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Question 10

Verse 7 says, “Receive one another as Christ also received us,” and the lesson stresses Christ received us “while we were yet sinners” and “justified us in that condition”; how should that shape the way a congregation treats messy believers in practice, and where is the line between receiving someone for their salvation and tolerating what actually blocks their edification?

Another way to ask: Since Christ received us while we were still sinners, how should a church treat messy believers in real life? Where is the line between welcoming someone and allowing things that keep them (or others) from growing?

Direct Answer A congregation should welcome and bear with “messy” believers the way Christ welcomed us—loving us while we were sinners—yet always aiming at their “good… edification” and “advance their salvation,” not simply accepting whatever harms them.

Support from Transcript:

Paul’s command: “Receive one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”
The basis of receiving is grace: “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
The comment quoted: Christ “received us while we were sinners. And He justified us in that condition.”
Therefore, “we ourselves ought to bear with the weaknesses of our brethren.”
The aim is not permissiveness but spiritual progress: “do everything to advance their salvation.”
Paul’s boundary for “pleasing” is clear: it must be “for his good to his edification,” because pleasing can be “to his injury.”

Discussion Follow-ups How can a church be genuinely receiving without calling “injury” good? What practices help people feel welcomed while still moving toward edification and salvation?

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