Did you know that there is a difference in receiveing something and accepting it? For example, you received a package from aunt Bertha, but you accepted the Nobel Prize for your work in lint removal.
Receiving is a passive act, like getting spam in your inbox. Acceptance is something different though. Acceptance is putting your seal of approval on something, in essence saying, “this is acceptable to me”. This is fine for our everyday living, but the problem comes in when we apply it to Christianity. We say that people need to accept Jesus, without understanding the implications.
We are tell people to put their stamp of approval on sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that is not faith. We don’t need to accept Jesus, the Father did that 2,000 years ago. What we do need is for Jesus to accept us.
I want to illustrate something for you to try and make this as clear as possible. Bob goes out and has an affair on his wife, Susan. Susan is upset and rightly so, but is willing for reconcilliation. Bob comes back and tells his wife, “Susan, I want you to know that I have thought about it, and I accept you as my wife.” The next thing you hear is a clank of a frying pan as it makes contact with his head.
How arrogant and prideful! Bob was in the driver seat, he wanted to be in control. But isn’t that exactly like us? Don’t we want to be in control of our own salvation? Don’t we want to say, “I want to be saved now!” But the Bible says something different. Scripture says that salvation is of the Lord (Ps 3:8). When we repent and put our faith in Jesus for our salvation, the Bible says that then, and only then, HE accepts you. That is the essence of true faith; putting your trust… putting your life in his hands.
I have to say that there is a big difference between receiving and accepting. We receive Christ after we repent and put our faith in him alone.
–Danny