In recent years tolerance has become a word that you hear most everyday, you hear it at work, at school, on the news and sadly in some churches. The idea that we must ‘tolerate’ the ideas and beliefs of others and that we must allow them to believe whatever lie they choose is rampant in today’s society. Not only must we allow their ideas but we must allow them to indoctrinate our children with these same lies or be called intolerant which seems to be synonymous with judgmental, self-righteous hate monger. This idea of tolerating lies and allowing people to believe whatever ‘truth’ (meaning lie they choose to believe) they choose, is not compatible with Christian doctrine or the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. Jesus proclaimed that He was The Way, The Truth and The Life and that no one could come to the Father except through Him.
tolerance
TOL'ERANCE, n. [L. tolerantia, from tolero, to bear.] The power or capacity of enduring; or the act of enduring.
Diogenes one frosty morning came to the market place shaking, to show his tolerance.
[Little used. But intolerance is in common use.]
1828 Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language
In the last 180 years the meaning of tolerance has changed drastically. Tolerance used to mean the ability to endure, in Eph. 4:2 Paul implores us to “[show] tolerance for one another in love.” That word tolerance is anechō in the greek which means ‘to hold up’ and is often translated as ‘suffer’ or ‘bear with’. According to the Bible tolerance isn’t allowing people to believe whatever they choose but rather tolerance is the ability to suffer and bear with your brother. Another interesting thing to note in the 1828 Webster’s definition is the note at the bottom “Little used. But intolerance is in common use”. In Noah Webster’s time tolerance was not a common thing, people did not tolerate or allow things with which they strongly disagreed. Disrespectful children were punished, heretical ideas were severely dealt with and new ideas were strongly discouraged. Like Webster said, tolerance was little used but intolerance was common. In some ways this intolerance was a bad thing. The suppression of new ideas both scientifically and socially contributed greatly to the delay in the discovery of many foundational truths in modern science and the understanding that all men are created with equal worth in the sight of God. In other ways this intolerance was good, the punishment of false (not different but false) ideas, teachings and rebellion (in both children and adults) were practices that have a very Biblical basis and are sadly lacking in today’s society.
As a Christian I am called to be an imitator of Christ and look to Him as my example for how life is to be lived. Looking at the actions of Christ, I see that the things He did would be called intolerant by today’s society. Christ came to save us from our sin not ignore it, He came not to condemn us but rather to redeem us. His is not a lifestyle of allowing people to wallow in their sin just because He doesn’t want to offend them but a lifestyle of looking beyond what feelings and looking to the condition of the soul. If the Truth is offensive it is because the Holy Spirit is convicting us of the sins in our lives.
”For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [19]because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.[20]For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. [21]For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22]Professing to be wise, they became fools, [23]and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. [24]Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. [25]For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:18-25)
This is a 180º turn, just like in so many other areas our culture has “exchanged the truth of God for a lie...” we have decided that it is better to suppress the truth than to hurt someone’s feelings. Despite knowing that God is perfect and holy, and despite knowing that His Word is eternal and true, we have decided that we the creature know better than God our creator what is true. All this talk of ‘personal truth’ and relativism is just the type of thing that Paul was talking about in verse 21, futile speculation. We speculate that life evolved from nothing, we speculate that maybe life doesn’t begin until after birth, we speculate that immorality isn’t sin if both people feel it is okay for them. The collective heart of our world is being daily darkened, every day some ‘new truth’ is discovered and the so called enlightenment of civilization progresses in leaps and bounds toward destruction. “My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.” (Pr. 1:10) to consent means literally to think with another, or entertain their thoughts and ideas. The idea of ‘tolerance’ today is very enticing, I mean who doesn’t want to live at peace with all men, who really wants to suffer persecution because of what they believe. This idea of tolerance of anything and everything for the sake of convenience is very appealing but also very wrong. Jesus said that as His followers we would be persecuted for His sake, He said we would suffer hardships and mocking speech but that if we persevered we would receive a crown.
I for one am ready to take a stand, it has been said that “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” so lets take a stand. Let us say no to ‘tolerance’ and stand firmly rooted on the Word of God, the only real Truth in this dark and foolish world and let us take heed of Paul’s warning “The night is almost gone, and the day is near Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Rom. 13:12)
