(Kent Heaton)
The news from Dallas is that from the continual revelation of more priest abusing children, a move is being considered to "one of zero tolerance for any priest who had ever abused a child." (Laurie Goodstein, the New York Times, Friday, June 14, 2002) Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul-Minneapolis, chairman of the bishops' ad hoc committee on sexual abuse said, "It seems to be moving in that direction." The headline shows that Bishops are willing to accept the blame for the sexual misconduct over the years. As the Roman Catholic Church moves toward a position of zero tolerance, a question arises as to why should they have left "zero tolerance" to begin with? God has always been in the arena of zero tolerance.
When God created man and put him in the garden, He said, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16,17) Genesis chapter three reveals that man disobeyed this command and God had zero tolerance with him. (Genesis 3:8-24)
God had zero tolerance with Cain when he killed his brother. (Genesis 4) As the world filled with the wickedness of men, God's tolerance allowed man to repent but to no avail. God "destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive." (Genesis 6:23)
A zero tolerance is seen in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra in Genesis 19. Against the nation of Egypt, the power of God is found as He delivers His people from the bondage of Pharaoh and leaves the once great empire of the pyramids in ruin. (Exodus 1-14) The people of God experienced the zero tolerance of God on numerous occasions. Three thousand men of the people died for the sins of the golden calf. (Genesis 32) Many more suffered the plague sent by God among the people.
The Law of Moses is filled with the zero tolerance of God. Murder, striking a father or mother, stealing a man to sell him, cursing a father or mother, allowing a rouge ox to kill a man, bestiality, defiling the Sabbath day, giving ones seed to Molech, adultery, immorality with a his father's wife, immorality with his daughter-in-law, homosexuality, wizards, he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, anyone coming nigh to the tabernacle as it is being pitched, a false prophet - all of these were to be put to death. (Exodus 21:12,15-17,29; 22:19; 31:14; Leviticus 20:2,10-13,27; 24:16; Numbers 1:51; Deuteronomy 13:5)
Numbers 15:32-36 tells the story of how a man picked up sticks on the Sabbath day and was taken outside the camp and stoned with stones, and he died. The zero tolerance of God has been in place since the beginning of time. It was exercised against Korah (Numbers 16), Miriam (Numbers 12), Moses (Deuteronomy 34:4), Achan (Joshua 7), King Saul (1 Samuel 15), Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:1-7), King David (2 Samuel 12) and the people of Israel as God brought the Assyrian and Babylonians armies to punish them.
What is zero tolerance? The meaning of tolerance is forbearance, indulgence, mercifulness and toleration. Is not God full of mercy, grace, love and compassion? God has all these attributes and more but the reality of sin makes God's view of mercy limited. "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:22) Sin has never been something God tolerated. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:20)
The tolerance of God toward sin has been clear. The tolerance of men toward sin has been a different picture. The plight of the Roman Catholic Church is a highlight of the result of changing the nature of sin to be less than God said. The character of sin is no longer an abomination but an accepted style of life. Homosexuality is accepted by many in the religious community because of the change of how we look at sin. Adultery and fornication have little the impact of shame and dread that it once held in the minds of men.
Within the body of Christ, men have changed the law of God to tolerate marriages that God calls unlawful. A greater tolerance toward sin is seen in the lack of discipline upon those who forsake the assembly, who engage in activities shameful for children of God, live with the devil as their guide six days a week and then try to serve God on the first day. Jeremiah was tasked with telling the people about God's zero tolerance when he wrote: "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, `We are delivered to do all these abominations'? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,' says the LORD." (Jeremiah 7:8-11)
The religious world has moved away from the zero tolerance of God toward sin and embraced many of its tenets as acceptable. The body of Christ is following the same lead when it allows the worldly doctrines of the devil to invade the lives of its members. Sin must be presented for the abomination it is before God. The New Testament is filled with admonitions and examples of how clear we must look at sin.
Jesus was zero tolerant with the religious leaders of His day. Matthew shows how tolerant Jesus was in Matthew 23. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do." (vv2,3) Jesus calls them hypocrites, blind guides, fools, whitewashed tombs, lawless, serpents and brood of vipers. Do you suppose anyone could question where Jesus stood on sin?
In the early church, God struck down Ananias and Sapphira for lying. (Acts 5) Paul wrote the church at Corinth and told them they were divisive, carnal, babies, puffed up, factious, spiritually dead, without love, disorderly and futile in their faith. Regarding the man who had his father's wife, they were to "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (1 Corinthians 5:5) If the Roman Catholic Church would have read this passage, they would have known the zero tolerance that God has always had. The church must learn the same lesson.
God has a zero tolerance toward sin. The body of Christ must maintain the purity of its ranks by a vigilant awareness of the nature of sin. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 reads, "But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us." The church can be too tolerant of those who walk disorderly to the point of failing to fully admonish the erring. By doing so, have we helped win a soul back to Christ?
These actions are measured by the love we have for truth and the soul that is sinning. "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." (Jude 20-23) Can we not learn valuable lessons from the Roman Catholic Church? It is easy to point a finger of accusation against them because of their denial of truth. The body of Christ must be fully aware of the influence the world has had upon the church in similar matters.
The tolerance of God toward sin has always been "zero.” This must be preached from the pulpit, grounded in the classrooms, lived out in the lives of the children of God and endorsed by the overseers of each local congregation. Isaiah wrote, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." (28:10) Truth must be established upon every line and upon every precept of God. Sin will damn the soul. Repentance is necessary to change from the paths of destruction to the pure light of Jesus Christ.
The true nature of sin understands the value of what is at stake. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36,37) This is the true nature of God's tolerance toward sin. The soul is what is at stake and there is nothing that can be found of greater value than the saving of the soul. Should sin be tolerated when the knowledge of damnation is present? Peter reminds us that the promises of God are true and when God says something, He means it. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
God was not willing to destroy the whole world in the days of Noah but sin demanded it. He wants all men to come to a penitent heart and serve Him. It is not the desire of God to punish any person but His justice makes it so. As a father corrects his child - not wanting to punish the child but knowing that without correction, the child will rebel - God will punish those who rebel against Him. All rebellious men will be punished. The Roman Catholic Church may now be figuring that out but God has always taught that sin is sin and the "soul that sinneth, it shall die."
Tolerance of sin must be measured by the number zero. We should not tolerate sin in our lives. Rebel against Satan and strive to maintain the purity of the soul in service to God. "Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Psalm 34:14) "The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul." (Proverbs 16:17)