What is Tolerance?

Tolerance is defined as “a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one’s own.”  In other words, we should love and respect others, even if we don’t agree with their opinions or the way they live.  This is what we are told in 1 John 4:7, 8.   ^“7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

What Satan Says –

Satan has told the world and the media that tolerance requires more!  Not only should we permit practices that are sinful, we should also rejoice in and promote those practices.  Satan has taken the meaning to the extreme.

Satan would like us to believe we must remain silent and turn a blind eye to these sinful acts in order to love one another.

The world would have us believe to build our tolerance, we should continually increase our exposure so the offensive will become commonplace.  This is what a drug user would do to continue reaching the same high. The more time we spend with sin the less offensive it becomes.

Sadly, many Christians are falling for Satan’s tricks.  Since he has redefined the word tolerance, we are having a difficult time seeing the difference between the Truth and his lies.

What God’s Word says:

1. Jesus, in His prayer, knows that we will be hated by the world and asks that we will be sanctified in the Truth, and protected from Satan and his evil tricks.”¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world,just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth;your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”(John 17:14-19) 
2. Jesus said a tree is known by its fruit. The fruit of an evil tree will be evil. ³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶ I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”(Matthew 12:33-37)
3. God’s Word is the our only standard. “¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”(2 Timothy 3:16,17)

4. What should we do?

   We should not and can not fall for Satan’s trap of tolerance.  The world is trying to teach a “new” truth, but the Bible is the only Truth that is acceptable to God.

   ^“6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you,let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received,let him be accursed.

   ¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”(Galatians 1:6-10)

   Satan’s version of tolerance may sound easy and the majority of the world would have you believe that love should come before the Truth.  But Jesus said, ¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.(Matthew 7:13)

   Which path are you on?  Have you allowed yourself to get caught in Satan’s tolerance trap?