The World Has No Right to Shame Us on Christian Virtue (But It Still Does, and We Still Fall For It)

Tolerance, Inclusion and Acceptance are not Christian Virtues, at least not in the sense that the world sells it to us. And believe me, the world sells it to us, and many, in hoping to win people over, buy it hook line and sinker. Here is what I mean: tolerance only exists in the Church in that we’re patient with people as they are putting the old self to death, and putting on Christ, inclusion only exists in the Church in that everyone is welcome, but you have to put to death the Old Life that put Christ on the cross, and acceptance only comes from the Father as you surrender to Christ. The world likes taking words phrases like these, changing the meanings, and moving the goalposts to try and get us back in to it; DO NOT BE DECIEVED!

Loved ones, the world will lecture us on Christian Virtues, not that they care about them, but to shame us into silence. They will define words like “love” and then tell us we’re not loving as Jesus was loving. They don’t say this because they care about Jesus (they’ll claim to love Jesus, but they don’t), they say this because they don’t like your light shining in to their darkness. From Abel until today, the world has killed, imprisoned, silenced, beaten, shamed, and has done just about everything it can to silence the Church. Today, when “tolerance” is preached over and again, they use such language to silence Christians; in other words, to quote Michael Scott from The Office: “This is a place of welcoming, and you should just get the heck out of here.”

The world hates Jesus. They love the Baby Jesus, who doesn’t say anything, they love Jesus’ sermons on loving your enemies (but they will NOT put it in to practice), but they remove all mention of sin, and God’s purpose and Kingdom. They crucified Jesus for the very same virtues they claim to be saving. We cannot make treaties with the world. We cannot love the things of this world (though we should absolutely love people and seek their salvation). We don’t belong to this world, and have been bought with the blood of Christ to enter in to the next one. Stay focused. Don’t let them fool or shame or distract you. Be bold, stand firm. Jesus is King.

2 Timothy 3:1-4:8

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.