Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me. Luke 10:13-16
Tolerance
Without Excuse
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Romans 2:1-4 (KJB)
These are without excuse because they are able to make judgments of others. Why does the religious, moralist think they shall escape the judgment of God? (v.3). They will not. There are three things mentioned in these verses about our gracious God.
1. His goodness;
2. His forbearance; which is His tolerance of us;
3. His longsuffering.
His longsuffering is patience. Patience = the duration which God demonstrates His goodness and forbearance for long periods of time. He deliberately shows us patience even when we think we are so moral that He has nothing to judge us for.
Without the grace of God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we all are guilty before God. We are condemned sinners; transgressors of His law, guilty, and condemned. Turn to Jesus and live, or continue in death.
Participate in Righteousness – Inherit the Earth
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” Psalm 37:8-10 (KJV)
Many times when I see an evil deed done, my first thought is; “Death to the evil one”. If you have any righteous thought in you at all then when you see evil done you will have the thoughts too.
Defining evil in our day has gotten a bit complicated to many though. What used to be evil is now good; and what used to be good is now evil. The complication has come in due to evil itself.
Evil through the lies of Satan has been confused by what is deemed as love, which is actually tolerance mixed up with hatred. If someone is genuinely loved those who love them will correct them when they are in error; and endeavor to aid them, and direct them the right direction. The new idea of “love” is just let them be who they are; and they continue on in their self lies and affliction, misery and sin. What would you think of a doctor who discovers a cancer in your body, but does not tell you of the cancer because he “loves” you and is willing to let you continue as you are?
The Psalmist says to us. “Relax! Don’t React!” at least not with anger. We ought always be angry with evil, and the outcome of it; but let us also realize that in the end days evil will be judged, and those who practice it will be judged, and it shall be done away.
To “Wait upon the LORD” is not sitting idly by, but to keep on believing, trusting, doing those things we know we are to do. Be busy about the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We cannot change evil, but evil will be judged. They that wait upon the LORD shall inherit the earth, they shall also “renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Those who “Wait upon the LORD” are the meek who inherit the earth (v. 11; Matthew 5:5), as well.
Part of living a righteous life through Jesus Christ is living a life that confronts evil with the power of the word of God, and the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the strength against evil in our world. The Psalmist believed evil would lose in the end. So do we.
Put an end to the evil in your life by trusting Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, His burial and resurrection. He removes the evil, and gives you His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Words for Christian Living – Not Your Own
“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
Within the loving climate of the Corinthian Church there was sexual immorality. Tolerance, love, and peace was the motive of their inaction toward this immorality. While the name of Christ was blasphemed and the character of Christianity was mocked; the apostle Paul was calling for action.
Christian, our bodies do not belong to us. We “Are bought with a price”; and that “price” was the precious blood of Jesus. You and I are His. Let us glorify God in our spirit and with our bodies. We are God’s.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Day 79 – Sin in the Church
There is probably nothing more sure and clear than the title of this post. “Sin in the Church”. To ask, “Is there sin in our churches?” is a very unnecessary question. Where there is a church without sin; it is of their own confession; and not the truth. Besides where there is people there will be sin. By that statement I do not mean to lessen the gravity and seriousness of sin in the church.
In my reading this morning of 1 Corinthians 3 – 12 it was quite apparent that the apostle is writing this church to confront a major problem they have. First of all they seem just a bit proud of their “Spirituality” and “love” since they have tolerated an adulterous affair to continue to go on in their midst (chapter 5).
The apostle addresses their immaturity at first,
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (KJV)
We see there are other problems of sin within the congregation as well, “strife and divisions”, arguing and debating over who is the best preacher, and probably other things. Too many times in today’s society Christians “wear their feelings on their sleeves”, are easily puffed up, easily knocked down, and easily offended. That is the height of immaturity.
Paul’s intent for writing this letter is not to shame or offend this people,
“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” 4:14-16
We live in a time where “Tolerance” is king. At least much of laws are written with tolerance in mind. What is the idea of tolerance? The MIRRIAM/WEBSTER DICTIONARY defines “Tolerance” –
1. the act or practice of tolerating; esp. : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from one’s own 2: capacity for enduring or adapting (as to a poor environment) 3: the allowable deviation from a standard (as of size).
Today’s tolerance police would be proud of the Corinthian church. They loved this couple so very much, and were so very tolerant they were about to bring the wrath and judgment of God upon themselves, and the whole church. The apostle was not pleased when he heard of this, and this very well could be the main reason for writing this letter; the “straw that broke the camel’s back” so to speak. Hear what Paul told the church to do with the man:
“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 5:4-8
If you will notice Paul’s concern was at least in part for the man to be delivered from this grievous sin. He was also very concerned with what it was doing and would continue doing if the rebelliousness and evil were not dealt with.
There is much to learn and hear for the guidance of the post modern church. There is sin in the church today that needs to be dealt with. I hear of adulterous affairs going on between couples within some local congregations; and if these sins and others are not dealt with then those churches will fall.
The first step in dealing with sin in the church is for each individual to keep their accounts short with God. Read the Bible daily, hiding the word in your heart that you sin not against the LORD. By taking heed to the Word of God their is cleansing and forgiveness.
To tolerate sin in one’s own life is not love; that is arrogance. To tolerate sin within the church is not love, nor is it spiritual; it is pride and rebellion.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 