Accepting One Another

One of the more difficult tasks for Believers is this admonition from Paul (and others) found in Romans 14:1. “Accept (receive; welcome) one another. . . ,” and then the passage goes on to talk about strong and weak Believers, or to put it differently, folks who don’t think or act just exactly like we do. Paul warns us not to get overwrought, or distressed, or even concerned, really, and certainly never condemnatory, about things that don’t make a difference to start with.

The issues have changed since the first century. We’re not too concerned these days about “meat sacrificed to idols,” but we do get bent out of shape because, for example, someone averts his eyes and lifts his hands to pray, while we close our eyes and kneel with bowed head to pray, or vice versa.

Perhaps one of the keys to understanding this passage clearly is making sure we know who God accepts (verse 3b), and be satisfied that, “each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (verse 12)

Nothing in these verses, or any other, releases us from being accountable, and holding others accountable, for living in obedience to Truth, avoiding and condemning sin, and working together in unity (harmony) to fulfill our individual responsibililty for producing a spiritually mature Body of Christ.

So, in the very narrow sense that Paul (i.e. the Holy Spirit of God) here speaks, can’t we all just get along?