Are you in God’s favor? Are you acceptable in His sight? The fact is not everyone is acceptable to God. This has nothing to do with the love of God. God can love us and reject us at the same time. That God loves all of us is certain (John 3:16). Paul said that “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
How can we assure acceptance with God? Fortunately for us, we do not have to guess about it. God accepts all of us on the same terms for He is no respecter of persons. Peter tells us what those terms are.
Acts 10:34–35 (ESV)
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Everyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or social standing, can find favor with God, but Peter tells us there are two conditions—fear God and do what is right. What does this mean?
To fear God is to give Him the respect and reverence He deserves. Sadly, most people in this world fail to do this. Most people have what I call the “Pharoah mentality.” Do you remember what Pharoah said when God demanded that he let His people go?
Exodus 5:2 (ESV)
2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”
Those are words of ignorance and arrogance, but they accurately reveal the attitude of the world today. When Pharaoh said he would not let Israel go, he was showing that he had no respect for God. He did not fear Him. The first sign of fearing God is the willingness to obey His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). In the New Testament, this consists of obeying the gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). How does one obey the gospel, at least originally? Peter tells us.
Acts 2:38 (ESV)
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
If you fear God, you will do what He commands, and by the mouth of one of His inspired apostles, the Lord commands that we repent and are baptized. Jesus once said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). If you want to be accepted by God, you must fear Him enough to do what He commands, beginning with repenting of your sins and being baptized.
If you have already done that, you must now continue to do what is right. That is the second term of our acceptance according to Peter (Acts 10:35). Only those who do righteousness are righteous before God (1 John 2:29). This involves continuing to obey the gospel. The gospel is called “the faith” by Paul (Galatians 1:11, 23). “The faith” is the body of teaching that makes up the New Testament. Doing right involves living by this teaching. The scriptures equip us to do the will of God.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
So, God has given us everything we need to serve Him. It is our responsibility to do what is right by obeying His commandments found in the New Testament. If we do that, no matter who we are, we will be accepted by Him.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.