Oct 11
2
Isn’t God all for Tolerance?
Tolerance is a beautiful word when it applies to things like how your skin color is different than mine, or how you speak a language unfamiliar to me, or how your culture or the generation you grew up in shaped your world view in a different way than mine. Such differences fascinate me. About such things we ought to speak openly to each other, listen generously, and get along with a good dose of tolerance.
There are moral issues, however, such as the value of human life, the family, and human sexuality where our talk of tolerance stops making sense. People like to say “who am I to judge” someone else’s morals. They give themselves away, however, as soon as they are the victim of infidelity or abuse. “How dare he treat me like that!”
You see, it’s usually not until you’ve experienced some type of moral violation that you experience moral outrage. Then all the permissiveness you held so dear gives way to honest disgust.
But wait. Isn’t Jesus all about forgiveness and tolerance? Forgiveness, yes. Tolerance, no. The words are miles apart.
To insist on tolerance for every imaginable behavior is to mistake God’s forgiveness for permissivenss. Yes, Jesus’ tenderness with sinners is legendary. But he never condoned their sin. He forgave it – and then told them to go and sin no more (John 8:11). That’s forgiveness, not tolerance.
Our human nature says that tolerance is the loving thing to do. We say “who am I to judge?” because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But ignoring sin won’t make it go away. Tolerating immorality doesn’t make it acceptable to God.
Here’s a test. If you really love someone who is engaged in self-destructive behavior like alcoholism or drug abuse, do you intervene or let them go? Love compels most to intervene. But what if it’s someone you don’t know? Now it’s easy to pull out the tolerance card. It’s not my problem. It’s none of my business.
It is Jesus’ business, though. He came to “be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21) God loved the world so much that he couldn’t just stand by and watch us die. He intervened. He paid the price. That’s forgiveness, not tolerance. That’s what love is about.
Why do I make an issue of such things? Because I see the victims of society’s “victimless crimes.” I see the children who keep coming without mommies or daddies because of the tolerance of illicit sex. I see “consenting” adults continue to share their deadly diseases. I see the empty arms of the barren woman go right on aching because too many mothers still choose death for their unborn babies. I see people, full of years, at the door of eternity offered death drugs instead of the living Jesus.
There is a better way. “Follow me,” Jesus said (Matthew 9).
