A New Devotion - No Place for Christian Snobs

Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.

Romans 15:7-13

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

"Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name"; and again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; and again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him"; and again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

No Place for Christian Snobs

Whether by intention or not, some folks have become Christian snobs. Of course, for a few, this attitude is pretty obvious. I mean, they establish all these rules and regulations that come from the Bible, but only if you read it sideways. And then they take their new laws and use them to condemn and exclude men and women whom they don’t like or whom they don’t believe deserve the same grace “genuine” Christians have been given. These are easily-recognized snobs. 

But others, well, they’re not quite so blatant in their snobbery. For example, rather than announce some and denounce others, they subtly avoid those with whom they just don’t want to associate, men and women who may hold opinions that are divergent or who enjoy music or worship styles that are uncomfortable. And so, without ever being told, these excluded folks are simply ignored when church invitations are issued or quietly isolated if they happen to wander into the ecclesiastical compound. But even though these believers may be able to maintain their veneer of tolerance, in reality, they differ from the obvious snobs in technique, not attitude.

And for that reason, I believe what Paul wrote to the Romans is so important. You see, when he called them to welcome one another, he really meant it. And he sure didn’t give the Jews a pass, because he was clear about how they were expected to include Gentiles. You see, the truth seems clear: whether we like it or not, the church is no place for Christian snobs.