TOLERANCE: capacity to endure pain or hardship : endurance, fortitude, stamina. 2a : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own. b : the act of allowing something : toleration.
Tolerance means basically “to put up with…” But to put up with what? Jesus “put up with” many things He knew to be sin. In Matthew 9:11-13 we read: And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Now go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” What does this tell us about our Savior?
There are many who misinterpret what is said by the apostles in scripture because they do not compare it to Christ’s original teaching. For this reason, there are MANY who come off as “intolerant” because, in order to honor 1 Corinthians 5 they refuse to allow people of “certain persuasions” in their sanctuaries! What does 1 Cor 5:11 say? “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person.” But what does the FULL chapter say?
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, namely, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to turn such a person over to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person. For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the evil person from among yourselves.”
Can you see the difference? We are not to SURROUND ourselves and LIVE WITH sinners, especially those who call themselves followers of Christ yet live in habitual sin. But this does NOT mean to never associate with those whom we have the opportunity to influence on behalf of Jesus! Jesus Himself sat with sinners to teach them and show them that He loves them and wants the Kingdom for them. Only those who would reject Him did He not break continue to break bread with.
Church should be like a hospital, filled not just with followers and brethren, but with those who are in need of the Perfect Healer, Jesus Christ. It is NOT intolerant to preach your beliefs because you may save someone by planting a seed. But it IS intolerant if you refuse to do ANY sowing in someone who needs it. Do not ostracize someone who does not hold your beliefs. Do not criticize or shun the sinner. Love that person and welcome him or her with open arms to the church! If the Holy Spirit does not stir something within that person, then the person will go their way in peace on their own, but always knowing that we are accepting and praying for the salvation of ALL.
2 Timothy 4:1-2
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.