Should Christians show tolerance towards Sin? (John 8:4-11)

     One of the most commonly used notions presented towards Christianity is "tolerance" especially when discussing the fact that Jesus Christ asks us to love everyone. In this blog I will examine the scripture John 8:4-11 because this is true that we are called to love everyone but we are never called to love sin. Tolerance is a good word, but we have applied it too often where it does not belong. The word "tolerance” in no way implies the compromise of one's convictions and in no way implies a yielding of Biblical Doctrine upon important issues.

     I do believe 100% in respecting people’s opinion even if it differs from mine. That is their right as human beings. However isn’t it interesting that God loves us all and also does not tolerate sin but the world accuses the church of not practicing tolerance in a way befitting towards a mans sin. The world asks the church to accept sin as adequate behavior even though God denies all sin from entering into heaven. We must remember that the church is called by God to love the man, help the man, teach the man, baptize the man and also expose the sin.

     
     [For further reference look at the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-26 where the spiritual goodness found in heaven is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. And where spiritual evil never allowed in heaven is adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and other negitive behavior.]

     

     Think about it, do you really want a judge to be tolerant? He smiles at rapists and says, “I don’t judge you.” He grins at molesters and says, “People just don’t understand your feelings.” Of course you would be horrified and offended that a judge would tolerate crime. Yet, people get this idea that God tolerates wrong. He does not! You might say, “Yeah, but God is the only One who can judge and we are not suppose to judge.” Oh, I would agree we are not supposed to judge. This does not mean, however, that we are supposed to be tolerant. There is a difference. To judge is to find a person guilty and proceed with punishment. In other words, judgment includes punishing the wrong doer.   

     
     An example of this is when people brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery and they asked Him, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.” (John 8:4-6) This was not a matter of asking Jesus whether or not the woman sinned. Of course she sinned. There was also no dispute over whether adultery was a sin. The question posed to Christ is whether or not we proceed with the punishment prescribed in the Law of Moses. Judgment must include punishment. If a judge only had the power to find a person guilty but no had power to sentence him, then he would not be acting as a true judge.
    
     Jesus gave the famous answer, “Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:6-7). As you know, the people dropped their rocks and went away. “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” (John 8:9) But what many do not know is what Jesus said to the woman, “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11).
    
     Jesus was without sin, and therefore could have thrown the stones at her, but instead of throwing stones He forgave her. But He also warned her, “Leave your life of sin.”  According to many people’s definition of judging, Jesus judged her by even encouraging her to stop sinning. You see, people think you are judging if you challenge people to stop sinning. How dare you even think I am sinning! To even point out the obvious—that sin is sin—is considered judging by many. However, encouraging a life of holiness is not judging. Speaking out against sin—in all its form—is not judging. If we could not speak out against sin without being accused of judging, then we would have to stop preaching the Bible. The Bible talks about what sin is.

    

     We have become tolerant about divorce; we have become tolerant about the use of alcohol; we have become tolerant about delinquency; we have become tolerant about wickedness in high places; we have become tolerant about immorality; we have become tolerant about crime and we have become tolerant about godlessness. We have become tolerant of unbelief. May I say what people really want? They want to remove homosexuality from the list of sins. While some churches are departing from the Bible and changing their moral views, the Word of God will continue to have homosexuality as part of a list of grievous sins.

    

     The trouble with preaching tolerance is it lacks a true and full understanding of Who God is. God is both holy and love. He is not just holy without love. And He is not love without holiness. He is both holy and love. Since God is holy, He is absolutely righteous. He lives holy. He acts righteously. There is no sin or impurity in God. He is pure holiness. When the angels see God in His Glory, the first thing to come out of their mouths is, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” They recognize the holiness of God.

    

     Tolerance according to the world is showing love without holiness. This is a distortion of God’s character. This is why Christians cannot be tolerant. We must express both God’s holiness and His love. We do that by forgiving people who have repented, and, following Christ example, we warn people to leave their lives of sin. True love reaches out to help others. Parents that truly love their children will not be permissive and let their children do whatever they want. No. Parents will rebuke and correct their children because they love them. It is not the city council that is showing true love to the homosexuals by using tax dollars to endorse their sinful lifestyle; it is rather the Church that is showing true love by pointing out that homosexuality is a sinful lifestyle and that only through Christ can they be forgiven and given power to live a new life of holiness.