Just as Christ has accepted you ...

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Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. -Romans 15:7-9 NLT

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One of the greatest misunderstandings that believers labor under these days is that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. The commandment to love God and love our neighbors is often promulgated by some as the Great Commandment. In the gospel of John, we read that the Lord Jesus gave a new commandment to love as He loves. Paul seems to echo that sentiment here when he says that we should "accept each other just as Christ has accepted you".

This kind of love and acceptance is the kind of love that glorifies God. Jesus said "If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much." Before anyone ever confessed their love for God, He loved them first. When we were alienated and hostile towards Him, he pursued us in love. We would do well to examine the way that we love and determine whether our love life is the kind that glorifies the Lord.

Glorify your name in all the earth. Pour out your Spirit again that we might love in a way that glorifies your name.

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