Focus: God’s Approval (Pt.1)

Text: Rom.16:10

"Greet Apelles APPROVED in Christ…"

Make pleasing God the motto of your Christian life. Let it be your motivation to always do what God wants, regardless of what people think or say.

Jesus says, "And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him" (Jh.8:29). Hallelujah! That's it! Always make sure that your God is with you, that He is moment by moment by your side, and that you are doing things that are pleasing to Him.

Our Lord lived solely for the approval of the Father:

1. Approved as a Son:

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mt.3:17).

2. Approved as a Servant:

"Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased…" (Mt.12:18).

3. Approved in the place of prayer:

"Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again… Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him" (Jh.12:28; 13:31).

4. Approved by miracles:

"Jesus of Nazareth, a man APPROVED OF GOD among you BY miracles and wonders and signs, which God did BY him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know" (Act.2:22).

5. Approved before His death:

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Mt.17:5).

6. Approved at death by darkness and earthquake:

"Now from the sixth hour there was DARKNESS over all the land unto the ninth hour" (Mt.27:45).

"Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the EARTHQUAKE, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God… And, behold, there was a great EARTHQUAKE…" (Mt.27:54; 28:2).

7. Approved by His resurrection:

"And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom.1:4).

8. Approved by His exaltation:

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name" (Phil.2:9).

Let your greatest desire be to be approved of God and approved in Christ, not just to gain the accolades of men. Solomon says, "When a man's ways PLEASE the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov.16:7). Live in such a way as to be approved of God. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter