“WELCOMING”

7 “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Romans 15:7

In our previous blog, we learned that, as a community, we encourage one another simply by being together, in the spirit of love and truth.

If it were up to us, we’d rather join a church where we like everybody, right? But I don’t think that there’s such a place. The people make up the church, and wherever they are, disagreements are always possible. But despite our differences, we are to accept one another as brothers and sisters.

In today’s verse, the Apostle Paul concludes his message on how spiritually mature Christians are to live with those who are younger and less experienced in the faith. His big point is that believers must strive to please others, not themselves. He prays for believers to be united and to look unto Christ rather than their differences. This unity will help the church establish a good testimony to the world and glorify God’s name. He concludes his exhortation with a command to welcome one another as Jesus has welcomed them.

The same principle applies to us today. We are to be welcoming and loving to all, especially to those who are relatively new to the faith. Those entrusted with greater wisdom and experience with God are expected to encourage those who are just starting their Christian journey.

But what if we don’t feel like getting along with others? What if we don’t enjoy hanging out with those who are not on the same spiritual plane? In such a case, I think it helps to remember how the Lord Jesus stooped down to reach out to you and me. Despite His lofty, heavenly position, He came to earth and lived among sinners and showed them the way to the Father. That’s grace and mercy shown by the Almighty Himself.

Let’s not forget that our inclusion into the family of God was made possible by God’s choice to show us mercy. We didn’t do anything to deserve His forgiveness. He welcomed us based on Jesus’ sacrifice. He showed us mercy. In the same way, we are to accept people as Christ accepted them.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Joseph Bobadilla on Unsplash