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June 2, 2004 Much has been said of late about tolerance. Much has been said about how evil it is when people lack tolerance. Christians in particular have been painted as being intolerant. It is important that tolerance is understood in relation to Christianity. How should tolerance be viewed in light of the scriptures? Should Christians be "tolerant" by today's standards? The short answer to this question is no. Tolerance, when spoken of today, is just another word for acceptance. Society today wants Christians and indeed everyone, to accept everything that comes along. It doesn't matter what it is. The problem with this kind of thinking is, where do we draw the line. If we accept obvious sin, don't we open ourselves up to accepting all sin? There is a problem with tolerance, or today's brand of it. G.K. Chesterton once wrote, "Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions." How right he was. Maugham, another turn of the century writer, wrote, "Tolerance is only another name for indifference." This is true as well. Both of these views on tolerance should show Christians that tolerance, or at least the brand of tolerance being taught today, does not fit with true Christianity. Christians, by nature, have convictions and Christians, by nature, are not indifferent. The tolerance being taught today goes directly against Christian teachings. Some would say, what about God? Isn't He tolerant? Isn't God love? Isn't God kind? The answer to all of the above is yes. But there is a great misunderstanding about all of these Godly attributes, and this misunderstanding can and does cost men their souls. It is easy to say that God is kind. He is. This kindness in the Greek is described as "that virtue that is gentle, charming, and calm, suited to the company of all good people…" It is not a virtue of a person that encompasses only a person's words and looks; it refers to the virtue that pervades and penetrates the whole nature, that mellows anything harsh. Have you ever known anyone like that? Someone who was able to mellow anything that was harsh. Few people can. In fact, most of the people that I know, including myself much of the time, do the exact opposite. We make harsh things only get more harsh. Which personality would you want around in a crises? God's kindness is over- abundant. He is perfect in all of his kindness. We must not think little of it. When we do, we cannot fully experience it. Paul wrote in Romans 9:23 that God's kindness or goodness is available to us as long as we "continue in it." It takes a commitment on our part. What does this mean? The Greek word for continue is epimeno and it means "intensive stay." It is more than just simply staying in one place, complacent. It is instead staying actively in contact with God's goodness or kindness. God's kindness requires action on our part. He is not just complacently kind. This is a misunderstanding that is so pervasive in society today, and it is a horrible misunderstanding indeed. Next, everybody points to the fact that God is tolerant. Don't be confused. The tolerance that Paul writes of is a temporary suspension of judgment. It is not acceptance of anything that comes down the pike. Instead, God has held back his wrath temporarily. Romans 3:25 explains this perfectly: "God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. God did this to demonstrate his justice because he had in the past left sins unpunished." In other words, God cannot, by nature, leave any sin unpunished. Sin will be paid for now, or it will be paid for later. A 90 year old pastor once told me something once that has stuck with me forever. He said, "Sin always takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and charges you more than you want to pay." This is so true. I had a 59 year old friend who drank a lot of alcohol his whole life. One day he went to the doctor because he was not feeling well. The doctor informed him that he had cirrhosis of the liver and that he was going to die. I went to see him several times after that, and I can tell you that I know what it is like to watch a man slowly die. His last night on this earth, with his family gathered around, he struggled and fought to keep living, but death finally won. He paid dearly for his earlier actions in life. Atonement by faith in Christ is the only escape from God's judgment. Someone has paid the price for our sins. Someone has accepted our punishment for us. God is holding His judgment back for now. He is tolerating what He sees, but not for much longer. God's tolerance does not equal God's acceptance. It only equals His patience. God's goodness should not be mistaken for weakness. To do so would be presumptive and foolish. The longsuffering of God is not going to last forever. I believe that we are coming to the end of an age. We on the verge of a new millennium. Christians now, more than ever, need to be active and persistent in their outreach to others. We need to be tolerant, as God is tolerant. In other words, we need to share with others the joyful news that God has temporarily suspended their judgment. We need to tell others that God's gift is the only way to escape impending doom. This is our duty. This is our conviction and our responsibility. God help us to live by the one and live up to the other. ------------ Email Wesley Mills: wmills1@rochester.rr.com. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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