[…] According to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the beloved.

Ephesians 1:5-6 (NKJV)

The church is to be based on God’s love and acceptance, not on human qualifications, rules and regulations. Some of us may have the mistaken notion that some people are acceptable to God while others are not. It can be hard to accept others unless you first know that God has also accepted you. The truth is that in Christ we have all been made acceptable to God — and when God accepts someone, they’re accepted! Only after you accept people as they are can you help them to grow in God’s grace.

[Today’s reading was taken from our devotional, Change Your Story. Purchase a Copy]

Daily Bible Reading (Two reading plans are provided below. The “Entire Bible” plan will take you through the entire Bible this year. The “New Testament” plan will take you through just the New Testament this year.)

• Entire Bible: Micah 1-3; Isaiah 39
• New Testament: 1 John 2