“So reach out and welcome one another to God’s glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! Jesus, staying true to God’s purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance: Then I’ll join outsiders in a hymn-sing; I’ll sing to your name! And this one: Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together! And again: People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise! And Isaiah’s word: There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope! Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!”
If there’s one title I’d pick for Paul, it would be that of “encourager”. The man knew how to encourage, motivate, comfort, and exhort his audience. In his many letters, there’s a theme and a pattern of pointing to Christ, the “author and finisher” of our faith, and then making the case for how to become a serious and strong believer and exhibit the qualities that would reflect the gifts of the Spirit. And this is not exclusive to a few either — nay, it is for each and everyone that claims Christ as personal savior — it is for the Jew and the Gentile; it is for every person of every race and ethnicity; it is for man and child; it is for the privileged and the downtrodden; it is for male and female; it is for you and me. Rise up, believer, and “reach out and welcome one another to God’s glory!”
