“Accept one another”

[Romans 15:7-13]

Through meditating on the words of Romans 15:1-6, we received the prayer title, “May we be of the same mind.”  The reason we offer this prayer is to keep our unity in Jesus Christ.  Therefore, as we prayed to God to keep the unity of the church, we learned that there are three responsibilities we must strive for: (1) All members of our Victory Presbyterian Church should please each other rather than please ourselves, (2) We must have hope with the endurance and comfort of the Scriptures, and (3) We must glorify God with one heart and one mouth.

In today's text, Romans 15:7, Paul exhorts the Roman church saints and all of us to ‘accept one another.’  Look at verse 7: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”  Why is he telling both the Jewish and the Gentiles saints of the Roman church to accept one another, that is, to tolerate one another?  Why?  The reason is because Christ accepted them.  In other words, why should we accept each other?  The reason is because none other than Jesus Christ accepted sinners like you and me.  If the righteous Jesus, the Son of God, accepted sinners like you and me, isn't it right that we, the sinners, accept other sinners?  How is this even possible?  How can we really accept each other?  Paul gives us three ways in today's text:

First, in order for us to accept each other, we must be “a servant.”

Look at Romans 15:8 – “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jewson behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs.”  We cannot accept each other if we are proud.  In particular, if we do not realize that we are sinners in front of God, and if we do not realize the grace and love that Jesus Christ accepted sinners like us, then we will not accept each other because our hearts are hardened, and we will not be able to accept each other.  Rather than accepting each other, just as the Jewish saints of the Roman Church at the time of Paul had a sense of spiritual superiority and ignored, belittled, judged, and condemned the Gentiles, we too will ignore, belittle, judge, and condemn our other brothers and sisters in arrogance.  Then, what will happen to the church, the body of the Lord?  We will never be able to keep our unity in the Lord.  That is why Paul is telling the members of the Roman Church, as well as you and me, to imitate Jesus Christ (v. 8).  In other words, he is telling us to imitate the humility of Jesus Christ.  More specifically, Paul is telling us to be “servants”, like Jesus.  What do you think?  Do you really believe that if we all become humble servants like Jesus, we can accept each other and keep the unity of the church well?  I believe that the greatest obstacle to maintaining the unity of the church is arrogance.  In other words, if all members of our church are proud, we will all try to be served instead of serving.  What would our church look like if we all wanted to be served by each other rather than trying to serve each other?  Can you imagine?  It seems that it is difficult to find the image of Jesus in the church these days.  In other words, I think there are more and more people in the church these days who want to be served without serving like Jesus.  Clearly, although Jesus came to this world to serve, not to be served (Mk. 10:45), we want to be served in the exact opposite way from Jesus.  If we all try to be served, the church will not be able to accept each other and keep the unity of the church.  We will have to become servants like Jesus and use our strength to humbly accept each other.

Second, in order for us to accept one another, we must accept one another on behalf of God's truth.

For the sake of God's truth, Jesus Christ became a servant of the circumcision, that is, a servant of the Jews (v. 8).   By no means does this mean that Jesus served only the Jews and not the Gentiles.  The meaning of this word is that Jesus Christ came to this world to fulfill the promise of the Old Testament characterized by circumcision, God's covenant of salvation, and preached to the Jews as the first place (Park).  So, like Jesus, Paul preached the gospel to the Jews first.  Then, when the Jews did not accept the gospel, Paul went out with the gospel to the Gentiles.  Now, Paul is writing letters to the saints in Rome, admonishing them to accept one another as Jesus Christ accepted you, not only humbly accepting one another like Jesus, but also telling the Roman church saints to be faithful and accepting one another according to God's promised word, just like Jesus, who faithfully fulfilled God's promises in the Old Testament, for the sake of God's truth.  We must have the right purpose in accepting each other like Jesus in the church.  What is its right purpose?  It is for the truth of God.  In other words, we must accept one another for the glory of God.  Look at Romans 15:9a – “so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy ….”  We must accept one another for the glory of God.  We must accept each other with a sincere heart.  In doing so, we can keep the unity of the church.

Third, in order for us to accept each other, we must hope together.

Look at Romans 15:12 – “And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’”  Now, Paul is writing a letter to the Roman church saints, saying that not only Jesus Christ became a servant of the circumcision for God's truth and first preached the gospel to the Jews (v. 8), but He also preached the gospel to the Gentiles, and made them put their hope in Jesus Christ (Isa. 11:10).  Briefly speaking again, Paul is telling the Gentiles as well as the Jewish members of the Roman Church to accept one another, saying that both Jews and Gentiles should put their hope in Jesus Christ.  What hope should we place in Jesus Christ?  It is the hope of salvation.  Did our Jesus come to this earth and die on the cross only for the sake of the Jews?  Certainly not.  Didn't our Jesus come to this earth and die on the cross for all the people of God whom God loved and chose before the foundation of the world, whether Jews or Gentiles?  This very Jesus is the Lord who is the hope of salvation for all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles.  Paul is exhorting the Roman church saints to accept one another in Jesus, who is the hope of salvation.  So, Paul offered this prayer to God in Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The community of the church must be overflowing with hope.  The hope of salvation must overflow, and the church must be filled with hope for heaven.  Our church must be filled with the hope that all God's chosen people in heaven will forever give praise and worship to God with one heart and one mind.  In the midst of this hope, we must be filled with joy and peace.  Although this world gives us sorrow and tries to break the peace of our hearts, we must move toward that heaven, looking with faith to Jesus Christ, who is the hope of salvation.

What blessings can we enjoy when all church members accept each other for the glory of God?  We can enjoy the blessing of giving thanks to the Lord and praising His name.  Look at Romans 15:9b – “…  as it is written: ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.’”  How much would our God be pleased if all the members of the church went up to the worship hall and praised and worshiped God out of gratitude while the church accepting each other and kept the unity of the church?  However, if our church does not accept each other and does not keep the unity of the church in the Lord, so we cannot have one heart and one mind and come to Heavenly Father to praise and worship, what will God think of that praise and worship?  Now, too many churches are praising and worshiping God every Sunday in the midst of envy, strife, strife, and division.  Will our Heavenly Father receive that praise and worship?  The praise and worship that God receives are praise and worship offered with one heart, one mind, and one lips.  Therefore, we must obey God's word, which is our responsibility, while praying to God, " May we be of the same mind."  One of the words of God is to accept each other.  When we all obey this word, we will be able to enjoy the blessing of praising the name of the Lord while giving thanks to the Lord.  Another blessing we enjoy when we accept one another is that we can enjoy the blessing of rejoicing in the Lord together.  Look at Romans 15:10 – “Again, it says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.’”  The church, the community, must become the kingdom of God.  In other words, the church community must be a community ruled by the Lord, the King of the kingdom of God.  Therefore, because our church obeys the Lord's word on earth, accept one another, and loves one another, we not only have to experience the unity of the church, but we also have to experience life in heaven, at least partially, on earth.  In that partial heavenly experience, there is a joy that the world cannot give.  We must experience that divine joy, at least partially, in keeping the unity of the church.  I sincerely hope and pray that such joy will be filled in our community.