Praise to His Glory in Unity of heart and with one voice

Good morning everyone

Firstly I would like to apologize for what ended up being the absence of Monday Devotions last week.  Sometimes life catches up with me... 

Resuming our journey through Romans this week, we are focusing on Romans 15: 5-7

5 Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,  6 That together you may [unanimously] with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).  7 Welcome and receive [to your hearts] one another, then, even as Christ has welcomed and received you, for the glory of God.

When reading this scripture we need to just remind ourselves of the background of the congregation in Romans that Paul is writing this letter to.  There were both Jewish and Gentile believers that all became part of the community of believers in Jesus as the Messiah.  When Paul then admonishes and encourages the congregation with these verses to have patient endurance with each other, and to welcome and receive each other to their hearts with a united heart and one voice, he is doing so against the background of these religious and cultural differences.  

The message of this is as true and relevant for us today as it was for the congregation in Rome.  2000 years later we still need to pay attention and receive each other into the body of Christ's believers with patient endurance, mutual harmony, full sympathy in spite of all our cultural and other differences.  And for but only one reason:  "so that we will be able to praise and glorify God the Father and Jesus Christ the Messiah with united hearts and one voice"

Furthermore, there is only one reason why we can welcome and receive each other in this manner, and that is because "Christ has welcomed and received us, for the glory of God "

Point to ponder:

I think this is profound truth - If Christ can receive all of us - why can we not receive each other?  How are you and I faring in terms of receiving those around us, in spite of our differences, into the body of Christ?  What is the price to pay if we do not?  As a body we cannot with united heart and one voice bring praise to the glory of God.  What an indictment against the current affairs and state of the community of believers...

Every Tribe:  Joshua Aaron and Chief Riverwind