THE CHILDREN'S ABC

ACCEPTANCE by God is a happy privilege of the Christian believer. It is like finding a welcome when you enter the house of a friend. If some great personage were to as you to come to his home you might at first wonder why he did so, and you might feel yourself unworthy. I heard of a certain preacher who, after years of trying, said 'I used to think that I must try to be good enough to be accepted, but I now see that it is Christ who is good enough to be accepted, and God accepts me in Him'. He had now, it appears, believed the scripture to the effect that God took him with many others "into favour in the Beloved". Instead of our behaviour, however worthy of praise, making us accepted, our behaviour flows from a sense of God the Father giving us a welcome in the name of His Son.

BLESSING is a word often used amongst believers, and indeed in the Scriptures them selves as well. We read there of God blessing us as believers, and our blessing God Him self who has accepted us. This points to an important feature of Christianity. It shows how God's pleasure is bound up with that of His creature man, as the scripture says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ". Our blessings are heavenly but they are enjoyed now on earth because of the Holy Spirit given.

CONFESSION should follow on the enjoyment of that which you have just been reading; it is the normal answer to receiving divine blessing. Those of us who are older will all say that we wish we had been more open and true to our Saviour since believing in Him. After a certain battle a soldier, badly wounded on the field, was given life-saving help by an officer unknown to him. He asked 'What is your name, doctor?' Receiving the answer, 'Oh, no matter', the soldier said 'But, doctor, I want to tell my friends at home who has saved my life'.

Are you a confessor?

J.C.Evershed