Comfort, Support, and Acceptance
Comfort
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another,
even as also ye do.
2Co 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mer-cies, and the God of all comfort;
Our God is a God of comfort. He comforts His people.
Ps 71:21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me.
2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able
to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted of God.
1Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly,
comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
2Th 2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word
and work.
The Holy Spirit is called The Comforter.
The OT word for comfort means �a nurse�. One who com-forts is like a
nurse - one who sees that needs are met and that you are as comfortable
as possible.
A nurse does what he/she can to alleviate pain, help with grief or
with adjustments to harsh treatments or diagnoses; a nurse must care
for the whole person - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. Whatever
a nurse can do to comfort the person is part of the job description.
The NT word means to console or to be with (�to come alongside�).
The body of Christ must minister to itself - to each other. There is
no good excuse for not doing this. There may be a variety of ways we
comfort one another.
A kind word can be comforting. Or an encouraging word. We may remind
each other of God�s Words - His promises. Share what you learn with
one another. Don�t keep it to yourself.
A hand on the shoulder is comforting.
An understanding and compassionate ear is comforting.
Just your presence may be comforting; just being there.
Regardless how you do it, the commandment here is to comfort one
another - to help one another along - to nurse one another - to be
there for one another.
Support
None of us will make it on his own. We know the Lord is helping us,
but even then, we need other people. Of course, we need pastors,
teachers, and the other offices of the church. We need the gifts that
others have to offer.
We need the good counsel of mature believers. We need the teaching
and the wisdom of older, more experienced believ-ers, as well as the
input of those gifted with spiritual insight. We need the support
and encouragement of believers around us who believe as we do and who
are partners with us in the service of the Lord.
There are various ways we support one another - through encouragement,
through helps, etc., but the most important is probably to pray for
one another.
Jesus prayed:
Lu 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath
desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren.
And He is still praying - for each of us.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them.
The Holy Spirit prays for us:
Ro 8:26 - 27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we
know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself
maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.
We are urged to intercede for one another:
1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayer,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
Paul continually requests prayer for himself and his work.
Acceptance
Ro 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us
to the glory of God.
Everyone needs to feel acceptance from others. The words counsels us
to �judge not�. The opposite of judging another is to accept or
receive them. People need to feel a part of something. They need
acceptance. Jesus was a master at this. He had a way of judging a
person�s sin without mak-ing them feel rejected. He let hem know he
loved them and accepted their person, but did not approve their sin.
There is a great need today in the church for an acceptance of one
another. We are too often seen as judgmental. We ostracize our own
for mistakes made. We judge more harshly than we should. We treat
others with coldness, keeping them at arm�s length.
If we are going to win the world to Christ, we�ll have to love them
into it, not judge them into it.
What is needed is a little compassion - a little acceptance - a little
love that is felt rather than just spoken.
Not only that, but we must exhibit that kind of love and acceptance
within the body for the sake of the body and its members, and for the
sake of evangelism, that the world will see the positiveness of the
gospel and not the negativiness of some of its adherents.
Jesus said:
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to an-other.
And so, we are urged to receive one another - even those who are weak.
Ro 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful
disputations.
Ro 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own
master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is
able to make him stand.
Paul continually asks the churches to receive the workers he sends.
Ro 16:2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that
ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she
hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
Probably, his admonition to Philemon to receive Onesimus is the strongest:
Phm 1:17-18 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as
myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on
mine account;
Is that not what Jesus would say to us concerning one another?
"Receive one another as you would receive me. If one has wronged you,
I will pay for the wrong."
Brethren, comfort one another - support one another, accept one
another.
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