In Ephesians 1:6 the Apostle Paul wrote, “to the praise of the glory of God’s grace, wherein He hath made us accepted ‘in the Beloved.”

Surely God’s ‘acceptance of us’ is one of the elements of “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” - that each and every believer enjoys.

“(I Paul) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (Ephesians 1:15-18).

In the story of the Prodigal Son (see Luke 15:11) it is a touching story that allows us to see the father accept his wayward son back to his bosom — and so generously! He does not merely admit him back into his home; he clothes him with his best robe, puts a ring on his hand, shoes on his feet and kills for him the fatted calf so that they call all to “eat and be merry” in celebration of his return. The father said, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:24-25 (KJV)

But the prodigal was, after all, the father’s son, whereas Paul bids us “Gentiles in the flesh” to remember that originally we were “without Christ…aliens from the commonwealth of Israel…strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph.2:12).

So it is even more touching to think that God’s gracious acceptance of us who were not sons but “aliens” and “enemies” (Col.1:21).

The word “accepted” in the above passage is Greek “charitoo,” which actually comes from the word “grace” (Gr. karis). Thus the verse begins: “…His grace, wherein He hath engraced us in the Beloved One.” Yes, Christ His self is the embodiment of the grace of God toward us… since we as believers are now “in Him.”

Thus God looks upon us now with delight; He delights to favor and bless the believer because He sees every Believer “in Christ,” in His beloved Son.

This passage reminds us how God once broke through the heavens to declare: “This is My beloved Son (Jesus), in whom I am well pleased” (Matt.3:17). Now, He is delighted with us and “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies” because we are “in Christ,” in His “Beloved Son.” Not that we have attained to this position, far from it, for “HE hath MADE US accepted” in Christ — HE hath engraced us “in the Beloved.”