“Accept one another, then just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God”
(Romans 15:7)
The first verse of today’s passage is packed with a powerful message that sometimes gets missed. We have to accept others in the same way that Christ accept us. That means that we need to accept others with all their sins, faults, baggage, and bad attitudes, just as Jesus accepted us! None of us naturally that accepting. Only with God’s help can we accept others the way Jesus accepted us.
Paul goes on in Romans 15:8-9 to explain that Christ came not only to fulfill the promises God had made to the Jews, but also to open the door to salvation for the Gentiles. In verse 9, Paul quotes from Psalm 18:49 indicating that sees the Old Testament predicting salvation of the Gentiles, the Jews had felt that they, as God’s chosen people were the only ones who could be saved. Thus their acceptance of non-Jews or Gentiles was minimal.
Paul also quotes from Psalm 117:1 and Isaiah 11:10 to show his Jewish readers that God had indeed include hope for the Gentiles in their scripture. Based on the explanation, you will try to communicate. God loves all people and wants them to come to Him.
“Dear God, forgive me for my lack of acceptance of others. Help me to see others as you would, so that I will bring them to you. In the name of Jesus, amen”
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