Alētheia

   We live in an age where tolerance is praised as the highest virtue and intolerance is treated as the worst sin. Yet the Bible presents a more careful and challenging balance. Scripture never commands us to tolerate sin, but it repeatedly commands us to love sinners. The confusion comes when the world defines love as approval and kindness as silence. Jehovah does not. Jesus was called a friend of sinners (Luke 7:34), yet He never once excused sin. He forgave, but He also commanded repentance. If we follow Christ, we must learn to hold truth without cruelty and love without compromise. This morning, we are going to look a bit closer at just what God’s word says about tolerance and intolerance. I. God Is Intolerant of Sin Jehovah is intolerant of sin. The Bible is unambiguous and clear on this point. “ 10a  O you who love the Lord, hate evil!” Psalm 97:10   “ 4b  …the soul who sins shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4  ...

We often hear the battle cry in the news and in social circles today that we are to be tolerant. We must tolerate this person or that one who is different from us. But is tolerance a good thing? Well, that depends on just what it is you are tolerating. If a person is doing something contrary to God’s will we should love that person but we should not tolerate their sin. But isn’t that contradictory you might ask? No. If you are a parent and you have told your child to not do something but the child does it anyway do you just turn your head the other way and let the child do as he or she wishes? No. A good parent will discipline their child because they love that child and have their best interests at heart. In other words, the parent is intolerant of the bad behavior but still loves the child. Through discipline and instruction the child will learn to do what is right. In the same way, Christians should be intolerant of sin but still love the sinner.   Take for example the life...