"To Be accepted of Him"

Have you ever performed duties with the desire that the one for whom you were performing would be pleased? Of course, we all have. We may be trying to please a coach, a boss, a teacher, a spouse or a parent. Whomever we may be trying to please, we have all performed in some way, and we wait anxiously on the approval of one specific person. Often, we do not care about the opinion of the multitudes. We only care about the opinion of that one. If they are pleased, so are we.

This is the idea that Paul is expressing in this verse. Paul is laboring. He is laboring with the intention of pleasing God. God made a great sacrifice for Paul. God gave His Son for Paul. Paul understood that Christ had died in the place of a great sinner named Saul of Tarsus. Paul knew that Saul deserved death. He was guilty before God. He deserved justice. He deserved hell. Paul knew he had been set free. The guilt, shame, condemnationn and justice that he deserved, Christ had taken it. Now, Paul was free.

This knowledge of freedom, justification, redemption, reconciliation, etc; caused Paul to have a great understanding of the gift God had given to him. Paul wanted to live worthy of that gift.

Have you ever received a gift you didn't feel worthy to receive? Recently, the church I pastor gave me a birthday gift. It was difficult to accept. I didn't feel worthy to receive it.

This is how Paul felt about His salvation. Paul knew who He was before God saved him. He didn't feel worthy to be a recipient of such a great gift as salvation.

How could he repay God for such a gift? He couldn't. This is why he labored. 1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Now, what about you? Has God given you the same gift that He gave Paul? Has He redeemed you? Do you have the same feeling as Paul? Is your desire to be accepted of Him?

Yesterday as I was visiting in the hospital, I heard these words from an older gentlman, who was a patient. With tears in his eyes he said, "Oh, I could never repay the Lord for all that He has done for me."