Love or Tolerance

A Pastor wrote this and i agree with what they wrote 100%. I hope this blesses you as much as it did me!

Body: Love or Tolerance

Recently there has been a call for tolerance for the sake of harmony, co-existence or unity in human relations. The purpose of this writing is to show divine love, not tolerance, is the perfect bond of unity {Col 3:14). For years the “liberal church” has been practicing tolerance while the more “conservative church” has lost its appeal to the majority of the people.

What is tolerance? Tolerance has many different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. The kind of tolerance that carnal minded men of the world are calling for, and that which has been practiced in the popular liberal “churches,” seems to mean the ability to vary from a pre-set standard or practice. For example, the popular church has exchanged judgment of un-repented sins for tolerance and allowed such sins as homosexually in their “church.” The popular church has not only allowed this, they have also accepted homosexuals as pastors and teachers; and allowed them to hold other church offices as well. Same sex marriages, fornication, adultery, living together out of wedlock, un-wed mothers, irresponsible fathers and many more un-repented sins have been tolerated by the popular liberal church; and they have done all this in the name of love. It is sad but true that many of the conservative churches are also becoming more tolerant of sin for the sake of gaining or maintaining membership. When a congregation of people who call themselves a “church” allows sin to come in it is likened unto a ship upon the sea that begins to take on water. Such a “church” loses it’s effectiveness in the community. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men (Matt. 5:13NASU).”

It is evident that most people today, in or out of the church, do not know true love. Love is not sex, hugs, kisses, sugar and spice and every thing nice; such things should be classified as affections of the flesh, romance or lust; such things are of the carnal mind or fleshly. To teach such things or to promote tolerance does not lead to either unity or love. What such teachings do lead to is evident in the present lustful immoral society.

Now that we know what tolerance is and what love is not, we might ask; what is love—and, what is loves standard?? The standard for love was set in the Garden of Eden. In the beginning when God had created man, figuratively speaking, He drew a line in the sand; and He declared that inside the line is His love; outside the line is sin. Inside the line are eternal life, peace and prosperity; outside the line are adversity, despair and death. When man allowed the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life {1 John 2:16} to lure him outside the line he was judged by the line he had crossed {James 1:14-15}. When he did not have sorrowful regret, remorsefulness or repentance he was not allowed to cross back over the line; thus he suffered the consequences of his crossing the line. The line is the eternal, never changing word of God. God, by His word sets the standard for love, and it is also His word by which sin is defined and judged.

Judgment is the process through which the purity of the kingdom of God is preserved. Sin is defined, judged, condemned and cast out by the word of God, there-by preserving the purity of the kingdom {see Gen. 3; & 1 Cor. 5 & 6}. Thus judgment is an act of love, mercy and grace protecting all that live in the kingdom from the destruction of sin. Because of God’s love for His children He has a zero tolerance for sin. God’s church, His children, is His kingdom and His Word is His law. The Word of God is the “Corner Stone,” the “Rock” and foundation of the children of His kingdom and the destructive forces of sin will not prevail against them. All who live in His kingdom have been, by grace through faith, born of His law; and by grace through faith, live by the rule of His law; and by grace through faith, are protected by His law.

Now to answer the question, what is divine love? God is love; and so divine love is the essence of or essential nature of God; and is an indispensable asset that identifies God. In summary, divine love expresses and is the very character of God. God is life; there is no death in Him. Therefore God is eternal life. He that has love has eternal life; he that abides in sin abides in death and the love of God is not in him.

God’s word is the image, the exact representation and complete expression of God. To be obedient to His word is to abide in eternal love and life. He who lives in love lives in God and he does not cross over the line; he does not sin; the Spirit of love empowers him to obey all the commandments of God; he who has love has a infinite esteem or regard for his fellow man and he does not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness against his neighbor (lie), he does not covet his neighbors spouse, or anyone else of his neighbors household, or anything that belongs to his neighbor, he loves his Lord God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and all his strength and he loves his neighbor as he loves himself. All these things results in more than a peaceful co-existence, they result in patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and a life of love, joy and peace {Gal. 5:22}.

God is mans Creator; man was created by Love and in the image of Love; he was created to love and for Love. The spirit of love in a person born of God eagerly desires the affections and fellowship of the spirit of love in others and with God; thus love is the adhesive that bonds and holds us together. Also, the spirit of love in a person has a deep compassionate concern for the souls of those who do not know God. Love is manifested and expressed as the nature, attribute or character of God. “Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love is steadfast, faithful, everlasting, and eternal; love never fails; (1 Cor. 13:4-8fNAS).

Love has mercy. Because of His great love for man God has mercy; and mercy has grace or un-earned, un-deserved favor {Eph. 2:4-10}. We find this great love, mercy and grace at Mt. Calvary on the cross where the Son of God died in our stead. In the work of the cross God has prepared an entrance into His kingdom of love. Christ Jesus is the entrance or door into the presence of God. To enter this Door one must first see his own pitiful and hopeless conditions and desire to leave the world of sin and have a longing for the kingdom of God. God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit of God reveals sin to those whom He calls; this is the gift of faith. God’s grace working through this gift of faith gives us of His Spirit who pours out God’s love in our heart {soul} bringing us to sorrowful repentance of sin. Upon repentance {turning away from sin and turning toward God through faith} there is a cleansing from sin through the work of our Lord’s cross, the shedding of His blood and the giving of His life in death for our sake. We enter through the Door, that is the Word of God, Christ Jesus Himself; He is the Door of judgment where no sin can enter in; there is no other way except through Him. He is our eternal rest; He is our Garden of Eden, the place where we live eternally in the presence of our loving Father; love from God is the perfect bond of unity.