Introduction

(Read vv. 1–13) We have reached the end of Paul’s discussion of Christian liberty. We’ve also reached the end of the practical exhortations that began in chapter 12. Paul has a lot more to teach us and more ways for us to grow in Romans 15–16, but today’s passage concludes the main block of exhortation.

Paul’s primary focus has been on how we love each other in the local church. Church is not merely a weekly event. It’s not merely a checkmark on your list of Christian duties. We are a family. You have a family here. This family is a wonderful grace that encourages your soul, challenges your shortcomings, and compensates for your weakness.

But families have problems. It’s easy to be on your best behavior on Sunday morning, but the closer we get, the more we see each other’s warts. And the more we butt heads. The same can happen in your marriage, your family, and your workplace.

God understands. Therefore, Romans 12–15 repeatedly urge us to cultivate genuine, grace-empowered love. This love must define the church. Then we must do the hard work of solving conflict and serving our brothers and sisters. If you have the Spirit, I’m sure the Word of God has convicted, encouraged, and instructed you. Don’t forget how he has worked, and don’t stop striving to love your church family well.

But why? Why should you do that kind of hard work? God knew you might ask. So, Paul closes the section on Christian liberty and the entire series of practical exhortations with some encouragement. God wants you to see past all the pain and disappointment of life with family to something beautiful and worth your sacrifice—God’s glory in a united church, praising God for his incredible mercy. There is nothing else happening in our town, our state, our country, or this world that is more important than what God is doing right here. So, look past the hardships and stay focused on the glory of what God is doing in this church. God commands you to accept one another to the glory of God. He makes this point right away in v. 7.

I.  Accept one another (v. 7).

The Command: This is a short verse, but it is packed with significance. Let’s start with the command (slide). God says, “accept one another.” Remember that Paul is confronting division between Jewish and Gentiles Christians over the ongoing significance of the Law. But I’m sure there was more to it. After all, Jews and Gentiles didn’t like each other. And their different cultures surely inspired all sorts of petty conflicts on how they dressed, what they liked, how they parented, and other things.

We don’t have much experience with Jew/Gentile conflict, but we all know what disagreement is. For example, I spoke last Sunday night about expressiveness in worship. Some of you prefer that we are stiff as a board when we sing, and others would love to dance. Some of you believe strongly that we should dress up for church, and others feel strongly that we should dress down. We have different convictions about how we parent, how we budget, and entertainment choices. Every difference is a potential powder keg that has destroyed many churches.

But God commands you, “accept one another.” Obviously, there are boundaries to our acceptance. We must fight for truth and oppose rebellion against God. Paul assumes that with the phrase, “one another.” This command is for members in good standing of a local church.

Within this context God commands you to accept your brothers and sisters without judgment or qualification as fellow members of the bride of Christ. We are family, and we must embrace each other accordingly.

What about you? Is there anyone in our church that you will not accept like that? If we were to ask around, would anyone accuse you of being unaccepting? I know it’s hard. Conflicts are awkward, and people hurt us. We build defensive walls. We accept some people but not others.

But God’s grace is enough to sustain you through every disappointment. So, trust the Lord, and start loving people. Pursue them. Take interest in their lives. Get them in your home. Love their children. Build strong bonds. Be open about your needs and lean on others. Don’t be critical and don’t put a long list of qualifications on your acceptance. Just accept one another.

The Goal (God’s Glory): But you might say, “But Pastor, Harriet Homeschool is such a prude, and Bobby Bananas is crazy. I can’t stand them. I’m tired of drama. They don’t deserve my love.” That may be true. But you know who does deserve your love? God does. Therefore, God doesn’t command you to accept one another for their glory but “to the glory of God” (slide).

I know that “to the glory of God” appears to modify “as Christ also accepted us,” but the context strongly favors reading the command as “accept one another to the glory of God.” That’s because of v. 6. The focus is on the church glorifying God, not Christ.

So, God’s not just telling you to accept one another. He’s commanding you to love everyone in the body in keeping with the glory and beauty of God. It’s about God, not that person. How can you do that?

Consider how Jesus accepts us. He welcomed the worst sinners who came in repentance. Or consider Jesus’ invitation, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 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” (Matt 11:28–30).

We have a compassionate Savior. And consider the fact that when you accept a brother or sister, you show the world the compassion of Jesus. It’s a marvelous privilege.

So, it’s not just about you and that person, what he deserves and doesn’t deserve. No, when you love the body well, you display the mighty and compassionate grace of God. You show the world that we are disciples of Jesus. So, accept one another to the glory of God.

The Reason: As if that’s not enough motivation, notice the fundamental reason we must obey (slide). We must accept one another to the glory of God “just as Christ also accepted us.”

I have another quibble with the translation. Every major translation says “just as Christ accepted us” because that’s the most common meaning of the conjunction. But the best commentators believe the context favors translating it as “accept one another because Christ also accepted us.” This is because the following verses emphasize the fact of Christ’s acceptance more than the pattern he set.

So, Paul commands you “accept one another because Christ accepted you.” I know you have plenty of excuses why some people at Life Point don’t deserve your love. Bobby Bananas is exhausting. Ingrid Eeyore is so depressing. Lloyd Legalist is so judgmental. And Fickle Feriene is a roller coaster. All of that is true.

But aren’t you thankful that Christ didn’t wait for you to deserve his acceptance? He pursued you when you did not pursue him. He loved you when you didn’t love him. And we still don’t deserve his acceptance. We are all dorks in our own way. We are all broken people who are terribly unworthy of Christ’s love. Yet Jesus promises, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb 13:5b).

So, accept one another to the glory of God. Stop looking down your nose at Fickle Feriene. Instead, be the rock that she desperately needs. Bear the weakness of Ingrid Eeyore. Point her to the hope of the gospel and the joy of the Lord. Have fun with Bobby Bananas, and then tell him to settle down. And commit to helping Lloyd Legalist know the grace of God. And loosen his tie a bit as well.

When it gets hard, and Fickle Feriene falls into the same sin again, remember that Jesus does not abandon you; he warmly receives you. Then rejoice that you have the privilege of displaying the grace of Jesus by pulling her out of the trough. You can do this through the grace of God. So, Accept one another to the glory of God.

Then vv. 8–12 expand on how Christ accepted us and set it within the bigger picture of God’s sovereign, eternal, and merciful redemptive purpose. So…

II.  Understand God’s gospel purpose (vv. 8–12).

These verses offer crucial perspective because Joe Gentile and Johnny Jew’s struggle over a sausage pizza feels like a wasteful irritation. Both sides get tired of it, and they just want to be done. That’s how most church splits happen. It’s easier to put aside the uncomfortable controversy and build unity on uniformity.

To build off last Sunday night, we’ll have the clapping church and the “amen” church, the hand raising church and the traditional church. Or we’ll have a white church, a Chinese church, a black church, and a Hispanic church. Again, it’s just easier and more comfortable than dealing with the awkwardness and the pain of conflict.

But God says to Joe Gentile and Johnny Jew that their seemingly petty, worthless struggle is part of something much bigger than a pizza. It plays a role in God’s global, redemptive purpose for the ages. It matters, and so does our struggle for unity. It all begins with the fact that…

Jesus became a servant (v. 8a). I must say that Paul has been poking at the Jew/Gentile conflict since the beginning of the book because there’s more to it than the pizza. Johnny Jew keeps bragging that God made his covenant with Israel. But Joe Gentile retorts that the Gentile olive branch is replacing the Jewish one. Both claim that God loves us more than you.

Paul will get to Johnny Jew, but he starts with a jab at Joe Gentile. “Yes, God is primarily working among the Gentiles in the church. But don’t forget that God made the Abrahamic Covenant with Abraham—the father of the Jews.” Yes, Jesus is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” but Jesus came as “a servant to the circumcision.” He came to the Jews first as the Son of David, Israel’s Messiah.

The Jews matter, and they still do. We saw repeatedly in chapters 9–11 that God is not done with the Jewish people, Someday, he will work gloriously to save them.

So, Joe Gentile must look past his pizza and see that Christ loves the Jews, and he came to serve them. Then, Joe must imitate his service. So, must you. When you pull Ingrid Eeyore out of despair, you are loving Jesus’ people, and you are participating in his global purpose. Then Paul adds that…

Christ fulfilled God’s salvific promise (vv. 8b–9a). Paul says that Christ became a servant to the circumcision for two reasons—one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. Joe Gentile and Johnny Jew must see that the other plays a vital role in God’s purpose.

First, Jesus, “confirmed the promises given to the fathers.” He fulfilled many promises to Israel. And every fulfillment confirms what he will do in his 2^nd Christ will fulfill all his promises to Israel. Christ declared that he still accepts the Jews.

Why does that matter? It means that when Joe Gentile accepts Johnny Jew and his quirky scruples, he’s not just accepting a brother or putting away a pizza. No, he is following the example of Jesus. As v. 7 says, he is accepting Johnny Jew because Christ has accepted him.

We don’t have many opportunities to accept Jewish Christians. But if you do, take advantage. Beyond that, the underlying application for us is that every move you make toward a brother or sister in Christ is brimming with significance. When you endure Lloyd Legalist’s convictions, you aren’t just enduring him. You are accepting him because Christ already has. You are glorifying the gospel. Never lose sight of the significance behind even the simplest act of Christian love in the church.

Then v. 9 reminds Johnny Jew that Christ has also accepted Joe Gentile. Jesus came “for the Gentiles to glorify God for his mercy.” Johnny Jew must remember that the Abrahamic Covenant included the Gentiles. God said that through Messiah, “all the families of the earth will be blessed.” God didn’t abandon the rest of the world when he chose Abraham. He always planned to save the nations. And Christ opened the floodgates on the cross. Christ has accepted Joe Gentile.

So, when Johnny Jew endures that pizza, it’s about far more than the pizza; it’s about the gospel. He is declaring that God has mercifully accepted the Gentiles. Again, everything we do in the church is about something far bigger than us or our quirks. You are never just loving a brother. You are declaring the gospel. Don’t lose sight of that. The 3^rd stage is…

All nations glorify God for his mercy (vv. 9b–12). Try to put yourself in Johnny Jew’s shoes. God had just spent 1500 years working almost exclusively among the Jews. They had the Law and all God’s promises. However, Ephesians 2 says that the Gentiles were “strangers and aliens” to God’s grace and presence. The Law was a “dividing wall,” not just between Jews and Gentiles but between God and the Gentiles.

But all that changed at the cross. “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one” (Eph 2:13–14). That happened during Johnny Jew’s lifetime. It’s a radical difference.

And God did it “for the Gentiles to glorify God for his mercy.” That’s an awesome calling, isn’t it. We are a Gentile church. Why did God save us? Why are we here? We’re here to “glorify God for his mercy.” And we don’t only glorify him for forgiveness; we glorify him because he has included us Gentiles who were once far off. When you were desperate, God showed mercy. It’s amazing. What a privilege to glorify God for his mercy!

I also want to emphasize to any who are not Christians, that our religion is not about glorifying myself. You will never have room to boast before a holy God because you are a sinner. But God gives mercy to those who come in faith. He will forgive all your sins, and he will bring you to heaven someday, if you simply cry, “Lord, be merciful to me the sinner.” I hope that you will.

But returning to Johnny Jew, he’s trying to wrap his mind around this. How could God switch courses so suddenly. Did God change his mind? Is the gospel even true? Paul responds that God always intended unite Jews and Gentiles under the reign of Jesus. He proves it with 4 OT quotations—one from the Law, 2 from the Writings (in this case Psalms), and 1 from the Prophets—the 3 major sections of the Jewish Bible.

First, v. 9 quotes Psalm 18:49 (read). David wrote this psalm after defeating all his enemies. He is saying that his goal is to glorify the Lord, not just in Israel, but even among the Gentiles. Our God is not a national deity. He is the Lord of all the earth. So, Paul is saying that God always intended to be praised everywhere.

The second quotation comes from the Law. Verse 10 quotes Deuteronomy 32:43 (read). This quotation goes all the way back to the Song of Moses. Way back in the wilderness, God said he didn’t just plan to work among the Jews. This time, it’s not just that God’s glory will be declared among the Gentiles. Rather, Moses said that someday the Gentiles would rejoice (i.e., worship the Lord) with (alongside) the Jews. God is not merely saving individuals. He is gathering a people to glorify him together for his mercy. When we sing of the gospel as a church, we fulfill prophecy that Moses gave. That’s incredible.

The third quotation comes from another Psalm—Psalm 117:1 (v. 11). We’ll get into this more in the next passage, but next week we will have a missionary here who is headed to Morocco. It’s a hard field filled with lots of people who hate Christianity and hate America. But God reigns in Morocco. He deserves to be praised in all the earth. The psalmist says, “Let all the peoples praise him.”

The fourth quotation comes from Isaiah 11:10 (v. 12). Isaiah 11 looks forward to the Millennial Kingdom. It prophecies that someday day Jesus will radically transform the world, he will finally bring peace to the earth, and all the Gentile nations will worship him. God has a plan to end all wars, all hunger and abuse, and all wickedness. And at the center of this plan is the worship of the Lamb by all nations.

It’s a glorious picture. If all creation is moving toward the nations glorifying God for his mercy, then you should be excited to worship him today and to do it with the people of God in church. Sunday worship is awesome!

But Paul’s main purpose is to drive home the command of v. 7, “Accept one another to the glory of God because Christ also accepted us.” All these quotations demonstrate that Christ has accepted Harriet Homeschool, Patty Public School, Bobby Bananas, Ingrid Eeyore, Fickle Feriene, Lloyd Legalist, and every other quirky Christian in our church. So, you must also accept all of them to the glory of God.

What is stopping you from doing that? Maybe you need to confess your harsh, critical spirit. If loads of Christians are not good enough for you, the problem is you, not them. Maybe you need to confess your selfishness. You are too enamored with yourself and the cares of this world to love sacrificially.

Or maybe you are burned out, and you need a fresh vision of the glory and privilege of life in the church. Look past all the quirkiness and sin and see Christ. He became our servant that we would glorify him for his mercy. He loves you, and he loves every brother in this room. Get excited to worship him together. Then do the hard work of accepting your brother well. Work through your conflicts. Pursue him in his need. Be patient and full of grace. And just keep going. The 3^rd, final, and brief challenge of our text is…

III.  Hope in God’s faithfulness (v. 13).

Paul closes the practical section of Romans as he did the theological section with a prayer. We need prayer because honoring the Lord and loving each other well is hard work. Sometimes it is discouraging work.

But we serve “the God of hope.” God is going to fix all our problems someday. Our conflicts will not last forever. Christ will bring peace, righteousness, and joy to the world. He is the God of hope. Aren’t you thankful for that?

And he is able to cause you to “abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Some of you are discouraged, depressed, and despairing. Walk in the Spirit. He gives hope. He doesn’t promise to fix all your problems the way you desire, but he can refocus you on the character and promises of God. It’s all going to be better someday. Run to the Spirit for faith-filled hope.

As he gives hope, you can have “joy and peace in believing.” That’s a great image to conclude our study of Christian liberty. We want Life Point to be a place of Spirit-empowered joy and true peace, real unity. We can get there by the grace of God and we can stay there by the grace of God. Keep going. Accept one another to the glory of God.