Accepting Each Other As Christ Has Accepted Us: Where We Can Find True Unity
Did you know that Christians have been arguing about what we should believe and how we should act as followers of Christ for almost 2,000 years? These arguments have led to bitter divisions between different groups of Christians. These divisions are not new. In the first century, there was so much division over the correct beliefs and right actions that Paul wrote a long letter to the church in Rome to help them see past their differences and to focus instead on what they had in common. In this article, we’ll look at how these verses from Romans 15:7 can help us find unity in our diversity as Christians.
Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
Romans 15:7
What Does Romans 15:7 Actually Say?
In Romans 15:7, Paul writes about the importance of accepting and loving one another. He’s not just talking about being nice to each other. Properly loving each other means accepting each other even when we disagree. It means being willing to put others’ needs and desires above our own. True love is not a feeling. Love is an action. It means putting the needs of others before our own and accepting them as they are, even when we disagree.
Loving Each Other As We Love Ourselves
The idea of loving others as we love ourselves goes back to the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Loving others as we love ourselves doesn’t mean we love ourselves more. It means we love others as much as we love ourselves—and no more. It doesn’t mean we treat others as better than us or as if their needs are more important than ours. Loving others as we love ourselves means we treat others with the same kindness and consideration we treat ourselves. In fact, when we love others as much as we love ourselves, we will treat others even better. Loving others as we love ourselves helps us put everyone else’s needs and desires above our own.
Loving Each Other As Christ Has Loved Us
The idea that we should love others as Christ has loved us means we should treat others as if they are just as important as ourselves. We should treat others with the same kindness and consideration we would treat ourselves. Loving others as Christ has loved us means we should treat others with the same compassion and care that Christ treated us with when he died for us. Loving others as Christ has loved us means we should treat others with kindness even when they don’t deserve it. Loving others as Christ has loved us means we should treat others with the same respect, grace, and compassion Christ treated us with.
Loving Each Other By Helping Each Other
Loving others by helping each other means doing what we can to meet the needs of others. It means being compassionate and generous to others, even when we don’t get anything in return. Loving others by helping each other means fulfilling the law of Christ. The law of Christ is the law of love. Loving others by helping each other means showing the same kind of love that Christ showed us. Loving others by helping each other means sacrificing our time and money to meet the needs of others. Loving others by helping each other means giving generously without expecting anything in return.
We Can Find Real Unity Through Love
Paul says we can find unity through love. This means we can find real unity by loving each other as we love ourselves and as Christ has loved us. Real unity is based on love. Real unity is based on caring for each other and meeting each other’s needs. Real unity is based on acceptance and forgiveness for each other’s differences. Real unity is based on kindness and compassion for each other’s struggles. Real unity is based on grace. Real unity is based on the love that Christ has for us.
We Should Celebrate Our Unity Instead of Dwelling on Our Differences
When we find real unity, we are no longer divided by our differences. Instead, we celebrate these differences as a sign of God’s creative and transformative work in our lives. Instead of dwelling on our differences, we celebrate the fact that God has created us as unique individuals. Instead of dwelling on our differences, we celebrate how these differences help us all contribute to the beauty of God’s creation. Instead of dwelling on our differences, we celebrate how God’s love is big enough to hold all of us. Instead of dwelling on our differences, we celebrate how God’s love is able to transform us all.
We can find unity through our shared beliefs.
While we should celebrate our differences, we can also find unity through our shared beliefs. We can focus on what we all believe and how we are all called to love one another. We can focus on how we are all part of God’s creative and transformative work in each other’s lives. We can focus on how all of our diverse gifts and strengths help us contribute to God’s Kingdom. We can focus on how God loves each of us, no matter what our differences are. We can focus on how God’s love is big enough to hold all of us, no matter what our differences are.
We can find unity through our shared actions.
We can also find unity through our shared actions. We can focus on how we are all called to love and serve others. We can focus on how we are all called to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others. We can focus on how we all have a part to play in God’s creative and transformative work in the world. We can focus on how God has gifted us each with unique skills and abilities. We can focus on how God has called us to use these gifts and abilities for his purposes.
Unity Through Our Differences
Finally, we can find unity through our differences. We can find unity in our diversity by celebrating and honoring the gifts that God has given to each of us. We can focus on how God has gifted each of us with a unique set of strengths, skills, and abilities. We can focus on how God has created each of us with a unique personality and background. We can focus on how God has created each of us with a unique set of passions and interests. We can focus on how each of us has something unique to offer to others. We can focus on how each of us plays an essential part in God’s creative and transformative work in the world.
Take Away
Unity isn’t something we can just wish for or hope for; it’s something we need to actively seek out. We need to actively work towards unity—not just for our own sake, but for the sake of the world. Unity is our greatest strength. It’s our only chance against the forces that seek to divide and destroy us. And it’s beautiful. It’s one of the most beautiful things in the world.
