One Leak Will Sink A Ship, So Don’t Be Lenient Toward Sin预览

How To Be Intolerant Toward Sin

As we read through the story of Eli we discover that he was far from the ideal of a high priest. While believing in the Lord, Eli allowed his decisions to be shaped more by what was convenient and fashionable and trendy, than what was right before God. 

We see this in the names he chose for his sons. Hophni and Phinehas are Egyptian names, not Hebrew names. Since names were often descriptive of a parent’s wishes for his/her child, maybe it’s not surprising Hophni and Phinehas grew up to be ultra-worldly! 

The word tolerant means liberal and broad-minded. In one sense, it implies the compromise of one’s convictions, a yielding of ground upon important issues.

The world has become tolerant about divorce, the use of alcohol, delinquency, sin in high places, immorality, crime and godlessness. As Christians it's easy to be sapped of conviction, drained of our beliefs, and become bereft of our faith.

The sciences, however, are narrow-minded and have standards. There is no tolerance or room for careless broad-mindedness in the laboratory. Water boils at 100 degrees Centigrade at sea level. Fresh water freezes at 0 degrees.

Mathematics is also narrow-minded. The sum of two plus two is four, never three-and-a-half. Geometry is narrow-minded. It says that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points on a plane.  A compass is narrow-minded; it always points to the magnetic north. If it were broad-minded, ships at sea and planes in the air would be in danger.

So if we are narrow minded in these areas which have a standard of measure, why should we be tolerant to sin?

God is intolerant toward sin. That intolerance sent His Son to die for us. He has said “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish.” The clear implication is that those who refuse to believe in Him will be eternally lost. 

God has called us to be holy – set apart from the world to declare a message of absolute truth to a world that says, “It doesn’t matter what I believe – Don’t judge me!” God has called us to call sin what it is: an absolute attack on His righteous character. We’re not to rationalize it, ignore it, excuse it, nor tolerate it

What sin should you repent of today? Where have you compromised and tolerated sin in your life? Where have you rationalized and made excuses for sin when what you really need to do is repent and turn to Jesus?

Take the time to ask the Lord to search your heart (Psalm 139:23). Pray and ask the Lord where there is unconfessed sin in your life. Get specific. Confessing our sin is something we should be doing on a daily basis. Come to Christ today, while His Spirit is speaking to your heart! 

Quote: “Tolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions.” G.K. Chesterton

Prayer: Lord help me not to condone sin, but to confess sin, not to justify it but to remove it. Amen