God’s love letter ∙
To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the beloved. – Ephesians 1:6
Jeremiah 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself.
Love letters
Love letters are powerful ways to show deep affection. They serve as timeless reminders of love, expressing strong emotions and devotion. Whether they are short and simple or long and detailed, love letters are treasured by those who receive them.
God’s Love Letter: The Book of Ephesians
The Father is in love with every child of the King. In His infinite love, He has written a letter to each of us. The book of Ephesians is a heartfelt expression of His love and affection for each of us. It reveals the depth of His grace and the wonder of our acceptance.
When we read Ephesians, we encounter the overwhelming truth of His love. Our natural response is one of amazement, even disbelief. How can we, flawed and imperfect, be loved so deeply? Yet, as we begin to understand and believe in His love, our hearts are filled with awe, gratitude, and affection for Him.
The Apostle John, the Apostle of Love, was well aware of the Father’s great love and eloquently explained in 1 John 3:1, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are.”
Adopted into the Father’s Forever Family
The Father’s love is not distant or abstract; it is personal and transformative. He has adopted us into His Forever Family, making us His children in every sense of the word. We are not merely called children of God; we are His children.
Under Roman law, adoption was a profound and elaborate process. William Barclay explains:
- The Symbolic Sale: The biological father sold his son three times. After repurchasing him twice, he did not buy him back the third time, officially severing the son’s ties to his original family.
- The Legal Plea: The adopting father presented the case for adoption before a Roman magistrate.
- A New Identity: Once adopted, the child gained full rights as a legitimate member of the new family and completely severed all connections to the old family. Past debts and obligations were erased, as if they had never existed.
The adoption process is clearly illustrated in the story of Ben Hur, where Quintus Arias, a Roman commander, adopts Ben Hur, giving him a new identity and future.
Adoption Through Christ
Paul uses this Roman custom to describe what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We were once under the power of sin and the world, but God, through Jesus, has adopted us into His Forever Family. Our adoption:
- Erases the past: All debts and obligations tied to our old life are wiped out.
- Makes us new: We are given a new identity as children of the King.
- Grants us full rights: We are heirs to His promises and blessings.
As Barclay explains, “That is what Paul says that God has done for us. We were absolutely in the power of sin and of the world; God, through Jesus, took us out of the power of sin and made us His own. That adoption wipes out the past and makes us new.”
REFLECT & PRAY
Psalms 63:3 “Your lovingkindness is better than life itself; how I praise you!”
Father, I am amazed and humbled to realize that You love me with the same everlasting love You have for Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for accepting me just as I am and for adopting me into your Forever Family. Help me to live in the joy and wonder of being Your child.
Accepted in the Beloved: A Marvelous Gift of Grace
When the Father adopts us, do we enter a trial period? Are we being evaluated during some kind of testing phase to determine if we truly belong? Is there a risk of rejection or being disowned based on our behavior? Not!
The apostle Paul makes an extraordinary statement regarding our adoption. We are unconditionally accepted and beloved.
Paul writes in Ephesians 1:6 (ESV), “To the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
In the King James Bible, this is translated slightly differently, Ephesians 1:6 (KJV), “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved.”
In a spiritual sense, at the moment of adoption, we are fully accepted by the Father. He welcomes us into His Forever Family. Our acceptance is not based upon anything that we have done, but solely because of His grace and love. Our acceptance is:
- Unconditional: God’s acceptance is not dependent on our performance, achievements, or worthiness. It is based on His character and His unwavering love for us.
- Through Christ: We are accepted because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. His sacrifice on the cross paid the price for our sins.
- Permanent: God’s acceptance is eternal. Once we are in Christ, we become part of His family, His Forever Family.
How is Our Adoption Possible?
The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate object of the Father’s love. He is the Son of His love, the Beloved. In an extraordinary act of grace, the Father has united each child of the King with His Beloved Son. As Paul writes in Colossians 1:13, the Father has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His Beloved Son.
Because we are in Christ, the Father’s love for us is complete, total, and unconditional. This love is not based on our merit but on the merit of His beloved Son.
The Meaning of Grace
The Greek word translated as “blessed” or “accepted” in Ephesians 1:6 is echaritosen, derived from the verb charitoo. The meaning and significance of this word are breathtaking and profound. Charitoo means “to show kindness, bless, or manifest graciousness toward others.” It presupposes the graciousness of the giver. The noun form of this verb is charis, translated as “grace, unearned, unmerited favor.” The root verb is chaíro, which means “to rejoice.”
When the Father pours out His grace on us, it is an act of His loving-kindness, freely given without expectation of return. As Zodhiates explains, “it is joyful and pleasurable for the Father to grace His children.”
How Can God Grace Us Freely?
The answer lies in Christ. Through His death and resurrection, Christ has purged our history of sin and unrighteousness. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, the Father can pour out His grace on us freely.
The Father’s Unconditional Love
God has done something remarkable:
- He has placed us in Christ, His Beloved Son.
- He has accepted us and poured out His grace upon us.
- He loves us with the same everlasting love He has for His Son.
Accepted in Christ
As Wiersbe explains, “We cannot make ourselves acceptable to God, but He, by His grace, makes us accepted in Christ. This is our eternal position, which will never change. Because of God’s grace in Christ, we are accepted before Him.”
Wiersbe draws a parallel to Paul’s letter to Philemon, where Paul asks Philemon to accept Onesimus, the runaway slave, as he would accept Paul himself. The apostle Paul writes, in Philemon 1:17-19, “If he owes you anything, I will pay it. Receive him as you would receive me.”
The Father receives and accepts each child of the King as He receives His Only Begotten Son.
Key Takeaways
We are fully accepted and cherished. This acceptance is made possible through the freely given and joyous gift of unmerited grace, without any expectation of anything in return. Our security in Christ is eternal. The Father’s unconditional love for us is the same as His everlasting affection for His Son.
Let us cherish the Father’s love letter and live in the joy of being His beloved children.
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© Dr. H 2025
Dr H Reflections 