2017, Rom 15:4-13 & A Plea for Unity (part 4): Welcome Each Other!

In the 1980s the Black Student Association at Fresno State displayed this slogan, "We have a SIN problem, not a SKIN problem." It's a true statement that sounds overly simplistic. Skin problems are still here because sin is still here. Some briefly thought we might be living in a post-racial world. We now realize that sin hasn't gone away—and with it tensions about race have resurfaced with a vengeance. We live in what could best be described as "a post post-racial world" where distrust & division are rearing their heads in places we thought we'd made great progress.In Romans, Paul argues that sin is responsible for a divided world. (See my earlier posts.) Sin weaves its way among us: idolatry, greed, arrogance, sanctimoniousness, sexual immorality, bigotry and racism. These divide nations and people. They even wreak havoc in the minds of Christians and in churches. Sin is powerful.God's power is stronger still, and the church should be a force for unity. Paul's words in Rom 15:4-13 summarize the great Romans epistle and its passionate treatise to bring all creation together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.If all creation is to live under Jesus, shouldn't the church be working toward that goal even now? Yet how are we to bring people together in a world afflicted by a sin problem? Where do we begin?We see in Rom 15 that Paul has the answer. If sin is today's problem, then God's righteousness is tomorrow's answer. This was Paul's conclusion back in Rom 11:26, And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob." "And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." This is a challenging text to say the least. I can give you a nutshell version of what Paul is saying: God is so just and God's plans are so right that God's promises of salvation for all will eventually come true—in spite of the apparent rejection of these plans by hard-hearted people. How is this possible? How can God accept those who appear to reject his plans?That's why Rom 15:4-13 is so helpful. It lays out the explanation which is essentially a summary of Romans: For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised, on behalf of the truth of God, in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy (Rom 15:8-9a). CliffsNotes' version: All people now receive God's mercy.This is the central thesis upon which Paul builds his most important instruction. This is the foundation for what he tells us to do—and for how he explains his ministry to those who scoff at his love for Gentiles. Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (15:7). This has been Paul's concluding exhortation since chapter 12: Present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Let love be genuine. Bless those who persecute you. And in chapter 14, Welcome those who are weak in the faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. In other words, live your lives to God's glory by welcoming others.What's the point? Paul is telling us to stop worrying about how or if God will sort things out. Why? Because God has already taken care of it. Instead of deciding who's in and who's out, your job is simple: Welcome people!But some will retort, "What about 1 Cor 5 when Paul told them to kick out an immoral brother? Paul doesn't want us to welcome sinners!" This is the go-to passage for this issue, and I understand why. But singling this out without paying attention to the bigger canonical message creates room for unhealthy interpretations. What's a good way to read this?When you pay attention to Paul's bigger message, you see a trend. In 1 Cor 5, Paul is concerned—as elsewhere in the Pauline corpus—about the witness of Christ's body and about the salvation of all creation. This man's actions are divisive, and not only within the church. His behavior is disgraceful in the world, too, and it's destroying the church's witness.So he tells them to kick the brother out so they can restore the unity of the church and the integrity of their mission. But notice an often overlooked part of this passage: Send him on his way so that his spirit will be saved on the day of the Lord (1 Cor 5:5b). The man's salvation is not the question here. This is all about the church's mission. Paul tells them to disassociate from him as to add no extra obstacle to the already difficult task of preaching Christ crucified.I know this doesn't answer every question. It doesn't simplify hard issues like same-sex attraction or Christian-Muslim relations. But here's what it boils down to:God's righteousness will triumph! In the meantime, we should welcome people! Welcome each other. Welcome your weaker brother. Welcome your neighbor. Welcome those who are different. For God through Jesus welcomed you.Christ sacrificed everything so that we as sinful people could enter God's house. Now, we should follow Christ's example and welcome others. Why? Because God is just, and God’s plans are right. God will do whatever is necessary to fulfill the promises. The image of God is in each of us. If you strip away the sin that divides us—the lies, the falsehoods, the immorality, the prejudices—then we are all humble servants born into the family of God ready to receive the promises of God and to do our jobs for the sake of God's good purposes.Yes, we have a skin problem. We can't help but judge based on what we see. But it's ultimately a SIN problem. And God has given us the key to overcoming the divides of sin. You must welcome others! Since God has overcome sin through Jesus, we too ought to show welcome.In 2017, I pray that the church will be more unified than ever as we welcome others under the Lordship of Jesus.