One Anothers #5: "Accept One Another” Series

One Anothers #5: “Accept One Another”

TEXT: Romans 15:7 – “Therefore accept…one another, as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”

INTRODUCTION

There are a multitude of controversial issues that cause believers to devour one another instead of “accept one another” as Paul commands us in our text this morning. Satan is a master at using controversial and extra-biblical issues to distract the church.

Illus. – A former police officer tells of the tactics of a group of thieves. – He says:

They enter the store as a group. One or two separate themselves from the group, and the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the clerks and customers. As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, leaving before anyone suspects. Hours—sometimes even days—later, the victimized merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. Too late. (Tom McHaffie)

I wonder how often Satan uses this strategy! We’re seduced by distractions, while our churches are ransacked. Many of our churches have lost not their merchandise, but their MISSION, and “a church without a mission will soon be out of COMmission.”

So, to protect the church from being distracted over controversial, extra-biblical issues, Paul tells us that we are to “accept ye one another.”

What does Paul mean to “accept” one another?— Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words informs us that the Greek word used here means “to take to oneself or to receive…suggesting a welcome.” Paul is saying “ACCEPT one another,” which is the opposite of “REJECT.”

But how can we ACCEPT one another with so many controversial issues that divide us? In verse 7, Paul begins by saying, “Therefore.” Now whenever you see the word “therefore” in the Bible, you should see what it’s there for. Well, let’s see what Paul’s “Therefore” is there for!

Paul gave the church in Rome some practical, step-by-step instructions on how to be in H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. with one another in Romans 14:1-15:7 in these kinds of divisive issues. In our “One Anothers” study a few weeks ago, we talked about how to have harmony in interpersonal relationships with things like personal hurts and offences in our study of the command for us to be “like-minded” with one another. Today, the focus is when there are disagreements about beliefs and practices about which the Bible does not clearly delineate.

You know, today’s churches have much in common with the Roman church.

The Roman church was NOT divided in their FAITH, but they were divided on many NONESSENTIAL issues. There were some who had strict religious beliefs about things like meat offered to idols, particular days of worship, and types of diets, and they thought that those who disagreed with their strict beliefs were what we would call today “LIBERAL.” Others, however, had an equally strong belief that in Christ, they were free from such constraints and they considered the opposing camp to be what we would call today “LEGALISTIC.”

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Paul says that the solution to all of this is to stop CONDEMNING one another and start ACCEPTING one another. Let’s discover “Paul’s Seven Steps to H.A.R.M.O.N.Y.” on disputable matters.

I. First, he teaches to Hold back judgment on disputable questions. – Romans 14:1 – “Accept him who is weak in the faith, without quarreling over disputable things.”

What are the disputable matters Paul is referring to? He’s referring to practices the Bible doesn’t clearly address; they’re in dispute; they lie in the “gray area” so to speak; they’re issues about which good Christians may legitimately have differing opinions.

We’re not talking about clear commands in the Word of God, or things that violate a clear biblical principle of God’s Word. For instance, we’re not talking about, say, ADULTERY. – The Bible clearly condemns that, and it’s not being judgmental to condemn adultery. Nor are we talking about things like drunkenness or greed, which the Bible clearly forbids. So, if you exhort a believer not to commit adultery or get drunk …you’re not being judgmental; you’re trying to rescue a fellow believer from sin.

But what about gray areas?—issues the Bible does NOT clearly address?— which good Christians dispute because the Bible is not decisively clear about? THAT’S what Paul was addressing in this passage.

The particular disputable matters Paul was dealing with concerned diet and dates that came about because there were both I and Gentiles in the church. Some, especially I, believed that certain days—like the Sabbath or certain holy days, like feast days or Passover—should be more sacred than others. Some also held to certain dietary rules, like not eating meat—probably because the meat in the marketplace was not kosher, and also had been offered to idols.