Do not Look Within—Look at Him - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

Accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:6

Do not Look Within—Look at Him
What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God, but the Greek word for "acceptance" means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine complacency, even of divine delight. How marvelous that we, worms, mortals, sinners, should be the objects of divine love! But it is only as we are "in the Beloved."

Sometimes there is the temptation to think we are accepted in our own experience. When the spirit is lively, and the hopes are bright, we think God accepts us, for we feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so drawn above the earth! But when, by an experience of life, the soul is brought low, suddenly we can become victims of the fear that we are no longer accepted. If we could but see that all our high joys do not exalt us, and all our low feelings of despair do not really lower us in the Father's sight, but that we stand accepted in One who never alters, in One who is always the Beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, how much happier we would be, and how much more we would honor the Savior!

Rejoice then, believer, in this: you are accepted "in the Beloved." You may look within and say, "There is nothing acceptable here!" But look at Christ, and see if there is not everything acceptable there. Our sins trouble us, but God has cast our sins behind His back, and we are accepted in the Righteous One.

Within, there is the constant struggle with corruption, and wrestling with temptation, but we are already accepted in Him who has overcome the powers of evil. When the devil tempts, be of good cheer, he cannot destroy, for we are accepted in Him who has broken Satan's head. Know by full assurance your glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than you are. They are only accepted in heaven "in the Beloved," and you are even now accepted in Christ after the same manner.

C. H. Spurgeon