REAL LOVE ACCEPTS Text: Romans 15:1-9a

Last time we looked at Romans 14 and talked about how real loves frees us from the threat of judgment. We learned that real love values and accepts others above our personal freedom. This week we're going to dig a little deeper as we explore the idea, real love accepts.
Our Scripture for today is Romans 15: 1-9a...
In our Bible text for today, Paul shares with us two more of the 'one another's' of the NT. The first is in verse 5, "May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus" (NLT).
Patience and encouragement refer back to what Paul wrote in verses three & four about the Scriptures. It is the study, meditation, and application of God's Word in our lives that gives us patience and encouragement, but we cannot have them in our own strength.
We have already been reminded that we are no longer to judge each other. Now Paul says, "Don't expect to do it all by yourselves, you can't." He reminds us that it is the person, power, and presence of God in our lives whom by his word helps us live in complete harmony with each other.
If there is to be harmony in the body of Christ, then that harmony only comes to us through the activity of God in our lives as we open our lives to his word. It is the Scriptures that teach us this truth.
If we are not experiencing complete harmony with one another, then is that God's fault?
No, harmony is the result of our dependence upon God and his word. A lack of harmony indicates two things: 1) our relationship with God needs more attention and 2) we need to invest more in applying God's word to our lives.
Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Mat. 11:29-30)
I don't know about you, but sometimes I'm like a mule. I'm saved. I've received the easy yoke of Christ. But sometimes I don't want to go the path Christ directs me. I stubbornly refuse to accept his steering, like a mule I sit down in the middle of the field. When I get like that it doesn't make for harmony. I'm guessing the same is true for you. If we don't live the way God directs, if we want to do our own thing or go our own way, or just relax and be cool, then we are not going to contribute to harmony in the body of Christ. Those around us will not have the harmony God desires for his people and neither will we.
For complete harmony, we need to go deeper in our walk with the Lord and we need to let his word penetrate deeper into our lives.
The second one another is in verse 7, "Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory" (NLT).
When we are no longer judging one another & instead, living in complete harmony with one another, then we will also demonstrate that love through mutual acceptance.
Gladys M. Hunt wrote, "Acceptance means you are valuable just as you are. It allows you to be the real you. You are not forced into someone else's idea of who you are. It means your ideas are taken seriously since they reflect you. You can talk about how you feel inside, why you feel that way, and someone really cares. Acceptance means you can try out your ideal without being shot down. You can even express heretical thoughts and discuss them with intelligent questioning. You feel safe. No one will pronounce judgment on you even though they don't agree with you. It doesn't mean you'll never be corrected or shown to be wrong. I simply means it's safe to be you and no one will destroy you out of prejudice" (Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 3).
Why did Paul tell his readers that they must accept one another?
Paul told his readers to accept one another as Christ accepted them.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus accepted us with open arms through the atoning death of his Son. When we understand that God accepts us as we are, as unloving, self-centered, and sinful as we were when we came to him, then will accept one another.
Mary Ann Byrd grew up knowing she was different. As she writes, "And I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started school my classmates made it clear to me how I looked to others: a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled teeth. When schoolmates asked, 'What happened to your lip?' I'd tell them I'd fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different. I was convinced that no one outside my family could love me. There was, however, a teacher in the second grade whom we all adored--Mrs. Leonard. She was short, round happy--a sparkling lady. Annually, we had a hearing test...Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and finally it was my turn. I knew from past years that as we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher, sitting at her desk, would whisper something, and we would have to repeat it back--things like, 'The sky is blue,' or 'Do you have new shoes?' I waited there for those words that God must have put into her mouth, those seven words that changed my life. Mrs. Leonard said, in her whisper, 'I wish you were my little girl.'" (Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching, p. 8)
That's the kind of unconditional accepting love God shows us and it is also exactly the kind of unconditional accepting love he expects us to learn to show one another.
By this mutual acceptance Paul boldly states that God will be given glory. The glory he mentions is the glory Jesus revealed when he gave the new commandment and said, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
The church of Rome in Paul's day was a real mixed bag. There were people of every walk of life: rich & poor, slave & free, Jew and Gentile. Such a varied group needed the love of Christ expressed without discrimination or favouritism.
Why did Paul tell his readers that they must accept one another?
Paul also told his readers to accept one another so that the church will have one voice to give praise and glory to God, both Jew and Gentile. Harmony and acceptance within the body of Christ proclaims to the world that the love of Christ is real, and present in his church, and available to all. Real love accepts everyone, no matter who they are, what their background, or where they are from, so the resulting harmony glorifies God.
Bruce Larson penned an anecdote I'd like to share with you.
"Did you ever feel like a frog? Frogs feel slow, low, ugly, puffy, drooped, pooped. One told me. The frog feeling comes when you want to be bright, but feel dumb, when you want to share, but are selfish, when you want to feel thankful, but feel resentment, when you want to be great, but are small, when you want to care, but are indifferent. Yes, at one time or another each of us has found himself on a lily pad, floating down the great river of life. Frightened and disgusted, we're too froggish to budge. Once upon a time there was a frog, only he wasn't really a frog, he was a prince who looked and felt like a frog. The wicked witch has cast a spell on him and only the kiss of a beautiful maiden could save him. But since when do cute chicks kiss frogs? So there he sat, an unkissed prince in frog form. One day a beautiful maiden gathered him up and gave him a big smack! Zap!! There he was, a frog turned handsome prince and they lived happily after. So what's the task of the Christian? Kissing frogs, of course!" (Bruce Larson in Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 5)
As we go about really loving one another, God does the work of transforming us from our ugly froggish states into people who reflect his glory and beauty. Real love accepts others, no matter what.
When your love is real, you accept everyone of every background and together glorify God.