Recently I read “How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People” by Les Giblin. It’s a powerful book and I feel it’s a must read for everybody, but in it he talked about what he called the Triple-A Formula for attracting people. In his first A, Acceptance, he mentions how Jesus accepted others and sat with publicans and sinners while the pharisees never do that.

It got me thinking about how this Triple-A Formula isn’t really just a method to attract others, but it is exactly the way we need to treat others. So, I wanted not only to pass this along, but also to take it a step further as it pertains to the bible.

1. Acceptance

We, as Christians, need to accept people where they are at their starting point, just as Jesus did.

Mark 2:13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. (14) And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

The sea almost always symbolizes the world. This is why the children of Israel walked across dry land when they left Egypt and when they entered the promised land. It is why Jesus walked upon it and Peter fell into it when he took his eyes off the Lord. It is why Jesus told Peter he would become a fisher of men, so as to pull people from the world.

Note here how Jesus walked along the seaside which is naturally the edge of the sea, or the edge of the world.

Mark 2:15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

Why did they follow Jesus? Because He would sit with them and He accepted them where they were. He did not say they needed to do this and this in order to be worthy of Him.

Mark 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

The pharisees couldn’t understand this because for them a sinner is trash.

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Don’t overlook this. Jesus doesn’t just hang out with sinners because it’s fine that they sin. His mission is for them to come to repentance. Let’s take one of the big topics of today, homosexuality. We see churches that don’t accept them at all and we see churches that allow them to become ministers of the congregation, but what does the Bible say? Clearly the bible tells us that homosexuality is a sin. I’ll just give you Leviticus 18:22 for an Old Testament reference and Romans 1:26-28 for a New one. Does this mean we do not allow them to sit down with us? No. That person is a child of the living God and we are to accept him/her as such, but we must understand that that doesn’t mean we accept the sin. We hope that we can help influence them to make the right decisions to turn away from those sins.

Remember Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

That means you and me. Lust and stealing anything; and what do we earn when we sin?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You see it doesn’t matter what your sin is or how bad you think it may or may not be. Unless we repent of them and work to improve ourselves our sins will be the death of us. Do you think that someone who has conditioned himself to lust after women and watch porn all day is any better than someone who lusts after someone of their own sex? Do you think it’s any easier to overcome? God will accept us where we are, but He doesn’t expect us to stay that way.

2. Approval

The second of Giblin’s Triple-A’s is approval which boils down to finding that certain something that a person has or does that is good. It can be hard at times to find the good in someone. They may be overwhelmed with addiction which totally eclipses their gifts, but we know that they are a child of God and, because of that, they have value. Accept them where they are and start to look for those gifts.

Luke 15:1-10 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. (2) And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (3) And he spake this parable unto them, saying, (4) What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? (5) And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (6) And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. (7) I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (8) Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? (9) And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. (10) Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

You may not see the silver in a person, but we know it’s there and it is our job as Christians to seek it. Fan the embers of their soul. God will do the rest. People would run to the church if they found approval.

I can hear people say, “Oh but we couldn’t just approve of everything.”

Did Christ take a tally at the door when He fed the 5000? Did He say you needed to pass this test and that test before you may eat? No, but Jesus knew that once people knew they were accepted that they would want to come to the light because the light is warm. If your church is cold and your congregation looks down their noses at a wayward member, it’s going to die friends because that is not of God.

3. Appreciation

Giblin began this portion by saying that to appreciate means to raise in value. This is what we need to do with God’s children. If we accept people where they are and find something to approve they will appreciate in value.

Let’s go back to the parable in Luke. Jesus likened us to silver, that is to say money or something of value. If you invest money it will appreciate. It will grow. No matter how modest the sum, over time it will grow if cared for properly. The only things on earth today that will be in heaven tomorrow are the children of God, so what has more value than that?

God created us for His pleasure, so do you think that He finds pleasure in us when we shun and disgrace that which He created for His pleasure?

You might say, “Oh, but you don’t understand. This person is a thief and we can’t trust him, and this person is on drugs and no matter what we do he wont get off the drugs.”

Have you approved of him as he is? Have you helped him get off drugs enough to find SOMETHING to approve of? Have you helped and worked with that person enough that you can appreciate them? Have they gone up in value because of your stewardship? How many times did Jesus say to forgive?

Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. (4) And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

If we were all to work on this, the value of this world would increase. We must approve of all where they are and look for their hidden treasures. God will turn up the heat on them and begin to burn away their crud and they will appreciate in value.