Reference: Acceptance
Hastings
ACCEPTANCE denotes the being in favour with any one. In English Version the noun is found only in Isa 60:7, but 'accept' and 'acceptable' are used frequently both in OT and NT to express the acceptance of one man with another (Ge 32:20; Lu 4:24), but above all the acceptance of man with God. In OT the conditions of acceptance with God are sometimes ceremonial (Ex 28:38; Ps 20:3). But of themselves these are insufficient (Ge 4:5,7; Am 5:22; Jer 6:20; 14:10,12), and only moral uprightness (Pr 21:3; Job 42:8) and the sacrifices of a sincere heart (Ps 19:14; 119:108; cf. Ps 40:6 ff., Ps 51:15 ff.) are recognized as truly acceptable with God. In NT the grounds of the Divine acceptance are never ceremonial, but always spiritual (Ro 12:1; Php 4:18; 1Pe 2:5). Jesus Christ is the type of perfect acceptance (Mr 1:11; Heb 10:5 ff.). In Him as 'the Beloved,' and through Him as the Mediator, men secure their religious standing and fundamental acceptance with God (Eph 1:6). In serving Him (Ro 14:18), and following His example (1Pe 2:20-21), they become morally acceptable in the Father's sight.
J. C. Lambert.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
"If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me."
"It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
"Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
May He remember all your meal offerings And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.
Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice.
"All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house.
"For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me."
Thus says the LORD to this people, "Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check Therefore the LORD does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account."
"When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine and pestilence."
"Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,