₦airaland Forum

BEING DIFFERENT



Read Romans 15:5-7



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. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.



7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.



In our daydream moments, we may find ourselves imagining what the perfect church might look like. It might comprise people with whom we get along, people a bit like us, people who see things like we do. In fact, some do take practical steps to achieve such a group: they split off from some larger church and start their own rather more select group. Lots of compatibility, little conflict. At least for a time!



The church is never to be like this. It is always comprised of people who remain stubbornly individual. We don't always think alike; we don't always get on. But it has been truly said that real Christian fellowship is only ever experienced when we don't have much else in common but our love for Jesus and possession of his Spirit. Otherwise it is mere sociability.



Paul has been telling the Christians at Rome that they need to accept each other in their different ways of living Christianly. In his case, some ate meat while others didn't. In our day it could be just about anything. True, we can only have fellowship with other Christians, but these Christians may look, speak and think differently to us.



Paul's advice is to accept them. This doesn't mean we have to agree with them, but we do have to recognise them as our brothers and sisters in Christ. We do have to take them as we find them. After all, that is how Jesus treats us. If he accepts our fellow believers who are we to reject them?



Blessings



David Reay



http://www.hope1032.com.au/ LifeWords 13/9/2010