AM I ACCEPTABLE TO OUR LORD?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone wrote to me and asked the following:
“How do I know, that I am acceptable to Jesus?
Because, even though I try my very best, I sin every day.”
I want to begin by saying, despite of what many people want to tell us, the Word teaches me that our Lord really would like everyone to come and live with Him in Heaven. Yes, that no one should be lost, in other words everybody is acceptable and no one must end up in hell.
JOHN 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.2 PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Now, man is created in our Lord’s image, we have, like our Lord, a will of our own and unfortunately most people exercise their will by not accepting our Lord Jesus as their Redeemer and Saviour:
MAT7:13 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
MAT 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Now let us look at your question:
“How do I know that I am acceptable to Jesus?”
When Jesus walked to Golgotha and died for you and me on the cross for our sins, my friend, His perfect sacrifice was made for you and I and it was acceptable to our Lord.
Because you see –
Because our Lord is the one and only perfect God in the universe, therefor only a perfect sacrifice could be made for us which would be acceptable for God the Almighty, and the only perfect sacrifice that our Lord could find in the universe, was His Son – Jesus Christ.
Remember what was written?
JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life
There is nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing which you and I can do, that would make us more acceptable to our Lord.
Our Lord has done everything which needed to be done.
When He called in His great love you and me to Him through allowing us to hear His gospel –
From that moment on, to use an old idiom:
“The ball is on your side of the court.”
Now it is for me to decide.
ROM 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2COR 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Now, according to the idiom, with the ball in my side of the court, is the question thus:
Am I using my will which is a characteristic of our Lord in me, for my preparedness to accept Jesus as my Redeemer and Saviour?
Or do I just plod on, on my road to hell?
JOHN 3:18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Redeemer and Saviour.
Does it now mean I now live a sin free live here on earth?
No! Absolutely not – But now I can now cheer with great love within my heart:
1JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1JOHN 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us
On the other hand, that naturally does not mean that I can commit sins wilfully.
HEB 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
HEB 10:27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Therefore Jesus said to the woman who was caught committing adultery:
JOHN 8:10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
JOHN 8:11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
In other words, if I understand this correctly –
Jesus says to her, that He forgives her for this adultery which she has committed and she must no longer commit adultery.
Of course we will still sin but we have to fight against that sin in our life all the time.
Let me explain it this way:
When I was converted, I smoked.
I knew it was wrong but I was a smoke addict.
I tried hard every day not to smoke and also often prayed about it and while I was praying I also knew I was going to smoke again but it bothered me so much every time I smoked and then I was sad again and I then went to our Lord again, until finally with the loving grace of our Lord I overcame my smoking addiction.
You see.
I just must never let the sin in my life become the norm in my life.
I have to fight against it, even though I fight against it my whole life and even though I will fail sometimes regarding that sin or addiction, but I must never just accept it as, ‘that’s just how it is’.
Maybe someone will ask:
“What must I do to have this wonderful loving relationship with Jesus?”
You must repent.
In other words, turnaround from the life that you have lived – towards Jesus and let Him takes control of your life.
The English Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘repent’ as follows:
1. Feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin:
‘the Padre urged his listeners to repent’ ‘he repented of his action’.
2. (repent oneself) archaic Feel regret or penitence about:
‘I repent me of all I did’
ACTS 2:37-39
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “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.
39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”ACTS 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
In summary:
Are you acceptable to our Lord?
Indeed you are acceptable to our Lord. Jesus brought this into effect with His crucifixion.
He also arranged for us to hear His Gospel, you also have been called by Him.
Now it all depends on you…
Are you going to repent?
In other words, are you going to turn your back on the life that you have lived so far, or are you going to turn your back towards Jesus, and continue living that way?
Greetings,
Sakkie