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ACCEPTED
BELOVED
4
IN THE
ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED
Studies dealing mainly with the position of the believer in Christ
The text itself and brief notes on the word `Holy'
The Epistle to the Ephesians is like a casket of gems, and it is quite beyond our ability to select from it a
particular jewel as the most precious. One such jewel of a text that is often quoted by believers is the one found as
our title, and we therefore select it as a base from which we may explore the wonders of this acceptance, and some
of its implications, both now and in the ages to come, respecting our standing, our state and our service. When first
we proposed this theme to ourselves, we were sure that there would be at least half a dozen key-words that would
demand consideration. We have now made a preliminary survey, however, and have found at least fifty - a cluster
of jewels that, seen separately, excite the admiration of the believer, but when assembled to form a crown of
gratitude to grace the Saviour's head, leaves us with a joy that is unspeakable and a peace that passes understanding.
Our first consideration must be the key-text itself : `Accepted in the Beloved'. There are a number of words that
stand for `acceptance' in the New Testament and these will form part of our present enquiry - but none of these is
used in Ephesians 1:6. In fact `acceptance' is not quite the basic idea here, although it is implied. The Revised
Version reads :
` To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved' (Margin: `Wherewith He
endued us').
The word translated `grace' here is charis, while the word translated `made us accepted' is charitoo. The latter
occurs in only one other New Testament passage, namely Luke 1:28, where the angel greets the Virgin Mary with
the words :
`Hail, thou that art highly favoured among women'.
This particular word is thus used only in connection with Mary and the Church of the Mystery. This `high
favour' spoken of in verse 6 seems to gather up in itself the gracious blessings that precede it in verses 3-5 :
`Blessed with all spiritual blessings'.
`In the heavenly places'.
`Chosen before the overthrow of the world'.
`That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love'.
`Predestinated to adoption'.
`In Christ'. `In love'.
The special aspect of this high favour that we are considering is not so much the distinctive character of the
calling and sphere of the Church of the Mystery, but rather the one special feature of the purpose of grace - `that we
should be holy and without blame before Him'. The very word `holy' causes us to pause. We sometimes meet men
of the world who do not hesitate to speak of themselves as `just' and `righteous' in their dealings one with another,
and we remember also that Saul the Pharisee, `touching the righteousness of the law' could speak of himself as
`blameless' (Phil. 3:6). Even the Scriptures recognize that according to human standards, there may be `just' men,
and better still, `good' men (Rom. 5:7). We should hardly expect, however, a man of the world to speak of his own
`holiness', while if we met a believer who spoke of possessing any other holiness than that which was his by grace
and gift, we should instinctively turn from such a claim as being blasphemous. Yet it is certainly true that the
believer in the New Testemant is addressed as a `saint' and that he is chosen that he may be `holy'. This holiness is
provided in grace, by the work of Christ the Saviour, as surely as is righteousness by justification. As justification is
to righteousness, so, we discover, is sanctification to holiness, and before we can begin to appreciate the jewel of
holiness, we must acquaint ourselves with the basis of our sanctification.