TOLERANCE

I noticed a quote today on a calendar hanging in the office where I work. It was by G K Chesterton an English author from around the turn of the 20th century. He said ‘Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions’. I believe he may have been having a swipe at liberals when he said this.

I have been thinking a lot about tolerance recently. I have been provoked to do so by a blog posted by my friend David. He was blogging about the intolerance of some Christians towards another Christian who had changed denominations. It’s good you should check it out. www.john1v1blogspot.com

However, in general I am concerned about the sort of tolerance society expects us to show in these days. As a Christian I have a message for the world that goes against the grain. For example the PC people tell us that all religions are equally valid and are all different paths to Heaven, but Jesus Said ‘I am, the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’

The Gospel message can come across to modern man as intolerant because it is exclusive. The message of the Bible is exclusive and in many ways it can be offensive to people. The Bible teaches that we are all guilty sinners deserving only the wrath of God. To some this is offensive but we should not cease to preach just because people are offended nor should we water the message down as some have done.

The apostle Paul acknowledged the offensive nature of the Gospel when dealing with the issue of legalism in the Galatian Epistle. There were those in the Galatian church who wanted to add to the gospel. They wanted to add the works of keeping the law. Paul told them that by adding their own works to the gospel then the Gospels offence was gone saying ‘then is the offence of the cross ceased.’ Gal 5 v11

We should not be afraid to preach the whole counsel of God no matter who it offends. Those who are offended or those that G K Chesterton referred to as ‘the man without convictions’. We live in a society without convictions; let us not fall into it’s mould.