. The father’s faith was weak, and he hesitated, saying, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The man’s doubt was clear in the word "if," and Jesus gently but firmly corrected him. “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The father had placed the "if" in the wrong place. It wasn’t a question of whether Jesus could heal, but whether the father could believe.

We often make the same mistake. We think, “If Jesus can help me, if He can give me the grace to overcome temptation, if He can pardon my sins, if He can make me successful.” But the issue isn’t whether Jesus can—it’s whether we believe. The "if" belongs in our faith, not in His power. If we can trust Him fully, all things are possible because our faith taps into God’s limitless power.

Faith is clothed in God’s majesty. It walks in royal attire, riding on the King’s horse, because faith is the grace that God delights to honor. It is girded with the might of the Holy Spirit and becomes, in the power of God, mighty to act, to endure, and to overcome. There are no limits to what is possible for those who believe. My soul, can you believe your Lord tonight?