Every day we get blasted from the media and people around us to be more tolerant. This gets dressed in different jackets like being “Politically Correct” or not being “Phobic.” Tolerance is defined by everyone depending on their agenda. Even in Church, it has crept in where we are more tolerant about what people struggle with and it is dressed in the jacket of being “Seeker Friendly” or “Grace.”
A few years ago everyone jumped on the wagon of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). That didn’t last too long because the message in it was in its essence, not living a more holy life but being tolerant of people that are different from you. Let’s ask ourselves again: What would Jesus do?
When I study His life in scripture I see someone that accepts everyone as they are or where they are at. Jesus clearly states: If you are thirsty, come. A note to all of us, the Bible never says: come as you are. Even though we see people come as they are, the expectation is always that you will not stay as you are. His invitation is not for those that are perfect, but for those that are thirsty for something better.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Was Jesus tolerant of sin? Not at all.
You can always come as you are but you will never leave as you are.
Too many people have muddied the water between tolerance and acceptance. We are asked to accept people who are struggling, but then we are also expected to tolerate their issues. I want to make it clear that even though Jesus always accepted people, he never tolerated the very things that were destroying them. Look at the woman caught in adultery. What does Jesus say to her?
John 8:10-11 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Can you see that Jesus tells her to not sin anymore? He didn’t say: “Go home and you will be fine.”
We are to accept all people but we are not to tolerate the very things we know are destroying them. The kingdom of God does not tolerate anything that is not sanctioned by the Father. I know it sounds harsh but there is no compromise from God’s side when it comes to redeeming His creation. There are no gray areas where light and darkness mingle. The message is clear: Bring it to the light so that darkness can be exposed.
A friend of mine penned a few words on what he sees as wrong with the message that is preached today. Read what he says and understand why tolerance is a lethal dosage from the enemy. I could not put it any better than this myself:
Beware the limited definition of redemption and atonement that covers what should be cleansed, ignores what should be revealed, and excuses what should be removed. Atonement is reconciliation, but the basis of this reconciliation isn’t Divine blindness but redemptive light. If we walk in that noonday Sun of revealing, we have true koinonia with Father and the Blood of His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Beware the idea that the sin remains fully functional but Father is an Expert at ignoring what is destroying us and our destinies.
Jesus has no sympathy for anything that is standing between us and the fullness of our created destiny and fulfillment of our kingdom calling. He did what was necessary for Atonement so we could be everything we were created to be and do everything we are called to do.
Beware the concept of redemption that carries the same limitations as the old covenant: Animal blood is not able to cleanse and continual applications are needed. Beware the concept of “grace” that appears to say, “I’m a big mess but God loves me anyway. He sees me with rose-colored glasses.”
Let’s accept people where they are at but please do not excuse the things that are destroying them. We are not doing them a favor by ignoring what God paid to redeem. Love doesn’t mean we excuse ourselves from the responsibility to live radical. Jesus was not seeker-friendly, he was sinner friendly. He knew that as long as things stay in darkness, sin is empowered to destroy the very people walking in darkness. Here is why I believe God does not tolerate the things that destroy us.
The dictionary defines tolerance as:
Noun – the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular, the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.
Tolerance is a choice: you choose to tolerate it. Tolerance is a compromising spirit that is willing to tolerate the very thing that it disagrees with. It chooses to compromise its values in the face of what it knows is best. It is a system of compromise that allows a new culture to be formed that will only lead to a place where truth is no longer tolerated. Its purpose is the destruction of truth, a way to rob redemption of its power. Tolerance has the power to shape the thinking of future generations into a mindless community. It is a hypocritical spirit that accuses everyone that sees things differently and allows no tolerance for others that sees things differently. It will mold the minds of people into approving sin as sickness, and no longer distinguish sin as the very thing that separated man and God. Little by little, it conquers the land and builds a disdain for the values that the Elders and wise wants to impart to the next generation. Tolerance is mind control and everyone that does it becomes puppets in the hands of the wrong master.
The biggest enemy to love is not hate but tolerance. Tolerance can mask itself as love. It is a pseudo-love and can easily deceive people. Tolerance is a spirit of procrastination. It tolerates instead of helping to bring about a change. It is a compromising spirit that says “You are okay” when you clearly are not.
What do you tolerate? What you tolerate you will eventually celebrate. Tolerance has that much power. The Kingdom is not about tolerance but about change. The kingdom is not democratic or political. That is why it is different than the systems of the world.
His kingdom will fill all the earth. Sin will not be tolerated. All are still welcome!
A quote from D James Kennedy: Tolerance is the last virtue of a depraved society. When you have an immoral society that has blatantly, proudly, violated all of the commandments of God, there is one last virtue they insist upon, tolerance for their immorality.
