Therefore we welcome one another as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. – Romans 15:7
The Pew Research Center reported last month that the number of Americans who identified as evangelical Christians grew in the previous four years contrary to a popular belief that there had been an exodus from the church. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the new poll shows the strength of evangelical Christianity extends beyond politics.
The believer holds dual citizenship—one in the country of his or her birth, and the other as a citizen of the new Kingdom of Christ. In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul discusses how to live in this dual alignment—in a culture that would cancel the Christians but in which Christians thrive. The Christ-follower must be responsible to government for it is ordained of God and has its place in human affairs. At the same time, being obedient to the Savior, the believer must continually seek to love others.
In an address to a state Sunday School convention, theologian and preacher Dwight L. Moody said, “Be kind. Conquer by love. If a man has his heart full of love and a little common sense, he will succeed.” Be welcoming to those who are new in the faith in Jesus Christ. When you do, everyone is strengthened and steadied as the day’s issues are addressed. Pray for Christians in politics to understand the life the Lord wants them to lead and follow Him.
Today’s Verse: Romans 15:7
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Romans 13:1-10
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
