Acceptance Does Not Require Approval

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Connecting With God

Acceptance Does Not Require Approval By Rick Warren — Jun 29, 2016 “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (Romans 15:7 NLT, second edition). Did you know that every time you show love, it gives glory to God? Because God is love, and glory is revealing what God is really like. God says, “I am loving. I am compassionate. I want you to be like me. I want you to develop my character.” You’re never going to be God. You’re never even going to be a teeny-tiny God. But God says he wants you to become godly. He wants you to develop his character. Like father like son, like father like daughter. He wants you to learn to love people the way he loves people. God is love. Every time you do that, it shows God’s glory. Of course, one of the ways you love others is just by accepting them. Just because you don’t like what people do doesn’t mean you can’t accept them. Do you understand the difference between acceptance and approval? You can accept someone without approving of everything that person does. There is a big difference! We are to accept everybody; we are not to approve everything everybody does. So no matter what people do or who they do it with or how they do it, or how long they do it, you are to love them. You are to accept them. It does not mean that you approve of what they do. God loves you, but it doesn’t mean he approves of everything you do. Love is not saying I approve of everything you do. Love is saying I accept you in spite of what you do. Romans 15:7 says, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (NLT, second edition). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Who do you need to accept in your life, even if you don’t approve of what that person believes or does? In what areas of culture is acceptance a seemingly tricky issue for Christians? What are some practical ways you can show acceptance and love to people, especially the ones the world expects you to turn away from because of what they believe or do? Our Gift: Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer - 8 CD Boxed Set and Bonus Music CD: FIRST The Bible says very clearly that you were created for connections. In this new message series, Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer, Rick Warren lays out practical steps for you to connect with God and loved ones by examining the Lord’s Prayer. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Connecting With God teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: ​You've Got To Get Connected Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​The Prayer of Connection Message 3: ​​The Prayer of Surrender Message 4: ​The Prayer of Dependence Message 5: ​The Prayer of Cleansing Message 6: ​​The Prayer of Release Message 7: The Prayer of Deliverance Message 8: The Prayer of Fulfillment PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe