Time to Repent
"You tolerate..."
There is no question that teaching and saying something against Christ and His Word is sin. But are there times when NOT saying something is sin?
Yes
Thyatira was tolerating Jezebel (not her real name but the name depicted an idolatrous queen in the O.T. that they would have known). They weren't actually saying anything to support her or actually verbally teaching anything in agreement with her, but they were tolerating - putting up with - letting it go. NOT saying anything was as much of a sin as saying something.
This is a tough one for Christians and churches. Where do you draw the line? There must be grace in accepting the sinner and not the sin as Jesus did and not immediately condemning when sin is discovered. But there must also be that confrontation of sin in one's life to rid both the church and the Christian of that which destroys and degrades and divides.
The key is "time". In v. 21 - Jesus had given Jezebel "time" to repent which I understand as Jesus did not immediately condemn her but somehow presented her with the truth so she understood it and then gave her time to repent (change) and turn back to Christ.
How much time? This is not answered. It might be different on a case by case basis dependent on what the "sinner" knows, what they are doing, teaching, how they are influencing others....are they even a Christian.
Personally, the clear division is when an individual starts verbally teaching and/or influencing others in the church to subscribe to that sin. But there must be clear teaching to that individual. They simply may not know what Jesus says. So it is up to me and other godly men and women to sit down and talk and teach what Jesus says and then give them time to repent.
But one thing we don't do is ... we just watch it happen and do nothing. This is the tolerance. The silent sin. And it is as wrong as actually participating in or teaching it. We must confront it ... with grace & truth in love.
Easy to write. Hard to practice.
Created about 2 years ago
