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
And to Cain and to his offering he looked not: and Cain will be very angry, and his countenance will fall.
If thou shalt do well thou shalt be lifted up; and if thou shalt not do well, sin lies at the entrance; and to thee his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
And ye said, Also behold thy servant Jacob behind us. For he said, I will appease his face with the gift going before me, and after this I will see his face; perhaps he will receive my face.
And it shall be upon the forehead of Aaron, and Aaron lifted up the iniquity of the holies, which the sons of Israel shall consecrate for all their holy gifts; and it shall be upon his forehead continually for acceptance to them before Jehovah.
And now take to you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and bring up a burnt-offering for yourselves; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for his face I will accept, so as not to do with you for folly, for ye spake not to me the right as my servant Job.
The saying of my mouth and the meditation of my heart shall be for acceptance before thee, O Jehovah, my rock and my redeemer.
He will remember all thy gifts, and he will make fat thy burnt-offerings. Silence.
Sacrifice and a gift thou didst not delight in; the ears thou didst pierce to me: burnt-offering and sin thou didst not ask.
O Jehovah, thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall announce thy praise.
With all my heart I sought thee, thou wilt not cause me to wander from thy commands.
To do justice and judgment was chosen by Jehovah above gold.
All the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered together to thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall serve thee: they shall go up for acceptance to mine altar and I will adorn the house of my glory.
Wherefore this to me shall frankincense come from Sheba, and the good cane from a land from far off? your burnt-offerings are not for acceptance, and your sacrifices were not sweet to me.
Thus said Jehovah to this people, Thus they loved to wander, they restrained not their feet, and Jehovah accepted them not; now will he remember their iniquity and he will review their sin.
When they shall fast I hear not their outcry; and when they shall bring up a burnt-offering and gift, I accept them not; for with the sword and by famine and by death I consume them.
For if ye shall bring up to me burnt-offerirgs, and your gifts, I will not delight; and I will not look upon the peace-offerings of your fatlings.
And a voice was from the heavens; Thou art my dearly beloved Son, in whom I was contented.
And he said; Truly I say to you, That not any prophet is acccepted in his country.
I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your reasonable service.
For he in these serving Christ, pleasing to God, and acceptable to men.
To the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he rendered us acceptable in the beloved.
And I have all, and abound: I have been filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things from you, a smell of sweet odor, a sacrifice acceptable, pleasing to God.
Wherefore coming into the world, he says, Sacrifice and offering then wouldest not, but a body hast thou adjusted to me:
For what glory, if, sinning and being cuffed, ye endure? but if, doing good, and suffering, ye endure, this is grace with God. For to this were ye called: for also Christ suffered for you, leaving behind to you an underwriting, that ye should follow upon his footsteps: