Several weeks ago while sitting in on a discussion of Chuck Colson’s book, The Faith, I became quite agitated. The evening’s discussion was broad in subjects but narrow in solution. Obama, gays and lesbians, abortion, varying religious beliefs, etc. You get the idea. These “hot topics” were discussed at length in relation to us as Christians. What were we going to do about these sins? How could we influence our society, our world and make an impact for Christ? Perhaps, we have all taken part in similar discussions to this one. However, this night I was caught off guard. What I heard in their words was fear, intolerance, bits of anger and self-righteousness. The discussion centered on how to debate and win a sinner over to Christ. This in itself isn’t a bad thing. In fact, learn your way around your Bible, understand what you say you believe and be prepared to defend it and share it in a very down to earth approach. Absolutely! But this was not the method discussed and encouraged. In fact, the discussion didn’t make it past the point of judging the sins of non-believers. (Ironically, we never discussed our own sins! And Chuck’s book would not support the way this group discussed his book. I am pretty certain of that!)
About an hour into this conversation and the inside of my cheek near numb from biting it to keep from spewing out a venomous remark, my resistance wore down. Choosing my words carefully, I said, “the problem I see with most Christians is the lack of grace they bestow upon non-believers or even other Christians who think slightly different. When our focus becomes more about the person’s sin than about the person we are not doing “it”, whatever “it” is the right way.” I’m sure you would not be surprised if I told you that silence fell over that room and not a single comment or rebuttal was made. The conversation carried on as if I had not spoken a single word. Perhaps I overstepped my welcome. Perhaps I struck a nerve. I don’t know. I do know it has led me to contemplate the difference between the Christian’s bad word: tolerance and the Christian’s misunderstood word: grace.
No matter how I look at these two words, there is an undeniable disconnect. The Christian’s loosely defined definition of tolerance, adapted from Chuck Colson’s book, says we are offended less and less by non-believers sins or life-style and that we cannot become more relevant to win over the hearts of pagans. We must stand firm in our faith, no matter the cost. Although I understand that there can become a point where truth is side stepped for acceptance of others, I believe deeply there is a place for tolerance. Intolerance sees the sin. Grace sees the person. And we love them anyway. I’ve tried to make this a more substantial argument in my mind, but it doesn’t need to be. Being tolerant of other people’s life style doesn’t mean we are abandoning our professed convictions. It doesn’t mean we’re saying it’s OK. It says, I accept you in spite it and I hope that you can accept me in spite of the plank sticking out of my own eye.
I’m reminded of Todd Agnew’s song: My Jesus. A few lines in the song read:
Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
The song paints a picture of who Jesus really is and who we have made Him out to be. ( Lyrics below). I wonder, with so much intolerance in the church, if our Jesus really would be accepted in our doors. Grieves my heart to think He might not.
We cannot show grace if we are not willing to endure (tolerate) each other.
Open the eyes of my heart Lord. Help me to see others as you do: lost and hurting, made in the image of your Son. Give me eyes of grace. Humbly, I beg to be your hands and feet, Dear Lord. Let me not shy away from the unknown, from my fears. Give me compassion, simple words to articulate Who you are. Help me to love like you love.
My Jesus
By Todd Agnew
Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?
Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand
Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?
Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet
Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him
Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?
Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus
2 comments:
Buttercup - You raise and interesting and difficult question: how do we practice grace in a graceless world?
Paul calls us not to disassociate ourselves with the world, but he does call us to disassociate ourselves with anyone practicing sin within the church (1 Corinthians 5: 9-13) - but we are to drive out the wicked among us. From The NKJV (John MacArthur commentary on 1st Corinthians 5:12, 13): "Those on the outside of the church are for God to judge and believers to evangelize. Those who sit on the inside, the church is to put out." Studying through Revelations as my faith group is, it becomes abundantly clear that sin has no part in the church of God - and He will judge the church for it. I would argue that part of the problem of self righteousness and sin in the church in general is due to the fact that the church is not doing enough to root out sin and promote holiness in itself.
I'm not Greek or Hebrew scholar, but I did check my Strong's Concise Concordance and Vine's Complete Expositionary Dictionary and cannot find the word tolerance. Tolerance is not a word translated into English. Tolerable is, but in the sense of Judgement: "It assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable (endurable) for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city" (Matthew 11:15).
Where does that leave us? Certainly love is (agape) is discussed, the willing of the good for others no matter the cost to us. So is grace (charis), which I believe that Chuck Swindoll has "unmerited favor". A combination, I suppose, of love and concern for the other person is suggested, which I think is what you are trying to get at.
The difficulty is sin. The church has chosen to fall (mostly) into one of two camps: either believing that love is the ultimate goal (and thereby allowing sin in and enabling people to wander happily to Hell) or that purity is the ultimate goal (creating self righteousness that blocks the bearer and others from Heaven) - as Luther said of the church, it's like a drunk: having gotten onto the horse on the left and slipped off, his solution is to get onto the horse on the right - and slip off again.
Part of the difficulty is the church itself. We (and I include myself in here) have neither prepared nor been prepared for a world where sin is glorified and the Christian considered at best a stupid bigot, at worst an enemy of the state to be forced to worship at the altar of the world. Examine the news of the US: Biblical Christianity is under assault overtly and subvertly. It's probably not the right thing to be afraid, but at least one can understand where such a problem comes from. From the other side, if I conform with the "Coexist" motto, neither am I fulfilling the law of Christ, as coexistance has been taken to mean "You believe what you want - but don't proselytize me!"
What to do. Ah, there's the rub. How do we love the sinner and hate the sin?
We show grace and love, as you've indicated. If I may be so bold, grace and love - not tolerance. Nowhere in Scripture do we read of God "tolerating" us. He loves us with unmerited favor and grace - while at the same time requiring holiness from us. Toleration in that sense is a word the world has inserted in place of charis and agape, because tolerance is something we do - unmerited grace and favor is something we neither deserve nor control, but is only extended and can be accepted or rejected.
What does that mean in practice? I can't fully say. Individuals are different - for myself, I build relationships before we talk about the Gospel. For others, they just believe in starting out with the Gospel. Both are evident in the work of Paul - and for goodness' sake, Jesus spent three years with those complainers known as the disciples and they still didn't get it!
I might also humbly suggest that the question of what grace means as applied in your definition. Grace is not the hope that someone can accept me for the plank sticking out of my eye. Christianity is not a plank, not a sin or lifestyle choice. I would submit that neither Christ nor the apostles hoped that people would accept them as they presented the truth. The Bible is clear that they presented who they were and simply did not worry about the acceptance (or lack of it) in others. I don't hope that people accept me in spite of the fact that I am a Christian. I simply am who I am, regardless of their acceptance or no.
The best example of this I can think of is Corrie Ten Boom. If you read her works, what comes through is the grace of this woman with others, even those who were sinners- but her firm conviction of Christianity and willingness to present it. It just flowed out of her no matter what the situation. The odd thing is, at least in her writings, she relates that people would disagree with her, but no-one thought the less of her.
And probably, if you're giving out grace, you should probably give a big fat dose to me for writing this.
Good thoughts Friend, as always. You always have a way of bringing light to the parts I either did't think about or didn't know how to articulate clearly. Your words are always welcomed and always recieved in the spirit of gaining further insight. Forever, I will be a student!
This topic has been pressing on my heart for quite sometime. The "how" part specifically. As you so perfectly asked: How can we love the sinner, but hate the sin (not tolerate the sin)? Daily I am faced with how to approach several relationships in which the person's life-style oozes sin and God is not on their radar. I have chosen to build a relationship with each of these people, as is your approach (and a good one I might add). They, as a person and what can become of their life is more important than the sin they are committing.
When I use the word "tolerance", I am meaning from the point of I will not walk away from these people simply because of their sin, not that I am supporting it by walking along them. Whereas the Christians in that discussion a few weeks ago, were not willing to even associate with such people. Does this make sense? I feel a bit flighty in my words here.
As for the plank in the Chrsitian's eye...I was not referring to our being saved as a plank, but that we are also sinners, definitely imperfect, not to be mistaken as having it all together simply because we are "Christian".
No matter how we go about "witnessing" to others, our actions will surely be what they remember, more than our words. So grace/tolerance...I don't even know what to call it anymore. All I know is I will not shy away from the unlovley because of their sin. Jesus' example was one of walking along side sinners and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Thanks Toirhealbheach Beucail for your words. You've forced me to put more meaning behind my words. This is why you are the writer and I am not!
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