I've always found the concept of 'tolerance' to be very interesting. As a teacher in the public school system, I was told over and over to make sure that tolerance was ingrained in every class, every conversation. Why? You're shooting awfully low! My concept of tolerance must not as high as theirs - tolerance simply means to put up with something you don't like. "I will tolerate you" is never complimentary. It's condescending and dismissive. Why do they cling to it and promote it? It's an insult!
In reality, they mean something deeper. They don't want us to merely tolerate their beliefs, but to embrace them as equally true. This makes sense on a human level. But the implication is that "all thoughts are created equal." And that simply is not true. There are right ways and there are wrong ways. The key question for a Christian is when do we stop 'tolerating' and confront the wrongness of their ways? I want to spend my life living out the Truth, not fighting the Untruth.
In my NT studies I have found one simply test for this problem: If their ways are interfering with a lost person finding the Truth in Christ, then you must come down hard. Jesus did it with the Temple - it had become a barrier instead of a beacon of light. What was meant to draw people to God was hindering them by making it harder to find Him, and Christ basically went Rambo on it.
- In Acts 8 we find Peter coming down with harsh words on Simon. "To hell with your thought!" (He was trying to make the Gospel something you could buy.)
- In Acts 13 we find Paul coming down with the hammer on Elymas. "You are a child of the devil." (He was trying to stop Sergius Paulus from hearing the Gospel.)
- In Galatians 2 Paul comes down severely with Peter, for separating from the Gentiles. (He was making the Gospel seem to be a combination of works and grace.)
Each case has one thing in common - it wasn't the person in sin that they were upset with, it was the fact that they were hindering others in their search for the Truth. If a person rejects the truth, that's one thing. Usually they are left alone with that decision. But if they come in the way of another lost sheep - then look out.
I've heard a lot of the young adults debate how severe to be in their witnessing and defense of the faith. My advice is to follow these examples. If you present the gospel to someone and they reject it - keep praying and look for more opportunities. Don't beat them to death. BUT if they fight it and then make it a goal to keep others from coming to Christ - when their 'tolerance' is a one-way street - we must go on the offensive. There is too much at stake at that point.
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