ACCEPT AND RECEIVE

by Pastor Walt Scott, Let Go and Soar Ministries

April 1, 2014

What actually is it to accept and receive the word of God and what dose it mean to a Christian believer? The following is a secular definition.

Accept-- To receive with consent, as true, into the mind or come into possession of, take.

Receive-- To take or come into possession of, take in, hold, take in through the mind and senses, to accept as true.

These are very similar, if not identical, in meaning. The only thing I might add is that a Christian has accepted and received the Word of God into their heart and soul as well. To accept and receive as true, into the mind and senses is what every Christian believer either has accomplished or is accomplishing. This is defined as believing and requires trust, faith, obedience, and hope. Once we acknowledge God's son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit can and does live in us, lead, counsel, and direct our lives.

Matthew 10:40-42

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Mark 10:15

¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

John 13:20

²⁰ Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

1 Timothy 4:9-10

⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

John 1:10-13

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Some of us would think that to accept and receive would be easy for people to do. Right for some, wrong for the majority of people, in my opinion. Their heart has been hardened by false knowledge designed by people to be truth, although when challenged by more study is revealed as untrue. This, we have been told, is a process of increasing awareness, knowledge and understanding through more advanced science and technology.

1 Corinthians 3:18-21

¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”²¹ So then, no more boasting about human men leaders! All things are yours

James 1:21-22

²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

We also live in a world that continually promotes a lifestyle that denies our creator's existence and praises a self-reliant, selfish independent philosophy. All this while also enabling an attitude of entitlement and sloth to certain segments of our society. This promotes division at the very least. If this life, according to some, doesn't tickle or excite at least one of the five senses, you have missed out. We are encouraged to get high on life with things and through experiences.

Colossians 2:6-8

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Galatians 6:3

³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

What this lifestyle actually does is promotes doubt and destroys any foundational truth we have learned to stand on in past generations. What value, respect or self-worth can a people or a nation have for themselves or others if they have no foundational truth or moral compass to anchor themselves with? They simply drift, full of confusion, contradictions and deception. This creates division. They believe nothing except maybe what their five senses tell them. Where is Triune God and His Word (Bible) in all of this? Is He still considered relevant? Should His word be considered relevant in a contemporary society? Yes--without any doubt.

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶ So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. Or act hastily. Trusts will never be dismayed.

1 John 4:6

⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

John 1:16-17

¹⁶ From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

John 16:13

¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth,comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

I don't want to imply that we should live in the past and ignore the many improvements and advancements over the years. They have saved and extended countless lives. What we should remember is that those increases in ideas, knowledge, technology, etc. were inspired in man by God. We should accept, receive and move forward acknowledging Him. There is, however, universal relevant truth as found in the Bible. No amount of time can change or erase it. If we accept and receive this, God will give you the ability to discern and understand.

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Where is God's plan and purpose for our lives in this life? How can we live in peace with freedom and joy, without fear, shame and guilt? Can we achieve this without relationship with Triune God? Impossible, and many people don't seem to realize this deception until it is too late.

John 14:6

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 8:31-32

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

2 Corinthians 3:17

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

John 16:33

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Galatians 5:1

Freedom in Christ

⁵ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Only through accepting our creator, Father God, His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, along with all they have done and continue to do for us, can we be truly free. All this by and through his grace and love. Love God and each other as Jesus Christ instructed. Accept and receive Him.

Mark 12:30-31

³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Love and peace, Amen.