Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
— ROMANS 15:7 —
Alberto Solano: Instituto de Expositores | USA
One of the major themes of Romans is acceptance. Acceptance goes beyond a friendly nod and a smile. It means to open your home and invite others in. It means opening yourself up to allow others to get to know you, and you get to know them. It denotes a kind of friendship that is seen by actions and not just words. How accepting have you been at church? Think through practical ways that you can move beyond mere friendly nods and smiles. So, how do we accept one another at church? First, accepting one another is not limited to people of our choosing. Tall, short, dark, light, rich, poor—in God’s redemptive plan, He does not limit His salvific work to a specific kind of people; God saves “from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Rev. 7:9). As Christians, we are to accept and love everyone that God calls into the church, regardless of their race and background. Second, accepting one another means seeing other Christians as loved and accepted by Christ. It is a terrible thing to reject someone that Christ Himself has accepted and purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). We should love others for the love of Christ, and regard others “as more important than yourselves” for the glory of God (Phil. 2:3). Finally, accepting one another does not mean that we should accept sin. When you see a fellow believer in sin, confront him in love and “in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal. 6:1). Part of accepting one an-other means helping one another grow in holiness and Christlikeness. How accepting have you been at church? Think through practical ways that you can move beyond mere friendly nods and smiles.
