Acceptance
Receiving others willingly and unconditionally (even when their behavior has been imperfect) and loving them in spite of any differences that may exist between you. Romans 15:7
This week our focus is on Acceptance Outside The Family of God.
At times we have had a good-sized garden. As the gardeners, we planted and carefully tended the soil to enhance the possibility of a great harvest. But, sometimes moles would destroy plants from the root before fruit even had a chance to grow.
Are we regularly sowing seeds of the Gospel message accompanied by the water of Jesus’ loving heart? Are you and I gardeners or moles?
Thanks for joining us!
Sincerely,
Dave Lewis
Loving God and Those Outside the Faith
Starting with the Basics:
#1: Let’s make this clear from the beginning. When I say that someone is “outside the family of God”, I am speaking of a person who does not have a relationship with God the Father by faith in Jesus Christ as the crucified and risen Savior. In other words, I understand that not everyone follows Christ, loves Him, and receives His gift of forgiveness. I Corinthians 15:1-7
#2: I understand that my position is to love others regardless of whether they are inside or outside God’s family of Christ-followers. My role is to love people regardless of their position, but I am especially responsible for loving the “household of faith”. I think I know why God put that in the scriptures. How can we even begin to love those outside the faith if we don’t love our brothers and sisters in our own family….the family of God. (Galatians 6:10)
#3: Perhaps the most effective strategy to help a lost and alone world come to understand and accept the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ is to accept them as valuable, loved people first. Loving others the way Jesus does…..is not a suggestion but a commandment. (John 13:34-35) Though a commandment and seemingly impossible to do…it is not impossible or Christ would not have commanded it. He gives to all, who come to Him in faith, the Holy Spirit to live within us and bring us the very mind of Christ, the love of the Father, and the power to experience and exercise both in this life.
#4: Jesus let people know they “belonged”, even when those He accepted as valuable were rejected by others or rejected His love. How many examples can you recall of people Jesus accepted, when others rejected them? When the “elders and teachers of the law” tried to label Jesus, He was called a “friend of sinners” (Luke 15:1-2). They thought that would be a demeaning title, but He actually was a / is a “friend of sinners”. He befriended many “unacceptable” people and still does. He accepted you and me as valuable and loved us “while we were yet sinners”.
Acceptance in the Family of God
Loving God and Your Fellow Believers
Light Source #1: Fresh Encounters with Jesus Christ
I want you to recall your experience of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Was it a conversion experience or was it more of a process? (John 6:44) In whatever way the Father drew you to His Son Jesus, would you recall how much love, mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance was offered to you, as you were moved from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s dear Son Jesus? (Colossians 1:13)
Let Jesus’ acceptance of you soak into your mind and heart as you quiet your soul for a few minutes. Express your gratitude to Him again. I don’t think this will be the last time you worship Him “in spirit and truth” to acknowledge His great love and acceptance of you. Every day is not often enough to express thanks for such a gift. (Psalm 100:4)
Light Source #2: Frequent Experiences in the Word (Do The Book)
Let’s Do: Matthew 10:40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.
Think of someone that you definitely have a hard time accepting. Ask the Lord Jesus to empower you with the Holy Spirit and give you His attitude and heart toward that person or those people. Consider a person you believe to be outside the faith.
As I am writing this, a Middle-Eastern couple (actually a mother and son, I think) sat for a few minutes at a table near me. I overheard the language being spoken. I saw the woman’s “different” attire, and my heart began to move toward judgment …though I didn’t know them or their nationality. I asked God to stop that process and give me His heart. I thought about how much they need to know the love of God in Jesus and that they may already be Christians. My role was not to judge but to love and be ready to speak truth to them if God gave me the opportunity. They sat for only a minute or two and left. Long enough for me to use this experience as a real-life example of accepting people who may be outside the faith and accepting others who seem quite different from me. Truth is – we human beings aren’t really that different even if our language and appearance are foreign to one another.
Would you and your spouse, or your children, or church friends do the Matthew 10:40 verse and prayerfully ask God to love others through you and when possible help them to experience the love of Jesus in your attitude, action, words, or in sharing the Gospel or meeting other needs? I will do the same.
Light Source #3: Other Jesus Followers – Have Real Fellowship with Your Spouse, Children, and/or Fellow Christ-followers
As you and your spouse, children, or fellow Christ-followers address the issue of “Accepting Those Outside the Faith as Equally Valuable”, let’s believe that the Holy Spirit will open doors of service to others to demonstrate Christ’s deep, deep love. He loves even those who may have one time made our list of “Those Most Difficult to Love”. Whether they are in your family, in your church, in another denomination, or outside the faith altogether, I can think of no better way to take an authentic next step in our walk with Jesus than to love someone into the kingdom.
Would you answer these three questions and discuss them with family, small group, spouse, or others you feel would enjoy the discussion?
1. Who were some “unacceptables” to the people of Jesus’ day but loved and changed by an encounter with Him?
2. Of your acquaintances who may be “outside the faith”, who might God be leading you to “love into the kingdom”?
3. What next steps would be appropriate in order to help that person understand how loved they are by Abba, and valued they are by you as a Christ-follower?
Remember John 13:34-35 still applies today.