From Paul, in today’s language, some quotes.

But God doesn’t leave it like this. He follows up his rebuke with a promise. He’s still there for his people and he always will be.

Though you are faithless and angry, all day long my hand is stretched out to save you.

And

Try to work with the system. If you want to pretend that you’d be better off living alone in the woods, free from the system, a lawless rebel, I wish you the best.

And

Some of you think it’s okay to eat anything. Others only eat vegetables. Neither should condemn the other.

God welcomes everyone, insiders and outsiders both. Who are you to judge what people wear or eat? Who are you to judge how people think or vote? Let God sort it out.

And

Stop, then, accusing your fellow Christians. Stop despising what’s different from you. Everyone will stand before God on judgment day. Everyone’s knee will bow and everyone’s tongue will confess. Everyone will have to account for themselves.

Judge no more. If you’re desperate to use your keen sense of judgment, use it on yourself.

Stop clogging up the path of faith with your ridiculous barricades. Jesus himself has persuaded me that nothing is, in itself, unclean. Our habits and traditions teach us to prefer one thing over another.

But if your habits and traditions aren’t helping others connect with God’s grace, then they’re an obstacle to love. Don’t let your traditions spurn someone Jesus died to save. Don’t let something that’s good for you make others curse you on their way out the door.

And

Encourage this and you’ll be loved by God and thanked by your neighbors. Find and follow the way of peace. Build each other up, don’t tear each other down.

Don’t build a hedge around the law.

In themselves, these things don’t matter—what you eat, what you drink, what you wear—everything is pure. They only become evil when you insist on offense. If it makes your fellow Christians stumble, let it go.

And

Watch out for those who like to cause divisions and thin the ranks and stir up trouble. They look for every chance to take or give offense.

Avoid them.

They aren’t serving God, they’re only serving themselves. They deceive the simple with flattery and slick

These excerpts are all taken from Grace is not God’s Back-up Plan by Adam Miller.

I couldn’t think of anything to add.

Thoughts or suggestions?