The world in which we live asserts that virtually any form of intolerance expressed by an individual is unacceptable.  At times, the media and some political leaders classify intolerance as a “hate crime.”

Downplaying their double-standards and hypocrisy, tolerance advocates demonstrate a profound lack of tolerance for anything or anyone which bases his/her sense of right and wrong upon Judeo-Christian values.   These tolerance advocates have been so successful at propagandizing the public to their way of thinking that many Bible-believing Christians have been deceived into thinking that tolerance is a godly and biblical value.

Many churches today unknowingly embrace tolerance and political correctness as though these two values can be found in scripture.  Didn’t Jesus himself declare that the world would know Christians by their tolerance?

What has all of this created?  Something akin to bad math.  Just as 2 + 2 has never equalled 5, love does NOT equal tolerance.

True love seeks the best for another and risks speaking the truth in love when needed.  True love does not stand passively and tolerantly by while a person makes self-destructive or others-harming choices.  True love speaks up, for the good of the person, for the good of all.  True love identifies wrong as wrong at the risk of being ridiculed or rejected.

True love includes both soft and tough demonstrations of deep care.  True love longs to see people free from the trap of sin and disobedience.  This cannot occur if sin is tolerated rather than identified.

For the biblical Christian, sin and wrongdoing have eternal consequences.  With that in mind, the most loving thing Christians can do is let people know about sin and that an answer has been provided through Jesus Christ.

Sadly, when the church adopts tolerance as a life value, it loses the urgency to speak to people about the issue of sin, its eternal consequences and the freedom that can be found in Jesus Christ.

Tolerance keeps people lost in their sin.  Love cares enough to confront people about their need for Jesus.

Tolerance avoids making people uncomfortable.   Love willingly risks making people uncomfortable so that they might be comfortable when it matters the most — in eternity!

The Bible promotes love and truth, not tolerance.  The godly, biblical life value is love, not tolerance.  Christians can show incredible love without compromising the moral standards of God’s Word.  Truth and love must work together.

My Conclusion

Tolerance does NOT equal love.

Instead, Tolerance = Love without Truth.

Or, Tolerance = Love + Relativism

NOTE:  View my other posts on tolerance under the category “Biblical Worldview.”