True Love Reigns Sermon Vi: Where True Love Is, There Is Acceptance Of Persons Series

WHERE THERE IS LOVE, THERE IS ACCEPTANCE

“Thank God! We don’t have to like everybody! But we are supposed to love everybody!” Thus spoke a minister whose sermon had to do with the love relationship Christ taught us to cultivate with persons whose scruples (little trivial things we become obsessed with) are different from ours!

This was the pastor of whom I spoke when I told you about visiting a church in view of a “call”, and I asked the minister of music to tell me what kind of person the pastor was. His reply was, “He’s peculiar!” And I said, “Well - sounds like someone I could work with.”

We all have peculiarities, different personalities, personal preferences . . . opinions . . . points of view. In other words, we all have differences which make us likable to some and unlikable to others.

The question we face is: “Given our Lord’s teaching that love is the decisive factor in Christian living, “What does love require of us when we have to deal with a certain person, situation, or circumstance?”

Anytime Christians assemble for worship . . . Bible study . . . organize into churches and denominations . . . gather, or disperse, to enjoy fellowship and have fun – guess what? There are going to be differences of opinion!

We all would agree that unity is the way it was when we started out as an organized Body of believers, or at least unity has been our goal from the start, but what we have to understand is: unity does not presuppose unanimity! Thus, the strength of any “community” can be jeopardized by differences in points of view.

We Christians are called “Christians” because of our saving relationship to God, made possible by the redemptive work of Christ . . . brothers and sisters in Christ . . . children of God.

Yet, within the Family of God, some are stronger than others in their faith (their personal convictions about what freedom in Christ allows them to do ). Some feel confident while some lack confidence in the power of Christ’s atoning sacrifice to completely save them.

The weakness of doubters renders them hesitant . . . reluctant . . . resistant to the notion that Christ has set them free from legalistic practices as a means of salvation; this lack of assurance compels them to establish a type of “merit system” in order to enhance their chance of being saved.

The basic concept of Christian liberty was stated by John: “If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed”, it was reinforced by Paul when he spoke of “the glorious freedom of the children of God”, but it was tempered by this warning: “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.” Which raises the question: What is or is not sinful? Now that’s where the rub comes . . . water hits the wheel . . . sparks to fly! Okay then, since love is the decisive factor in maintaining positive Christian relationships:

Paul addresses the issue of differences in terms of how to deal in love with Christians whose attitudes and behaviors you do not like – Romans 14:1-4 . . . 14:13-19 . . .

Paul obviously considered himself to be among the “strong” (the more mature) and is concerned about immature Christians who have not yet grasped the full meaning of Christian liberty - those who feel the need to supplement what God has already done for their salvation with what they think they have to do to “help God out ”via their meticulous fulfillment of all kinds of rules and regulations - some handed down by the ecclesiastical systems of old, some based on current personal preferences or points of view, and who furthermore feel that everyone else should comply with their personal agendas. A formula for conflict within any society!

Folks, there are indeed absolutes with respect to Christianity. We find them in the teachings of Jesus . . . Ten Commandments . . . two greatest commandments . . . basic Christian doctrines that have to do with salvation and sanctification - never to be compromised!

Take the Beatitudes, for example; there is no quarrel as to the absolute value of those principles of happiness taught by Jesus. Practical applications may vary – Christian to Christian, Church to Church, Minister to Minister, and Denomination to Denomination - but the basic principles as epitomized in the life of the One who taught them remain constant and consistent throughout time and eternity.

Being human as we are, however, personal points of view and preferences with regard to secondary matters vary widely. But there are basics which mature Christians stick with – love, encouragement, forgiveness, service, humility, and now, acceptance!