Opinion

Christians called to intolerance

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Every day, people all over the country give their input on hot topics, including world religion, homosexuality, abortion, evolution, etc. Many times, a person who gives negative input on any of these issues is quoted as using what is now known as “hate speech” and is labeled as intolerant.

According to many of the stories that we see on the news, society thinks no one can say that another person’s beliefs are wrong, and there is no absolute truth. The most unfortunate thing about this cultural standing is that Christians are buying into it, and even applying it to Christianity. People in the Christian faith are so worried about being tolerant that they will not tell someone their beliefs are wrong when they do not align with Scripture. One especially relevant topic pertaining to this issue is the way in which Christians today are hesitating from saying that homosexuality is a sin!

Now before any of you take up arms and gets angry with me, let me say that I know homosexuality is a sin just like lying is a sin. I’m not setting a double standard with sins. People are going to struggle with homosexuality, just as they are going to struggle with lying. I’m not referring to struggling with sin while being a believer in Christ. I’m talking about when people live unrepentant lifestyles of sin while still fronting as Christians.

We sit and listen to pastors and chapel speakers talk about how believers living homosexual lifestyles are just on another path, and that homosexuals should not be judged by what they do or who they love. Yet, as believers in Christ, what we should do and what we are commanded to do in Scripture, is show them that they are living in sin and inform them that they are going to be judged by the living God in the last days. Contrary to what we heard in chapel on Thursday, life IS a courtroom, God IS a Judge and the Bible IS the law.

Life is not like a gymnastics team, even if we pretend that it is. We are so concerned about making everyone happy and are fearful of being seen as judgmental or intolerant that we have stopped speaking the truth. We leave people to live in their sin and believe that they are living in Christ. We paint this picture of God as this lovey-dovey “I love everyone so I would never send anyone to hell” god who just looks past sin and would never judge or show wrath.

Contrary to what we are all told and what many of us would like to believe, JESUS WAS NOT AND IS NOT TOLERANT. He himself says in John 14:6, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one comes to the Father but through ME.” The gospel of Christ is the ONLY way that we can be saved. There is no alternative lifestyle we can live out that will be acceptable to Christ.

The Gospel of Christ is that we are all dead in our sin, headed for hell and running away from God. Despite our sins and our faults and failures and outright hatred for God, he sent Jesus to die the death that we deserved, taking our punishment on the cross and giving us his righteousness. In response to his free gift, we should surrender our lives to his lordship and repent of our sins, turning toward God and striving to live in such a way that pleases him. This is the message that believers are to proclaim!

Think about this: if you saw a man walking toward a pit, and if you knew he would die if he were to fall in, what would you do? Would you say, “Hey man, if that’s what makes you happy and if that’s the path you choose, good for you. God loves you!” Is that a loving response—telling the person that what he is doing is safe? NO! You would run after the person, hold him back or scream the danger that you saw him heading toward.

How much do we hate our neighbors and friends and family to not tell them that what they are doing is sin?

A true demonstration of love would be to tell people that they are living in their sin and are in need of the Savior that has rescued us.

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