tolerating enemies

We all know it, 'love your enemies' (Mt 5.43-44; Lk 6.27, 35;). Along with a small number of others, this a favorite verse of our enemies. Most non-believers know this one. And it has always been real popular with the liberal Christian crowd. It is most often heard whenever one attempts to deal with sin that another does not think is sin. This tactic is sadly effective in that is detracts from any discussion regarding the actual point at hand. Of course it also exposes the one employing it as someone who fails to understand the nature of sin, the nature of redemption, and the power and grace of God to accomplish His promises ... but pointing that out would also be 'unloving'.

RC Sproul writes:

The Bible teaches, from Genesis 3 onward, the antithesis. Antithesis is a rather fancy theological term that simply affirms that the people of God live their lives in the context of the battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. While we are called to love our enemies, we are called to recognize them as enemies. Though the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, we are at war. We are called to be set apart, distinct, separate from the world around us. One could even translate ekklesia, which is usually translated “church” in our English Bibles this way, “the called-out ones.” We seem to have forgotten the antithesis in our day, strategizing that if we will become more like the world we might make a difference, that the way to be salt and light is to mask our savor and cover our light. We are of the light, and they of the dark. We are of our Father in heaven, they children of the Father of lies. We are, by the grace of God, the friends of God. They are, by nature, His enemies.

...

The difference, the antithesis, between us and the world isn’t that they have sin issues while we do not. The difference is two-fold. First, our sins have already been covered. Jesus died for them, and the Father is not angry with us. Second, we are committed to finding them out, rather than hiding them. Isn’t it gracious of God then to give us the glaring shamelessness of the world to make our own sins more known to us? May He in turn give us eyes to see.

DA Carson speaks on the intolerance of tolerance. (HT:CB)



G.K. Chesterton famously said that, “Tolerance is the virtue of people who don’t believe anything.”

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