Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:44-47

Consider the sixth of eight aspects of Christian fellowship in the Church from Acts 2:44-47:

6. Church members “had favor with all the people” (v.47). Jesus identified the two greatest commandments. (1) Love God, & (2) Love other people (Mark 12:28-31). Loving God is first, not only in importance, but also in sequence, since we are incapable of loving others if we do not first love God.

Loving other people includes loving (a) our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 3:14), (b) our neighbors (who are not necessarily believers) (Mark 12:31), and (c) even our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

What is meant by “having favor with all the people”? Romans 12:18 and Hebrews 12:14 both instruct us to be at peace with all people. We cannot force peace with those who refuse peace, but we must do all we can to make peace with all people.

(1) Let us do all we can to be at peace and find favor with Christian brothers and sisters. If we do all we can, we will nearly always find favor. When we are doing all we can and yet cannot “find favor” in a believer’s eyes, that is on him or her.

(2) Let us do all we can to be at peace also with neighbors and enemies. Though there will be people in the world who will hate believers because they hate Christ, we must pursue peace with all as much as we can. If we honestly pursue peace, in most cases we will “have favor with all people.” When we are doing all we can and yet cannot “find favor” in our neighbors’ or enemies’ eyes, that is on them.

May the Church be filled with peacemakers, that we may “find favor with all the people”!