Summary of my sermon, based on Romans 15:7-13. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on August 3, 2025.
When I arrived at Capernwray, I felt like a fish out of water. Most of the students were from small towns in rural Alberta—white, small-town kids who’d never lived in a city. I was one of only three Asians and definitely the only one from a big city. They nicknamed me “Big City Brown Bear.” Everything about me—from my clothes to my taste in music—set me apart. And yet, despite the differences, I felt completely welcome. Why? Because we all had one thing in common: our faith in Jesus Christ. And when Christ is the center, most differences fade into the background.
That’s how it should be in the church. But the truth is, we often argue about small things—things that shouldn’t divide us. That’s why Paul says in Romans 15:7, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” If it were easy to get along, Paul wouldn’t have had to say this. So what was going on?
To understand, we have to look back to Romans 14. There Paul writes, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (v.1). That phrase “welcome him” is the same verb Paul uses in 15:7. The issue in Rome wasn’t false teaching—it was disagreement over things like food. Some believers felt free to eat anything. Others, whom Paul refers to as “weak in faith,” ate only vegetables.
Why the restriction? Some think they were avoiding meat sacrificed to idols, like the situation Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians 8. But in Rome, the issue likely had more to do with Jewish Christians trying to keep kosher. Because they had been cut off from the Jewish community for following Christ, they couldn’t get kosher meat—and so they stuck with vegetables. These believers were already being marginalized by their own people. And now, some Gentile Christians were judging or even despising them for their dietary convictions.
Paul is clear: this should not be. “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?” (Romans 14:4). He reminds both groups that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (v.17). In other words, don’t let food or tradition cause division. Focus on what truly matters—life in the Spirit.
What’s remarkable is how gracious Paul is here. In his letter to the Galatians, he’s angry because some were insisting that Gentiles follow the Jewish law to be saved. That, Paul says, is a false gospel. But in Romans, the Jewish Christians weren’t trying to impose their views—they were simply trying to live according to their convictions. And the Gentiles were misjudging them. So Paul urges both groups to stop judging and start welcoming.
Romans 15:7 drives the point home: “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.” Christ didn’t wait until we had perfect theology or the right lifestyle. He welcomed us in grace. And that’s how we’re to welcome others—especially when they see things differently. Paul continues, explaining that Jesus came as the Jewish Messiah to confirm God’s promises, “in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (v.9). Then he quotes four Old Testament passages—one each from the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings—showing that Gentiles were always meant to join the Jews in worshiping God.
So what does this mean for us? It’s easy to divide over minor issues—especially convictions that aren’t essential to the Gospel. Protestants have split into countless denominations, often over secondary matters. Even within churches, we can be tempted to look down on each other for our choices—what we listen to, watch, or how we raise our kids. But we’re called to something better.
We need discernment. Paul isn’t saying ignore sin—there’s still a place for lovingly confronting what’s wrong. But he is saying don’t turn personal convictions into dividing lines. Instead, pursue what leads to peace and mutual upbuilding.
That’s why Paul ends with this prayer: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13). Joy, peace, and hope—those are the marks of a church that truly welcomes like Christ.
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