Accept one another
Romans 15:7 - Unity and love shown among believers should be a visible testimony of God’s power to transform lives.
Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
Romans 15:7 NIV
This verse from Romans sums up what Paul is saying in Romans 15:1-6. What did he just finish saying to the church in Rome? Ray Stedman, cited on Precept Austin, said this about Romans 14 and 15:
"Do you remember the prayer of the little girl who once prayed, "Lord, make the bad people good and the good people nice"? This is really the subject of Ro 14-15 -- making good people nice! One of the problems of the Christian church is that we may be quite correct in our doctrine and practice, but very irritating about it. How do you live with people like that? That is the problem of these chapters, and it is a problem that abounds everywhere -- how to live with other Christians who persist in looking at things differently than you do."
Paul is saying in today’s verse that we should accept those other Christians who think and act differently than we do. On occasion, Barb and I will get criticism from readers of Heaven On Wheels who take offense with what we have written in a devotional and let us know about it! Criticism can be a good thing; it points out misinterpretations of scripture on our part (we’re not professionals), it teaches us that there are different ways of looking at the meaning of verses, and it’s useful in getting deeper into our understanding of scripture.
Early on in the history of this devotional series, I know that for my part, I had very thin skin about what those critics were saying in their comments. As we’ve grown to be a much larger family in Christ here at Heaven On Wheels (over 1,100 readers now) and receive more frequent comments, I think we’ve both learned to accept that other Christians do see things differently than we do!
Paul isn’t just asking Christians to endure each other’s quirks, he tells us to “accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you.” Let’s look at the ancient Greek word translated here as “accept” - προσλαμβάνω (proslambanō):
to take to, take in addition, to take to one’s self
to take as one’s companion
to take by the hand in order to lead aside
to take or receive into one’s home, with the collateral idea of kindness
to receive, i.e. grant one access to one’s heart
to take into friendship and intercourse
to take to one’s self, to take: i.e. food
This is much more than just enduring another person while internally rolling your eyes and thinking they’re an idiot. Looking at some of the definitions here, I think Paul had in mind:
“to take as one’s companion” - show true friendship to those who are different than you
“to take by the hand in order to lead aside” - gently taking someone aside and calmly discussing your differences
“to take or receive into one’s home, with the collateral idea of kindness” - showing hospitality to all, even those who might be hostile to you, with the thought they they may be touched by your graciousness and reciprocate
“to receive, i.e. grant one access to one’s heart; to take into friendship and intercourse” - discuss your true and deepest feelings about a topic in hopes that it may persuade or dissuade the other person, really baring your soul to the other
Paul points out that we are to emulate the way Christ accepted (received / included) us. Charles Spurgeon, cited in Enduring Word, said:
Spurgeon on just as Christ also received us: “Christ did not receive us because we were perfect, because he could see no fault in us, or because he hoped to gain somewhat at our hands. Ah, no! But, in loving condescension covering our faults, and seeking our good, he welcomed us to his heart; so, in the same way, and with the same purpose, let us receive one another.”
David C. Egner, cited on Precept Austin, explained Paul’s teaching to accept other believers with these words:
Some people are excluded because they are withdrawn, angry, or defensive, or because they seem strange or demanding. But these things shouldn’t matter. We are to receive fellow believers “just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God”
We are to do this for one purpose - “in order to bring praise to God,” that is, to glorify God. All of our actions as believers should have the primary goal of honoring God. This is stated elsewhere in the New Testament, for example in 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul writes “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
“Whatever you do.” Unity and love shown among believers should be a visible testimony of God’s power to transform lives. The prayer of Jesus captured in John 17:20-21 asks believers to be one, so that the world may see our unity and believe in Him:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
AMEN!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father, thank You for accepting me through Christ, although I am a flawed person who can only hope to aspire to a small fraction of His holiness. Teach me to extend that same acceptance to other believers, and may our relationships as Christians always reflect Your love and grace to bring glory to Your name. Teach all in Your church to accept one another to build harmony within the body of Christ, and may that acceptance testify to Your ability to transform our lives. AMEN.