Tolerance, Part 2 of 4

Christian tolerance. Why does that feel like a curse word when I type it? Is it because it’s so convoluted in its nature? Sin is sin, and we’re called to love everyone. How do I reconcile that? How can I stand in front of someone and call out their sin, while concurrently ignoring my own sin? How can I sit in church and act like somehow, I deserve to be there more than someone else, because I can hide my sin in the darkness while theirs is on display publicly? Or maybe the Pastor just isn’t talking about MY sin today…so that makes it all ok…right?

And just to clarify, by tolerance here I'm talking about acceptance of the Christian sinner sitting next to me, and a level of compassion toward their sin because I am a sinner, too.

The scariest thing for me in my faith is standing face to face with a Christin who is sinning. The Bible calls me to correct them – but how in the WORLD do I correct someone for one thing I see, knowing there are 15 sins on my side they cannot see. I believe the scripture is “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3) Yep – that. Exactly.

Jesus laid out specifically how Christians should deal with sin in the church:

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ (Deuteronomy 19:15) If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. – Matthew 18:15-17

So much to unpack here. Hopefully, at some point through these steps a person is willing to see their sin for what it is, repent, and move forward differently. But what does it mean to “treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector?” I believe the reference here is how Jesus treated the pagans and the tax collectors. Jesus had dinner with them. He met them at the well, drowning in their sin, and told them about God’s love for them. He told them about forgiveness and mercy. He came for the sinners, to save them. To treat them as a pagan or tax collector was to treat them like the lost – not eject them from your presence and send them off alone into a lost world. 

Just as the last post discussed the intention behind someone’s actions, and not the action itself – your own intention plays a big role here, too. Before you approach someone in correction, make sure you’ve gone to God in prayer, repented of your own sins, and that your motivation for correcting them comes from a place of love, genuine care, and harmony.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32

And make sure it’s worth it. Biblical correction should be based on biblical sin, not individual opinion.

We're all sinners. Every day. Every hour. The fall of Adam and Eve created an environment where we simply cannot win - that's why Jesus came in the first place. God knew we couldn't do it on our own, and in his everlasting grace and mercy he sent the one person that could live a life without blemish and save us from everything we hadn't even done yet. He loves us - including you - more than we could think or imagine. 

So the next time you see someone struggling with the strongholds of sin, hold back your judgment, extend God's grace in love - that could be you tomorrow. 

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. - John 1:16