Acceptance

          Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;

    I will sing the praises of your name.”

Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;

    let all the peoples extol him.”

And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,

    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Romans 15:7-13)

          Paul has come full-circle. He began Romans describing the treatment that Jews and Gentiles deserved. Now he returns to describing the treatment that Jesus Christ gives. As we follow Him, we are to follow His example in this. I’m sure Paul didn’t mean this description to be comprehensive and exhaustive, but merely foundational. We are to accept one another as Christ accepted us.

          One aspect of accepting one another is to serve one another. As you read the Old Testament, you’ll see that God didn’t always serve Israel in a way that they wanted. They didn’t get to behave as they wanted and still get God’s approval. He served them in accordance with His promises to them. He served them in a way that was meant to benefit them even if they didn’t understand the benefit.

          Another aspect of accepting one another is showing mercy to those who don’t deserve it. Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone that one is in a position or has the authority to harm. Mercy and acceptance are more than tolerance. Traditionally, tolerance meant allowing someone to exist even though you didn’t approve. African Americans were tolerated during the years of segregation, but they had to eat at different counters, use the back doors, etc. Today, tolerance tends to mean not only treating the person like a person, but treating what the person believes as just as valid as what you believe. It is effectively codependence and, in my opinion, hateful. Why would you want to condemn someone to belief in a lie?

           Consider a scale that begins with negative ten and goes to positive ten. Traditionally, tolerance is at zero. It is neither rejection nor acceptance. The acceptance that Paul describes requires us to treat at a ten a person who deserves to be treated at a negative ten. Only the person receives the ten treatment, not the person’s behavior or beliefs. 

          Something that comes to mind about acceptance of the person and not the person’s beliefs is that blanket acceptance of all beliefs as equally valid insults the believer and the person who accepts them. It treats both as either children or as madmen whose heads we pat as they live in their imaginary worlds. We don’t respect them. We respect sane, intelligent adults who can take responsibility for their own beliefs and are capable of protecting them.