Tolerance (part 3)

Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13).

Jesus hates sin but loves sinners. It’s a good thing for us that He does, because we make Him put up with an awful lot of bad behavior. We don’t pray as often as we could. We treat God’s name like an exclamation point for a sentence. We disobey our parents, we make threats, we break promises, we cheat, we tell lies, we constantly whine and complain. We don’t show love or respect to God or to each other.

Jesus puts up with it all. Every time we come on our knees to the cross and say we’re sorry, He forgives us and embraces us with His love. He treats us with love and respect, hoping to encourage those qualities in each of us.

Jesus wants us to tolerate sinners, showing them respect and love. Jesus said, Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37). Paul writes, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. To this Peter adds, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). 1st Corinthians chapter 13 tells us, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

But while God wants us to love sinners, He does not want us tolerating their sin. Consider these words spoken by God to His prophet Ezekiel: If I warn the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins—and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins—but you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me (Ezekiel 3:18-19). God curses sin with everlasting punishment; we do no one any favors by tolerating their sinful behavior without comment. Instead, we show our love by sharing God’s truth with them, so they might repent and ask Jesus to forgive them. Hate the sin, but show love to the sinner—that’s how God treats us, and that’s how He wants us to treat each other.