Is your heart set on finding a way toward unity in the Church? God put a passion in my soul years ago to pray for Unity in the church, Unity in the Body of Christ specifically. The issues that most divide us are no secret. As people, we struggle to accept others. Maybe they are a different color, a different ethnic background, a different religion, a different denomination… or maybe they sin in a different way than I sin. One prayer for unity in the church that I repeat over and over again is that we learn to accept others. So today I want to share 50 Bible Verses about Acceptance of Others that you can use to pray for unity in the Church!
There are more than 50 Bible Verses About Acceptance of Others
Anytime a topic is repeated in scripture we must take notice. Especially when what the Bible says does not line up with your life. Do you accept others easily? It’s difficult, I won’t lie, to accept someone whose life is seeped in sin… But as a fellow sinner I know it is important to love people where they are while God works on their sin issues. That is why it’s important to know the Bible verses about acceptance of others and how to use them to pray for unity in the Church!
Today we will see:
- Bible verses about being accepted by God
- Some Bible verses about loving others unconditionally
- Bible verses about acceptance of yourself
- Some Bible verses about accepting situations
Bible verses about being accepted by God
Before we begin to see how to accept others we must know that we are accepted by God. There are many Bible Verses about being accepted by God and still, we struggle to know that God loves us don’t we?!?!? It is critical for you to know God loves you more than you love God and to pray to know Your Identity in Christ!
First, know that the Bible says we all sin. We. All. Sin.
So why do we struggle to accept others when their sin is different?
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Not only have we all sinned, but God made a way for all to come to Him. Yes, God loves and accepts you as you are – God uses broken people and loves us! You see, salvation is not just for those who have small sin issues. Jesus died for the glutton, the murderer, the homosexual, the spouse caught in adultery as well as those who lie, are jealous, or are prideful.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Jesus died for YOU while you were still a sinner. He made a way for YOU to come to Him before you had your life altogether. Why is it so hard to extend that same grace to others?
You see, salvation is not just for those who have small sin issues. Jesus died for the glutton, the murderer, the homosexual, the spouse caught in adultery as well as those who lie, are jealous or are prideful. Share on XRomans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Remember that we are saved by God’s grace, not good behavior
It’s so easy to get caught up in a kind of Church game where we dress nice and say the right things on Sunday morning all the while we have hidden sin. And to top all that off, we judge the man stoned out of his mind who sits in the pew in front of us.
Listen (I say to myself mostly) just because someone else has a lot of outward sin does not make them worse than me. I sin. You sin. We are all sinful people who God loves and who God is making holy. In His own time and in His own way!
While God works on your sin, you need to remember that you are saved by grace and not by having less outward sin! This would be a huge step toward living in unity in the church! Check out these Bible verses about acceptance of others!
While God works on your sin, you need to remember that you are saved by grace and not by having less outward sin! This would be a huge step toward unity in the church! Check out these Bible verses about acceptance of… Share on XGalatians 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Accepting the Worst of Sinners
What is compassion in the Bible? I believe it looks like God loving the worst of sinners. God sent His only SON to die for me, a sinner – for you, a sinner. Not only did Jesus come to die for ALL sinners, but Jesus also took the time to love sinners. That is compassion like nothing else I can imagine! And still, I struggle to accept others! The struggle is real! Can you relate?
Matthew 9:11-13 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
“…there is still a need for those of us nestled deep within the Christian bubble to look beyond the status quo and critically assess the degree to which we are really living biblically.”
― Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
Religious Intolerance in the Bible and What to Do About It
If Jesus loved sinners and raised up the foolish to preach the Kingdom of God, why do we have so much Religious Intolerance? Religious intolerance in the Bible and what to do about it is the topic for another day because it is so big (Read about it at One Lost Coin). But for today, let these Bible Verses about religious intolerance in the Bible settle in your heart.
Romans 2:1-4 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
What to go deeper into this topic? Find the answers to these questions:
- What does religious intolerance mean?
- What does loving-kindness mean in the Bible?
- How do we fight back against religious intolerance and have unity in the Church?
We serve a God of Good Things in the Bible
James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Does that sound like a God who bombs clinics or burns buildings because sin happens in them? Never once did we see Jesus respond with judgment or intolerance to the lost – He reserved that for the saved who were living in open sin… which would be a whole different topic for another day… Let’s suffice it to say that we need Personal Revival that leads to unity in the Church and we need to Pray for Unity in the Church today more than ever before!
Do you know these Bible verses about loving others unconditionally?
What does loving-kindness mean in the Bible? The Bible is full of references to God’s loving-kindness, or unconditional love. Not only does the Bible talk about how God loves us unconditionally, it tells us to love others Unconditionally!
John 6:35-37 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
But how do you love others unconditionally? Especially in the Church where we tend to see some of the worst most hypocritical behavior? The writer of Hebrews tells us that loving each other as Christians means living in a community.
Hebrews 10:24-25 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Scripture about loving others unconditionally calls Christians to be in community with each other.
Living in a community is a way to apply these Bible verses about acceptance of others! I found this out when going through a season of Grief.
Read more about what helps when you are grieving at Embracing The Unexpected.
1 John 4:7-10 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
These Scripture about loving others unconditionally call us as Christians to be in community with each other. Living in a community is a way to apply these Bible verses about acceptance of other
Some Bible verses about acceptance of yourself
It is difficult to accept others often because it is so hard to accept myself. Can you relate?
It may seem like you have it all together, but you are probably your worst critic. Right? You mess up, then beat yourself up for days, weeks, or months about that mistake. All the while, God has forgiven you, redeemed the mistake, and grown you up from it. Still, you are struggling to accept yourself.
Do you embrace worry in the unexpected chaos of life or turn to God?
Jude 1:22-25 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
We will always fail at times. One reason we desperately need to be in a community is so there are others to help us when we doubt and are drawn to the fire of sin.
Bible Verses about not judging others
Even when I can muster up the strength to accept myself, I still struggle with judging others. But God is so clear on the command to not judge others. Check out some of these bible verses about not judging others that fit our topic of Bible verses about acceptance of others!
Romans 14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.
Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and [a]by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
Romans 14:1-2 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
Bible verses about acceptance of others
Do you see the theme? Over and over again God reminds us:
- That we all sin – so don’t judge others sin
- God loves you – even when you sin – so accept others
It is such a repeated theme in scripture because it is such a repeated struggle. Man has struggled to accept others as far back as Cane and Able. here are some more Bible Verses about acceptance of others just to show you the point.
1 Peter 3:8-9 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
A Spiritually Mature Christian accepts a New Believer where they are
Another theme we see is that it is not the job of the “Spiritually Mature Christian” to beat the New Believer up about their sin. God will work that sin out in His way and in His time. We are called to accept and love our brothers and sisters in Christ! The kindness of others goes a long way!
Romans 14:1-2 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
Colossians 3:12-14 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
How do you accept a New Believer when they are in sin? Follow Jesus Example
Romans 15:1-7 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.
Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
How do you accept a New Believer when they are in sin? Follow Jesus Example
Some Bible verses about accepting situations
How do you accept others when their sin affects you? The question comes up all the time. What about abortion, homosexuality, rape, murder? How do you accept certain situations?
Honestly, God doesn’t accept our sins. God loves you but your sin was the problem that sent His Son to Calvary. So while we are to accept them we still have to be on guard for open, rebellious sin. I suggest praying over them strategically through the HEARTS acronym.
Some ways you can still respond to sin in love:
Don’t hate the sinner but speak the truth in love about the sin. Then, pray and let God judge and natural consequences teach
1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Romans 15:30-33 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
Speak the truth in a gentle way and try to keep the relationship alive
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Matthew 5:38-42 “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 an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Special note about abuse: God does not tell you to stay in an abusive relationship. There are lots of Bible verses about removing yourself from believers who demonstrate destructive sinful behaviors. Set firm boundaries and seek godly counsel to get help to get out of abusive relationships of any kind.
Recognize and address your own sin before you try to help another
Luke 6:42 Or 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.
Which of These 50 Bible Verses About Acceptance of Others Will You Apply to Pray for Unity in the Church Today?
We’ve walked through over 50 Bible verses about acceptance of others. Which will you apply and begin to let God change your heart and pray for unity in the church today?
- Bible Verses about being accepted by God
- Reminders that we are saved by God’s grace and accepting the worst of sinners
- Bible Verses about religious intolerance
- Scripture about loving others unconditionally
- Scripture about accepting yourself
- Bible verses about not judging others
- Scripture on accepting others
- Bible Verses about accepting New Believers
- Scripture to teach you how to accept others
in HIM,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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Tiffany! This is an awesome collection of Bible verses about acceptance of others. I’m impressed with how you organized them into categories and you did a great job of explaining them. I am saving this for future reference!
So glad it blessed you, Heather.
Romans 3:23 is a humbling verse to me. Corrects that pride, doesn’t it? Great list of Bible verses about acceptance of others, Tiffany.
So true. Romans 3:23 is a huge one in our life now.
Wonderful post and I loved how you got right to the point about how Christians should treat others! All the Scripture you gave was wonderful.
I think we desperately need to begin showing more grace and acceptance to each other.
Fantastic post. I love this and I think you did amazing! Keep up the good work!
Thanks, LeeAnn. It was actually a pleasure to write this one.
Awesome post Tiffany, it was very en lighting to to hear about acceptance of others. It can be super hard to forgive someone that’s harmed you but with god and prayer thinks normally get worked out.
That’s so true, Sean. God can help us forgive anything… though we are not always able to reconcile relationships. That’s a different topic though.