“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6).

Alfred the Great was made king of an ancient division of England known as Wessex. Early in his reign he suffered devastating losses at the hands of the Danes. His men scattered and he was reduced to hiding in the cottage of a simple herdsman. Dressed as a peasant, Alfred did chores for the family, and once was scolded for letting the bread burn. Although the humble family did not know who they were scolding, Alfred displayed patience and humility. After he regathered his forces and went on to victory over the Danes, he returned—we are told—to thank and repay the herdsman for the kindnesses shown to him. Needless to say, he was fully received and treated as their King.

In a much more significant way, the Lord Jesus Christ “came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” The princes of this world did not know the hidden wisdom of God, “for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” He was “despised and rejected of men,” and still is by this present world-system. Although the Lord Jesus is now in glory, the world continues to reject Him. The principle that we are being rejected because He is being rejected is found in John 15:20.

Ephesians 1:6 brilliantly shines peace, patience, and comfort unto us. The Heavenly Father “hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” When our faith is in the Son of God and His death for our sin, grace makes us immediately acceptable to God because of the infinite merit of Christ, and His righteousness to us by that faith! If we are rejected now, at least one day, we shall be manifested as children of God.