Excerpt from “Accelerator”, Accelerated Christian Education, Mar-May 2016, pg 6.
A.C.E. defines Tolerant as accepting others and willing to endure their beliefs and actions with which I do not agree. It is making allowances for those who may lack the wisdom and maturity necessary to follow God’s will and plan. Romans 14:13 states: Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. Long-suffering, forbearance, and patience are synonyms of tolerance.
In Social Studies PACE 1059, the character strip illustrates how Ace was seeking to introduce Ronny to Jesus Christ, but Ronny seemed uninterested. Ronny was a sinner just like Ace. The difference was Ace had accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, but Ronny hadn’t. Ace had a desire that Ronny would also accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior.
Tolerance presupposes a STANDARD of conduct by which all behavior is measured. The Bible gives us that standard of conduct. God’s standard is that all men turn from their sin and accept Jesus Christ as Savior. God hates man’s sin, but He loves the sinner. God was not tolerant with the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, and He destroyed these cities. God was not tolerant of the sin of Nadab and Abihu, and they died by fire. Jesus was not tolerant with the sinful actions of those in the Temple, and He drove out the money changers. God hated the sin of Ananias and Sapphira, and they died when they lied to the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 59:2 states: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
While God hates the sin, He loves the sinner. II Peter 3:9 gives us this truth: The Lord is not slack concerning this promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God hated the sin in Noah’s day. He told Noah to build an ark for He was going to destroy the earth with a flood. God was long-suffering with that generation. I Peter 3:20 states: Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of god waited i the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. God was tolerant with that generation as Noah preached for 120 years, yet only eight souls were saved. Without remedy, God destroyed the earth with a flood.
Tolerant is accepting others and being willing to endure their beliefs and actions with which I do not agree so that I might lead them to know Christ and grow in maturity. Tolerance is not changing God’s standards but living them out in such a way that others will want to follow them. The irritations we see in others gives us opportunities to demonstrate tolerance. Ace was tolerant with Ronny so that he could demonstrate God’s love for him and lead him to the Lord.