Watch/Listen
An Accepting Atmosphere - Erasing The Lines
Brian Mashburn
September 16, 2007
Audio Player
The Atmosphere of Acceptance
When I look at the atmosphere that Christ created for people in order to make them into disciples, I am amazed at how accepting he is of all people. I see at least 3 expressions of Christ's capacity to be so accepting that his church needs to master if we want to create the atmosphere of life that Jesus did.
1. Do not judge. - The old saying "hate the sin, love the sinner" nails it in an easy-to-say-and-agree-with cliché. But the practice of it is much more difficult. I recently got a phone call from a girl that came to Christ many years ago...she was telling me that she was pregnant out of wedlock. She was so scared that I would judge her, and she's scared that her church will too. But just like Jesus did with the woman caught in adultery, if we are going to give life...we must not cast judgment on others, limiting those whom we accept.
2. Do not attach yourself to results. - Jesus offered life to the world, and that was his only measuring stick of effectiveness. While he cared deeply for the people he offered it to, he didn't demand results out of them, or manipulate them when they didn't agree, or feel like he was a personal failure when those around him "didn't change". Just like Jesus did when Judas outright betrayed him, we need to still call people our "friend" no matter if they ever accept the life of Christ or not.
3. Forgive everyone of everything. - So simple to say, so incredibly difficult to do. But once you master the Christlike attitude of "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing," you will get to offer an atmosphere of acceptance to the world that will change the world.
We all have a threshold of what or who we are willing to "accept". And we all have different definitions of what "acceptance" looks like. Let's start by accepting that about ourselves, and each other, and ask God to increase our threshold of who we can accept to match Christ's threshold of acceptance for us.
As Paul said, "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Romans 15:7)