Accept One Another, As Christ Accepted You

I am reading from Paul's letter to the Romans this evening.  I started reading in chapter 14, and although there was good stuff there, I didn't feel the Spirit quickening anything to me.  I turned the page and started on chapter 15 and immediately knew these were the verses I was being directed to.  Here are the verses I am focusing on - Romans 15:1-7 NIV:

[1] "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. [2] Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. [3] For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” [4] For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

[5] May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, [6] so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[7] Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

Recently my wife and I were discussing the need to see people as God sees them, and these verses from Paul are a perfect follow-on to that conversation.  Focusing in on verses 5 and 7, we see Paul praying for the Romans that they might have the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus [had towards them].  In other words, he is encouraging them to look at each other the way Jesus looks at them.  Jesus died for them while they were still sinners, because of His love for them - that is the attitude Paul is encouraging.  What a radical, self-sacrificing love!!

Paul takes it one step further and tells them to "accept one another, just as Christ accepted you..."  It is important to note once again that Jesus accepted us while we were sinners.  He came to call sinners, and that is what He expects.  Paul is encouraging us to do the same, to expect that when we meet people that they are sinners, and to not be put off by them when they are found to be so.  I love the conversation of Brother Lawrence, who when he was confessing his sin to the Lord said something to the effect of, "I am sorry for sinning, but what do you expect, I am a sinner."  There is such an honest assessment in his statement that would be beneficial to us all.

Now he is writing to the church in Rome, so one must believe that most of them were believers, but Paul's statements still are applicable even if someone was not a believer.  Earlier in chapter 14 Paul was writing about not judging those who are weaker in their faith (Rom 14:1-13) and I think we could replace the phrase "weaker in their faith" just as easily with "younger in their faith".  I am always amazed at the way some mature Christians expect new converts to immediately embrace all the things that took them years to learn.  We can have such a judgmental attitude towards new believers, and I think that is part of what Paul is discussing here.  We must learn to look at people the way the Lord looks at people.

When the Lord looks at us, He sees us as He created us, all the potential, all the gifts, every day of our life, and every thought and deed.  He sees all the potential and all the goodness. When we entrust ourselves to His salvation, through faith, we become hidden in Him, and His gifts and character become the lenses through which He sees us.  Imagine if we saw in each other what He sees in us.  Wouldn't that be glorious?!  Imagine if when we looked at people, every person we encounter, we saw them the way Jesus sees them.  That is Paul's prayer for the Romans and for the whole church, which includes us.

Finally Paul says that we should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.  I think nothing pleases people more than when people see them for who they are, appreciate their talents, gifts and uniqueness.  We have incredible blessings in our lives, and it is right to recognize them! Let us endeavor to be a church that sees people as Christ sees them, recognizing their value and worth to Him.  Let us not just see them that way, but let us learn to treat them the way we see them.  Jesus laid down His life for the joy that was set before Him (I think that was all of us) and we are called to lay down our lives for one another, through Love.  Let us embrace, welcome and accept one another the way that Christ Jesus accepted us, while we were still sinners.

Amen!