Welcomed As You Were Welcomed
The inside warmth clearing the view, a simple picture of the Holy Spirit making room for a Jesus shaped welcome.
Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven by A. B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Romans 15:7 calls us to accept one another just as Jesus accepted us, all for the glory of God. Today’s reading from A. B. Simpson gently moves the target from behavior management to a Person. We are not asked to pretend. We are invited to share the same welcome we received from the Lord. That changes the tone of a home, a team, and a church hallway.
Simpson reminds us that whatever we do, in word or deed, can be done in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is not a slogan. It is a way of living from union with Him. When the Spirit fills the heart with the love of Christ, we see people through that lens. The hard to love become opportunities for grace, not projects for our willpower.
I need that reminder. It is easy to carry quiet scorecards, to measure others by our preferences, or to withdraw when we feel misunderstood. The gospel gives us a new center. Jesus received us at our worst, then made us new. From that place, acceptance does not mean agreement with everything. It means we choose kindness, patience, and truth because His life is active in us.
So the call is simple and strong. Receive people the way you were received. Speak and act in His name, not to impress, but because His Spirit lives in you. When we live this way, love has room to work, and God gets glory.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I turn your attention to the welcome you have received in My Son. Accept one another as Christ accepted you, and the Father is honored. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanksgiving. I pour the love of God into your heart. You are a new creation. The old passed away. Count yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Him. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Above all, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
I dwell in you. I work in you to will and to act for the good pleasure of God. Abide in Jesus, and you will bear fruit that lasts. Let your love abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment. Be tenderhearted. Outdo one another in showing honor. Walk in love as Christ loved you and gave Himself up for you. Christ in you is the hope of glory. From this union, speak truth in love, be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.
When you are tempted to close off, remember how you were received. I strengthen you with power in your inner person so that Christ dwells in your heart through faith. Rooted and grounded in love, you are able to show the welcome of heaven in everyday places.
Scripture references: Romans 15:7, Colossians 3:17, Romans 5:5, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:11, Colossians 3:12 to 15, Philippians 2:13, John 15:4 to 5, Philippians 1:9 to 11, Ephesians 4:32, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 5:2, Colossians 1:27, Ephesians 4:15 to 16, Ephesians 4:3, Colossians 3:15, Ephesians 3:16 to 19, John 13:34 to 35, 1 John 4:19.
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine a car windshield fogged on a cold morning. You can wipe at it with your sleeve, but the haze returns. Then you press the defogger. Warm air hits the glass from within, and the view clears. Welcoming others like Jesus works like that. The indwelling Spirit warms the inside of the heart. The fog of irritation and suspicion lifts, and you actually see the person in front of you.
Try this today. Before you reply to a tense message, pause and say, Lord, I trust You to clear my inner window and love through me as I respond. Then write back with patience and clarity, confident that the Spirit of Jesus can express real kindness through you.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I was welcomed in Jesus, not because I had it together, but because of Your grace. Thank You that His life is in me, and that Your Spirit pours love into my heart. I receive this day as a place to speak and act in the name of the Lord Jesus. I rejoice that You will express patience, truth, and kindness through me. Lord, I trust You to make Your welcome visible in my words and choices today.