Acceptance Does Not Require Approval

In summary of Romans 15:7 it says, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.”

Bottom Line:

Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

What this means to me:

I am to welcome and accept others; just like Christ welcomed and accepted me.  Doing this will ultimately bring glory to God.  Each time I show love, it gives glory to God.  God is love and glory is revealing what God is really like. God is loving and compassionate and wants me to develop his character and to be like him. This doesn’t mean that I will become a tiny god, but rather that I develop His loving nature.  He wants me to learn to love people the way he loves people. God is love, and every time I do that, it shows God’s glory.  One of the ways I can love others is just by accepting them. Just because I may not like what people do doesn’t mean I can’t accept them.  I can accept someone without approving of everything they do. There is a big difference! I’m to accept everybody; not to approve everything they do. So no matter what people do, or who they do it with, or how they do it, or how long they do it — it doesn’t matter. I am to love them. I am to accept them which is different than approving and condoning what they do. In summary, Love is not saying I approve of everything you do. Love is saying I accept you in spite of what you do.