I was raised in a Christian home and a fairly Christian community, neither of which were very tolerant. The townspeople, in general, weren't tolerant of anyone that wasn't like them: white, straight, conservative, Christian. You get the picture. The demographics of that town pretty much only differs by age and gender. Everything else is the same for the most part.
So, imagine the culture shock I received when I went away to a Liberal Arts college where everything that my world was planted on was questioned. I had to reevaluate everything I believed. Everything. From my Christian faith and the way I lived it out to my political views. Everything.
Note that I said, "And the way I lived it out." Out of everything that I re-examined in my life, that is the part that was influenced the most by the people that I was around. Why? Because I had never had to deal with anyone that was different than me. I thought, maybe tolerance IS the best way to handle lifestyles that I disagree with. By lifestyles I mean the party scene, homosexuality, other religions (not to be confused with other denominations... that's another post for another day, though!!) Now I realize that tolerance is NOT the key. Love is. In fact, the Bible speaks out against tolerance.
2 Timothy 4:1-2
"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to
judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke,
and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."
Revelation 2:20-23
"But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works."
Now, this is where it gets tricky, because the Bible does call us to LOVE.
Ephesians 4:2
"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love"
1 Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"
And also, not to judge one another.
John 8:7
"And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.'”
Acts 10:28
"And he said to them, 'You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.'"
So, the thing that I have been struggling with since I became convicted that tolerance is the wrong approach is this: What is the difference between tolerance and love? What does each one look like? How can I practice LOVE without TOLERANCE?
Please leave your thoughts in the comments. I plan to elaborate more on this very soon!!
Revelation 2:20-23
"But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works."
Now, this is where it gets tricky, because the Bible does call us to LOVE.
Ephesians 4:2
"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love"
1 Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"
And also, not to judge one another.
John 8:7
"And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.'”
Acts 10:28
"And he said to them, 'You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.'"
So, the thing that I have been struggling with since I became convicted that tolerance is the wrong approach is this: What is the difference between tolerance and love? What does each one look like? How can I practice LOVE without TOLERANCE?
Please leave your thoughts in the comments. I plan to elaborate more on this very soon!!
The thing with JUDGING is that the Bible is clear about us not judging THOSE OUTSIDE the CHURCH. The Bible does however say we are to judge with in the Church... This is often overlooked.
ReplyDeleteLook at 1 Cor. 5 (These are various verses from the chapter...)
"As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed
***judgment***
in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.
So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters.
In that case you would have to leave this world.
11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
***** What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”***
Perhaps I should have been more clear. I do only mean those who do not claim to be our Christian brothers and sisters. As you said, we are to treat our fellow Christians differently, because they are supposed to know better ;)
ReplyDeleteWe are definitely called to hold them accountable. The sad thing is too many "Christians" don't want to be held accountable, and they hide behind "Oh you shouldn't judge me!"
ReplyDeleteI am tossing around doing a series on that very thing when I am finished with this one. God has really laid the whole tolerance thing on my heart, though, and I think He wants me to share what I have learned.
ReplyDelete