What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance?

What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance? When faced with a difficult situation, some people are likely to say “I give up.” Others are likely to disagree saying something like “I can work out something with God” or “If I pray in faith, I’ll get what I want.” Behold, these are the two extremes that are more likely to surface in discussions about events outside our control. As Christians, what is expected from us in the face of events or happenings that are outside our control? Should we give up? Should we resign ourselves to whatever life hands us? Or should we name-it-and-claim-it to change our destinies? What do the Scriptures really say about accepting events or situations we did not choose? Just as it is with almost every philosophical or spiritual discussion, truth is found somewhere between two extremes.

Neither total resignation nor “name-and-claim-it” is taught in the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Although elements of each are present, neither tells the whole story. To find the truth or where the balance lays, we must begin with what we know for certain: God is good, He does all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), He is sovereign over His creation (Daniel 5:21; Psalm 83:18). It is important to understand here that sovereignty means that the One who created everything in existence has the power, might, knowledge, wisdom, and authority to do whatever He wishes with it (Psalm 135:6; Daniel 4:35). In support, Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

What The Bible Says About Acceptance

Note that God’s sovereignty does not imply that He decrees pain, sin, or rebellion. God does not lie, yet He permits lying. He does not sin, yet He allows sin to exist on the earth (Genesis 6:5; Romans 6:16). It is because of the curse that sin brought on the world (Genesis 3:14–19) that evil, pain, suffering, and rebellion are part of the human experience. The Bible makes us to understand that God sovereignly allows Satan to continue his reign of terror until the day he will be cast into the lake of fire forever (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10). It is without a doubt that Satan’s destructive work results in sufferings, heartaches, tragedies, poverty, pains, and a host of other evils that negatively impact our life experiences. When experiencing such calamities, we have choices in how we respond. And it is important that we respond appropriately.

In the Bible, we are told to bring our burdens to God “by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6). We are to “cast all our care upon Him because He cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7). Likewise, we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In Luke 18:1–8, Jesus Christ makes use of an example of a widow petitioning a harsh judge so as to remind us to pray and not give up. He gave us another example when He Himself had to accept God’s answer. In the face of crucifixion, Jesus Christ pleaded with the Father to find another way to redeem mankind (Matthew 26:38–44). The Scriptures recount how on three occasions, Jesus cried out for deliverance from the looming torture. Amazingly, He did not stop there. He ended His prayer the way we must end ours: “Yet not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

What The Scriptures Say About Acceptance

As Christians, we need to understand that accepting God’s will is not passive resignation. Accepting His will is active; it is often the result of a process of contending with God, wrestling it out in prayer, repenting, fasting, and finally surrendering to His higher purposes for our existence. Let’s support our message by reading from Isaiah 46:9–11 – “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ . . . What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” Behold, acceptance recognizes that the Almighty God who spoke these words is still in control.

In many occasions, God waits for our prayers before He acts because He wants us to rely on Him, seek Him, and commune with Him so that He can show Himself strong on our behalf (check 2 Chronicles 16:9). In saving us, God brings glory to His name as we can read from Psalm 50:15 – “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Even when God’s deliverance does not look like what we think it should, acceptance rest in the sovereign goodness of God. Acceptance chooses to believe that “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Job modeled godly acceptance of tragic circumstances when he said, “Shall we receive good from the Lord and not evil?” (Job 2:10). When troubled, we should pray and trust God.

What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance?

Matthew 7:1-29 – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. …“

Romans 15:7 – “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

1 Corinthians 5:11 – “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”

Group 1 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

John 6:37 – “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

2 John 1:10-11 – “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

Colossians 3:12-14 – “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.“

Matthew 6:25-32 – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. …“

Group 2 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Galatians 5:1 – “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

1 Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.“

1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Romans 8:31 – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?“

Romans 5:8 – “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“

Luke 15:1-32 – “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. …“

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Group 3 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Matthew 9:11-12 – “And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

Romans 2:11 – “For God shows no partiality.“

Romans 10:10 – “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.“

Matthew 11:29 – “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 14:1-4 – “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.“

Group 4 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Genesis 4:7 – “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Matthew 25:40 – “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’“

Romans 14:1 – “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”

Psalm 139:14 – “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Ephesians 1:3-6 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

Group 5 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Matthew 5:38-39 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

1 Samuel 16:7 – But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

John 8:1-11 – “But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” ...”

1 Peter 2:20 – “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.”

Group 6 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Psalm 1:1-6 – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; …“

1 Timothy 1:15 – “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

Colossians 1:19-23 – “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Group 7 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.“

Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Acts 15:8 – “And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,”

Ephesians 1:6 – “To the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.“

Romans 10:9-10 – “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.“

Romans 10:13 – For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Group 8 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

James 2:1-4 – “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?“

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,“

Romans 6:4 – “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.“

1 John 3:15 – “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

Matthew 10:40 – “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.“

2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

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Group 9 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

1 Peter 3:7 – “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 118:8 – “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”

Romans 15:5-7 – “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Proverbs 21:3 – “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

Group 10 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Matthew 5:1-48 – “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. …“

Luke 6:42 – “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.“

Proverbs 14:26 – “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.”

Proverbs 3:33-35 – “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.”

Group 11 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

2 Corinthians 8:12 – “For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.“

Colossians 3:13 – “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

1 Corinthians 14:26 – “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”

Acts 4:12 – “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Psalm 119:11 – “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.“

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 10:9 – “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Group 12 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Ephesians 2:12-19 – “Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ...”

Romans 10:9-13 – “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Acts 16:31 – And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Group 13 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

John 8:7 – And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Acts 2:38 – And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

John 3:36 – “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Psalm 139:16 – “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.“

Group 14 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Psalm 23:1-6 – “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …“

Romans 12:1 – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Romans 14:10 – “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;“

Mark 16:16 – “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Group 15 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Revelation 22:17 – “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

Proverbs 25:26 – “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.”

James 2:3-4 – “And if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?“

Galatians 6:1 – “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

Ephesians 1:4-6 – “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

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Group 16 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Romans 2:3-7 – “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;“

Romans 14:1-23 – “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. …”

Group 17 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Matthew 22:16 – “And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.”

John 8:3-13 – The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” …

Group 18 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Esther 5:1-14 – “On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, in front of the king’s quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.” Then the king said, …“

Psalm 37:1-40 – “Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. ...”

Exodus 23:9 – “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”

Group 19 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Luke 9:52-56 – “And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.”

Ephesians 1:5 – “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”

Romans 14:3 – “Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.”

Group 20 – What Does The Bible Say About Acceptance

Luke 15:11-32 – And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. …”

Revelation 1:1-20 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, …“