Truth and Tolerance

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-10; 1 PETER 3:15

How do we speak the truth of the gospel when the world doesn’t always value truth? When I consider the changes my country has made in the name of tolerance toward various beliefs and ideas, fear casts a shadow over my heart. Can you be both truthful and tolerant at the same time? How do you show love, yet also stand for what you know to be truth? Is there a different time and place to speak up and to remain silent? These questions keep percolating in my brain, and you might have had similar thoughts.

Here’s what we can always return to: What does the Word of God say? As children of God, our final authority on everything should be the Bible because it’s God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If something doesn’t line up with the Word, it isn’t true. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul talks about not twisting the words of the Bible but instead presenting “the truth plainly” (verse 2).

So then what does sharing the good news of Jesus look like? You might have heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” When talking to someone who may not share the same beliefs as you, remember to listen to them. Jesus is the best at being a good listener. He asks questions, even though He already knows the answers. It’s so good to read the Gospels—the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and see how Jesus speaks to and treats the lost. Remember, we’re all lost without Jesus.

Colossians 4:5-6 advises us: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Through us, Jesus invites outsiders to become insiders. If we need wisdom, we can ask God, who is eager to give it (James 1:5). “Speaking the truth in love” means loving the person in front of us, no matter their beliefs (Ephesians 4:15).

As you love others through both words and actions, perhaps they will desire to know Jesus, the source of true freedom and the one who loves you both (John 8:32; 14:6; Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:18). • Savannah Coleman

• Sometimes Christians talk about the tension between grace and truth. Jesus is full of both grace and truth (John 1:14). But, as Christians, many of us tend to find one easier than the other. Do you struggle more with being truthful or being gracious? Why do you think that is?

God our Savior...wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)