Acceptance By Michael Arra What does it mean to be accepted? Yahweh created man in his image and likeness. Genesis 1:26 26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." NASU Man was created with the attributes of Yahweh. His love for man was one of mutual acceptance by man. Adam loved Yahweh and communed with Him daily. They fellowshipped together naming animals and plants, etc. When man sinned he rejected Yahweh by rejecting His command. Genesis 3:8 8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. NASU Yahweh did not want to reject man so he made a way to accept him once more, even though he was now damaged goods. Though out the years Yahweh wanted to be accepted by His creation. He didn't want their acceptance to be brought about by pressure or fear. He could have manifested himself as a giant with a huge club and demanded their acceptance or He could have programmed us as a robot, but He chose instead to give us free will. At the end He sent His son to manifest His love in the flesh of a man. The ultimate acceptance was in the form of giving His life for us. Yahweh was looking for someone to accept Him by what example? 1. Obey Him 2. Love His word 3. visit with Him. 4. share Him with others. 5. 6. If Yahweh wants acceptance. What about us? We are all in need of acceptance. There is a lie out there saying we need no one. The truth is that we are not to be alone. Rejection is a powerful tool of HaSatan to hurt us. We are first accepted in the beloved or by Yahweh and His son. He made that possible for Himself by our redemption at Calvary. What does this mean? Col 1:21-23 1 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, NASU The word says we love one another in community. Does love mean acceptance? 1 Tim 3:2-3 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, ЕЕ. NASU This acceptance in the believing community. In this case as a leader. 1 Tim 3:7 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, ЕЕ.. NASU This is acceptance in the neighborhood. Do they trust you to watch their kids? We all want to be accepted by our fellow man. We hear we are loved but are we accepted? Man is to love unconditionally. But people do get on our nerves. We in essence want recognition. Is that wrong? King David needed to wait to be accepted by all Israel before becoming King over all the tribes. Until then he had be proven by Yahweh and in the sight of the people as well. 2 Sam 5:3-5 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the LORD at Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty- three years over all Israel and Judah. NASU We all want to be accepted. There is nothing wrong with that. We want our wives to accept us: Love, respect, submit, support, etc.

We want our kids to accept us: Obey, respect, listen, love, honor, etc

We want our Church to accept us: Love, fellowship, share, share, utilize, etc.

And we want our neighbors to accept us: Be friendly, considerate, watchful, etc. Child molesters that move into a neighborhood are immediately rejected So are drug addicts, etc. We all want a good reputation as respectable citizens. Our outward behavior brings either acceptance or rejection: Prov 22:1 A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, NASU Obviously we don't want force ourselves on others. We can annoy people because of an unhealthy need for acceptance. Someone who has a spirit of rejection sometimes doesn't realize that others are rejected by him/her. We can't understand why people remove themselves from their presence. Sometimes continued rudeness turns people away. There are those who can't confront who would rather not talk to a person or be around that individual.

Sometimes there is a spiritual reason for rejection, like and unclean spirit that people pick up on and don't know why they don't want to hang around a person. Prideful people have a tendency to push people away from them. What are some other ways we could cause ourselves to not be accepted by others? We need to be ourselves not someone else. Be real with yourself. Accept ourselves. Improve ourselvesЕYes of course. Don't think ourselves more highly than we should. 2 Cor 10:12-13 2 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. NASU Rom 12:3-13 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. NASU

Sometimes the abundance of one grace gift is meant for the lack of another.

One who demonstrates abundant mercy can impart to one who has abundant judgment

and visa versa bringing about balance in both individuals:

II Cor 8:14

14 at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; 15 as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK."
NASU
Let's pray for a compassionate heart to accept the unacceptable. Let's pray for a humble heart to be accepted.