INTRODUCTION

1. The body of Christ is an assembly of diverse people united by their common faith in Christ.

   1. In the church, there are different ethnicities, backgrounds, ages, social statuses, education levels, and many other worldly distinctions. Nevertheless, the body is united in Christ.

   2. Consider Galatians 3:28, which says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

2. In order for the body to be united in Christ, it is necessary for these diverse members to accept one another.  This is the basic message of this current lesson, and it is stated clearly in Romans 15:7, which says,

   Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

    

WHOM ARE WE TO ACCEPT?

1. We are to accept "one another," which means each fellow Christian in the context of Romans 15:7.

   1. This meaning is made evident in this verse, for it describes persons who have been accepted by Christ to the glory of God.  Such persons can only be Christians.

   2. This is a very specific form of acceptance.  It is an acceptance into the spiritual fellowship that exists only in Christ for those who "walk in the light as He Himself is in the light" (1John 1:5-7).

   3. As we have noticed throughout this series, the phrase "one another" indicates a reciprocal relationship.  Each Christian is to accept each other Christian without exception.

   4. The specific context of this passage directs strong Christians to accept those who are "weak in faith" (see Rom. 14:1-15:13).

      1. In the early church, many Jews and Gentiles had various issues of conscience concerning certain foods and days to be observed.  These issues were so ingrained in them from their former ways of life that it was difficult to set them aside when they turned to Christ.

      2. Such brethren who are limited by conscience even when not limited by the word of God are described in this passage as weak in faith.  Concerning them, those who are strong are given instructions as noted here:

         1. Romans 14:1 -- Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.

         2. Romans 15:1 -- Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.

      3. Thus, Christians who have differences in matters of opinions should accept one another.  In other words, Christians should not reject one another due to differences of opinion.

   5. All who are united in their faith in Christ can overlook all worldly differences and accept one another.  It is not necessary to have different churches for each different group of people (i.e., black versus white, rich versus poor, male versus female, etc.).  We are all one in Christ Jesus.

2. We are not to accept those who have been rejected by Christ.

   1. The basis for accepting one another in Romans 15:7 is that "Christ also accepted us to the glory of God."  We must not accept into fellowship those whom Christ does not accept.

   2. We may know whom Christ has accepted and whom He has rejected by comparing each one to God's word.  This requires us to make judgments about each other.

      1. We are not judges of anyone in terms of salvation and eternal life.  Only Christ can fill that role as judge (John 5:22-30; 2Cor. 5:10; Jas. 4:11-12).

      2. We also are not to be judge others as unworthy of fellowship due to matters of opinion.  To this point, Romans 14:4 says, "Who are you to judge the servant of another?  To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

      3. However, we must "judge" (make decisions about) others concerning whether they are doing God's will so that we can know whether they are our fellow Christians.

      4. In John 7:24, Jesus said, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." Our standards for accepting or rejecting others must not be according to the world ("appearance") but according to God's word ("righteous judgment").

   3. Many people are not accepted by Christ, and therefore we cannot accept them either.

      1. We cannot accept unbelievers who have rejected Christ (2Cor. 6:14-18; 1John 4:1-6).

      2. We cannot accept "any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler" (1Cor. 5:11).

      3. We must reject those who teach lies and cause division in the body of Christ (Rom. 15:17; Tit. 3:10-11).

      4. We must reject these because Jesus has rejected them.  We can have no spiritual fellowship with those who have no spiritual fellowship with the Lord.

          

HOW DO WE ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER?

1. Our acceptance of one another is to reflect Christ's acceptance of us.

   1. Our keynote passages says, "Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God" (Rom. 15:7).  The obvious question is, how has Christ accepted us?

   2. We must accept one another as fellow children of God.

      1. Consider 1John 3:1-2:

         ¹See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.  For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  ²Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

      2. To accept one another as fellow children of the same Father is to be brothers and sisters in the same family (Eph. 1:5; 2:19).  Therefore, we ought to have the appropriate love for one another (1John 4:20-5:3).

   3. We must accept one another as fellow servants of Christ.

      1. Jesus has enrolled each Christian into His service (2Tim. 2:20-21).  Such servants are worthy of honor just as Christ has honored them.

      2. Consider Romans 14:7-8:

         ⁷For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

      3. As we read earlier in Romans 14:4, it is not for us to judge the servants of the Lord.  Instead, we should honor one another as fellow servants of the same Master.

   4. We must accept one another as vital and diverse members of the body of Christ.

      1. The message of 1Corinthians 12:12-31 is that every member of the body of Christ has a distinct and important function.  No one is more important than any other.

      2. As Christ has employed each member as a working part of His body, we must accept one another as vital parts of each other.  The body cannot afford to reject its vital organs, for each part works to cause the growth of the whole body (Eph. 4:11-16).

   5. Such acceptance results in the glory of God (John 17:20-23).

2. We accept one another by seeking peace with one another.

   1. Strife and division among Christians are signs of rejection rather than acceptance.  If we accept one another, then these ought not to exist among us (1Cor. 3:1-4; Jas. 5:9).

   2. Acceptance among Christians cultivates peace, which is highly valued by the Lord.

      1. Jesus Himself is the Prince of Peace, who came to reconcile us to God (Isa. 9:6; Eph. 2:11-22).

      2. Like Jesus, we also are to pursue those things that make for peace (Matt. 5:9; Rom. 14:19).

      3. Scripture directly commands us to "be at peace with one another" (Mark 9:50; 1Thess. 5:13).

      4. We cannot have such peace unless we accept one another as Christ has accepted us.

          

CONCLUSION

1. When a body rejects an organ that has been transplanted, it cannot live.  Likewise, if the body of Christ does not accept its own members, then it cannot live.

2. Therefore, let us accept one another, not for the purpose of molding one another into a uniform opinion, but for the purpose of helping one another attain "the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).