Our society promotes a sense of tolerance for each other, tolerance for those who are different than us or different than the norm. Often conservative Christians react negatively to the 'tolerance trend', because it tends to promote tolerance for others, but not tolerance toward Christians. I'd like to propose a different way for Christians to look at tolerance.
Tolerance is a lower standard.
The secular world tends to think they are taking the high road when promoting tolerance. It's certainly a higher ideal than hate. Maybe we even think that hate is the opposite of tolerance, but it's not. As it seems to play out, tolerance is organized apathy. In other words, the effect of the ideal of tolerance is to tolerate everything, which is in essence to not really care about anything. This is simple apathy; hardly a higher standard.
On a spectrum of caring and not caring, tolerance is at the bottom of the scale. Two other ideals at the other end of te caring scale are hate and love. Both show a great amount of engagement or interest; one negative, one positive. We certainly want to avoid the strong engagement of hate, but we should strive toward the higher ideal of caring and love.
Love is a higher standard.
Love shows that someone cares enough to act and to act on the behalf of another. Tolerance shows that one doesn't really care; you can do what you want even if it will seriously harm you. Love does more than let you do what you want, it laughs together, it helps each other, it encourages, it challenges, it protects! I could go on, but you get the idea.
Let's live to a higher standard, rather than buying into the artificial standard of tolerance.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Salvation Issue: Some Basics
Continued from "Is it a ‘salvation issue’?"
As we explore the 'Salvation Issue' topic some more, let's talk about some things that I don't mean, and don't want to imply.
Depth of Understanding
I do not mean to say that if you don’t understand an aspect of salvation or the Bible that you aren’t saved. No-one has an instant understanding of Christianity and Salvation as soon as they accept Christ. This is a process and one can have an uninformed or less mature view of issues in the Bible and doctrine without risking their salvation. It is a learning process and you do not need to be fully mature, to be fully saved. There are not degrees of being ‘saved’ or ‘lost’, you are either ‘saved’ or not. However, there do appear to be degrees of reward for those who are saved, and degrees of punishment for the lost.
Ignorance or Rejection
I do not mean that all who hold non-belief or non-agreement are treated the same. Consider the example set in Luke 12:47-48, where the the informed person who rejects is punished more than the uninformed person. Also consider, Luke 10:1-12 where Jesus commissions the 72 disciples. He instructs them in cities that do not receive them to shake the dust from their sandals, it will be more bearable for Sodom than for that town that rejects His disciples. Being informed of God's will and rejecting it deserves the worst punishment, yet rejecting His will while uninformed still brings punishment, just not as severe.
See also Proverbs 21:2, “All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.” We often think we know best, but God is always right and proves us wrong. It is essential for us to seek God’s will by listening to and studying his Word, communicating with him in prayer, and following the Spirit’s leading.
Salvation by Faith, not by Works
Some may object to salvation through faith by citing James 2:24, "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." You really have to look at the whole passage and the context. For me this basically comes down whether or not your faith is alive or it’s dead. Abraham’s faith was proven to be alive through his actions (or works) not an empty statement that he ‘had faith’. However, we look at the example of the thief on the cross next to Jesus in Luke 23:43, Jesus says to him, "...today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus doesn't put conditions of works or deeds on this criminal.
Also consider the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. The basic pattern introducing each person of faith and indicating their actions… “By faith" the person did something. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
You do not lose your salvation every time you sin, likewise you do not gain salvation by doing enough good deeds. Your deeds do not provide salvation, but they are evidence of the faith that you do have (though not perfectly). We can say we believe anything, but we act on what we really believe.
As we explore the 'Salvation Issue' topic some more, let's talk about some things that I don't mean, and don't want to imply.
Depth of Understanding
I do not mean to say that if you don’t understand an aspect of salvation or the Bible that you aren’t saved. No-one has an instant understanding of Christianity and Salvation as soon as they accept Christ. This is a process and one can have an uninformed or less mature view of issues in the Bible and doctrine without risking their salvation. It is a learning process and you do not need to be fully mature, to be fully saved. There are not degrees of being ‘saved’ or ‘lost’, you are either ‘saved’ or not. However, there do appear to be degrees of reward for those who are saved, and degrees of punishment for the lost.
Ignorance or Rejection
I do not mean that all who hold non-belief or non-agreement are treated the same. Consider the example set in Luke 12:47-48, where the the informed person who rejects is punished more than the uninformed person. Also consider, Luke 10:1-12 where Jesus commissions the 72 disciples. He instructs them in cities that do not receive them to shake the dust from their sandals, it will be more bearable for Sodom than for that town that rejects His disciples. Being informed of God's will and rejecting it deserves the worst punishment, yet rejecting His will while uninformed still brings punishment, just not as severe.
See also Proverbs 21:2, “All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.” We often think we know best, but God is always right and proves us wrong. It is essential for us to seek God’s will by listening to and studying his Word, communicating with him in prayer, and following the Spirit’s leading.
Salvation by Faith, not by Works
Some may object to salvation through faith by citing James 2:24, "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." You really have to look at the whole passage and the context. For me this basically comes down whether or not your faith is alive or it’s dead. Abraham’s faith was proven to be alive through his actions (or works) not an empty statement that he ‘had faith’. However, we look at the example of the thief on the cross next to Jesus in Luke 23:43, Jesus says to him, "...today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus doesn't put conditions of works or deeds on this criminal.
Also consider the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. The basic pattern introducing each person of faith and indicating their actions… “By faith" the person did something. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
You do not lose your salvation every time you sin, likewise you do not gain salvation by doing enough good deeds. Your deeds do not provide salvation, but they are evidence of the faith that you do have (though not perfectly). We can say we believe anything, but we act on what we really believe.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Is it a ‘salvation issue’?
As I discuss issues with others, or hear discussions and debates, it frequently comes up that “it’s not a salvation issue.” This statement really bugs me, not because it’s not true, but because it’s often abused. Let’s take a closer look at this.
Original Intent
I have not investigated the origin and first use of this phrase, or who first coined it. But, I can imagine what it’s original noble intent may have been: to save friends from endless arguments that would undermine their otherwise good relationship. If this were the only way it was used, then I applaud it for keeping peace and living peaceably with our ‘brothers.’ Another way to put this that may be familiar to some is ‘agreement in the majors, grace in the minors.’ In other words, if we’re going to let something get between us, don’t let it be something small.
Typical Abuse (i.e. playing the salvation card)
Too often, the way I see it used is more of a lazy way out of a meaningful discussion. Most people tend to invoke the salvation card too soon, before they dig in deep enough to know if it's an important issue or not. Most difficult issues cannot be worked out and fully explored in a single discussion, yet we tend to either get tired of the discussion, or get backed into a corner or can't figure out how to get our point across and want to end it before we have to give up.
We can't engage in honest discussion if we come in dogmatic about our position and all it's aspects. It is sometimes difficult to really listen to another's view and seek to understand it. Yet, when we undestand the other's view more fully, we can more effectively and peacefully respond to it with engaging questions. We must seek to understand, then to be understood.
My assessment is that sincere people use the phrase sincerely, but it's real effect ends up being, "I'm tired of talking about this, let's quit and talk about somethng else." It's a polite way of saying, "I'm done." Let's quit abusing it and say what we really mean.
Proper Use: What Is a Salvation issue?
So what is a ‘salvation issue’? What this is implied to mean is, "are you going to be saved or not saved based on how you understand or answer this question?" When you put it that way, you narrow it down quite a bit, the net effect being, people always answer "no" to the original question, "is it a salvation issue?"
So what is this narrow definition of "what is a salvation issue?" The very narrowest answer to that question can be found in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”, or really digging deeper we get to core of Christianity in the resurrection in 2 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
Therefore, it is implied, that nothing else is a salvation issue; not baptism, not homosexuality, not abortion, not creation/evolution, not music style, not war, not sexuality, not pornography, not polygamy, not Bible translation, etc…
So, if we change the meaning of "Is it a salvation issue?" to mean, "What is essential to understand your salvation?" we can get a better assessment of if it is important or not. What do you think are the core, essentials of salvation and it's proper understanding?
Original Intent
I have not investigated the origin and first use of this phrase, or who first coined it. But, I can imagine what it’s original noble intent may have been: to save friends from endless arguments that would undermine their otherwise good relationship. If this were the only way it was used, then I applaud it for keeping peace and living peaceably with our ‘brothers.’ Another way to put this that may be familiar to some is ‘agreement in the majors, grace in the minors.’ In other words, if we’re going to let something get between us, don’t let it be something small.
Typical Abuse (i.e. playing the salvation card)
Too often, the way I see it used is more of a lazy way out of a meaningful discussion. Most people tend to invoke the salvation card too soon, before they dig in deep enough to know if it's an important issue or not. Most difficult issues cannot be worked out and fully explored in a single discussion, yet we tend to either get tired of the discussion, or get backed into a corner or can't figure out how to get our point across and want to end it before we have to give up.
We can't engage in honest discussion if we come in dogmatic about our position and all it's aspects. It is sometimes difficult to really listen to another's view and seek to understand it. Yet, when we undestand the other's view more fully, we can more effectively and peacefully respond to it with engaging questions. We must seek to understand, then to be understood.
My assessment is that sincere people use the phrase sincerely, but it's real effect ends up being, "I'm tired of talking about this, let's quit and talk about somethng else." It's a polite way of saying, "I'm done." Let's quit abusing it and say what we really mean.
Proper Use: What Is a Salvation issue?
So what is a ‘salvation issue’? What this is implied to mean is, "are you going to be saved or not saved based on how you understand or answer this question?" When you put it that way, you narrow it down quite a bit, the net effect being, people always answer "no" to the original question, "is it a salvation issue?"
So what is this narrow definition of "what is a salvation issue?" The very narrowest answer to that question can be found in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”, or really digging deeper we get to core of Christianity in the resurrection in 2 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
Therefore, it is implied, that nothing else is a salvation issue; not baptism, not homosexuality, not abortion, not creation/evolution, not music style, not war, not sexuality, not pornography, not polygamy, not Bible translation, etc…
So, if we change the meaning of "Is it a salvation issue?" to mean, "What is essential to understand your salvation?" we can get a better assessment of if it is important or not. What do you think are the core, essentials of salvation and it's proper understanding?
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