15:5
Earlier (Rom 12:16) Paul had commanded them to live in harmony with each other. Now he prays to God for them to live in harmony. He asks God to give them “endurance and encouragement” to enable them to do this. Living in harmony isn’t easy! We need to stick at it, and there will be times when doing the opposite seems much easier, even the right thing to do. It may seem that living in harmony is impossible. So we need strength to persist, and encouragement that it will all be worth it in the end. “In accord with Jesus Christ”. This could mean following Christ’s example, it may also mean that we live in harmony when we are following Christ. If someone, or a branch of the church, is clearly disobeying Christ or the gospel, then we cannot and should not live in harmony with them.
15:6,7
The goal is that we may glorify “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Our goal is God’s glory, not our glory. So we are to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us. Jesus accepted us without looking for all the faults, without looking for a reason to reject us. He dealt with all those reasons on the cross! So if we came in repentance, faith and humility He welcomed us. So if a brother is following Christin faith and humility we should welcome them without question. All this is for the glory of God.
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