Intolerance

I am not a political person, but I do pay attention to the basic arguments the politicians put forth. One of the things that I have noticed is that one party in particular is frequently urged to be more tolerant of opposing views.

I would imagine most of us like to think of ourselves as tolerant individuals, and in many ways we are. But, as a Christians, there is a limit to our tolerance. If I understand the word, and I think I do, tolerance is a call for “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with our own.” That is all well and good in matters of little significance. However, in matters of life and death, peace and safety, honesty and integrity, there is little ground to give up, and no room for tolerance. Do we tolerate a little dishonesty, a little lying, a little killing, etc.? Where do we draw the line? When does a little become too much?

Jesus had a great love for sinners. He demonstrated love and compassion toward all men. To the adulterous woman He said, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). His compassion for that woman did not mean, however, that He would tolerate her continued adultery. Just the opposite, true love demands change (repentance) where change is needed. It does not demand acceptance or tolerance without change!

We have no choice but to stand by our convictions, and to oppose what we see as clear violations of the laws of God. The church must be militant when it comes to her opposition of evil. As good soldiers of Jesus Christ, we must take our stand for truth and refuse to give an inch (Ephesians 6:10-20).

John Bright, in his book, The Authority of the Old Testament, offers a somber warning to those who profess to follow Jesus. He writes: “We are parade-ground troops, reluctant to dirty our uniforms; we are soldiers who refuse orders, sleep on duty, serve when convenient, and often enough traitors to the cause…We do not like to think of the church as militant at all, but rather caught up in a stream of fraternal progress. We are men of tolerance and goodwill who find it hard to believe that the God of the Bible (though infinitely more loving) is not necessarily as tolerant as we. Feeling no animus towards the enemies of God, we fraternize with them until we no longer recognize them as enemies, and are ready to make almost any compromise with them in the interest of peace.”

We are rapidly becoming a nation which tolerates anything and everything in the name of compassion. People who stand for everything, stand for nothing. This has happened, not because God rules in the hearts of men, but because we have surrendered to the devil. The last thing this nation needs is more tolerance for sin! May God help us to unapologetically oppose evil wherever we find it.