The Church Defined预览

All are Welcome“For God does not show favoritism.”

Romans 15:7 “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (ESV)

The church is the body of Christ and our portals should be wide open for all to enter. One of the major accusations that the religious leaders had against Jesus, was that He mingled and dined with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’ reply to them was categorical in Matthew 9:13: “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (NKJV) Jesus was outspoken about His mission which He spelt out clearly in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (NLT)

When Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins, He did something amazing. We read in Ephesians 2:14, “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us."  (NLT)

What does this mean for us as the body of Christ today? It implies that there is absolutely no room for us to be divided on the basis of our race, language, nationality, caste, gender, status, education, ability or anything else. James explains this in James 2:2-5: “Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (NIV)

Isn’t it a sad reality, that there are many who are destitute, impoverished, forsaken and disabled who don’t feel welcomed or accepted into our churches? Romans 2:11 clearly states: “For God does not show favoritism.” (NLT) and we are admonished in James 2:1 “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.” (NIV) May we as the body of Christ, have our hearts and hands wide open to embrace anyone, irrespective of who they are. Let us be reminded that at the foot of the cross the ground is always even.