It Takes Two
Many years ago, my parents taught me that there are usually two sides to everything. In a sense we are talking about tolerance, about understanding. It is a valuable lesson to learn.
I am “turned off” by people who are “always right”...people who see absolutes in everything. For life is not that simple. It is pure conceit to believe that we are always right and the other fellow is always wrong.
Judgment comes easily to most of us. We point the finger and we castigate and condemn and we are quite sure the other guy is going straight to hell.
But just as it takes two to tango, and two to fight, so there are always two sides to every situation before we get the complete story. The Bible reminds us again and again that we must not judge, lest we be judged. We must confess with Christian humility that sometimes the other fellow has truth too. It is Christian tolerance. “I will give the other fellow every benefit of a doubt. I will believe that his intentions are honorable and just, just as long as I can possibly do so.”
At times I worry about being weak, or “wishy-washy.” Would I be better to be “hard-nose”? Let me be “authoritarian” in my decisions and in my daily life. Yes, at times, I think how nice it would be to always be absolutely sure!
But I’m glad that my faith does not require that, and that I can be tolerant of other Christians who believe differently than I. How does salvation come to me? The Scriptures affirm that “I must accept the Lord Jesus Christ, and then I will be saved.” It doesn’t add 50 addendums. It doesn’t qualify that with a series of “buts” and “whereas’s.” It is absolute about one thing only...the God of Jesus Christ is the only absolute I need. Jesus Christ has given me a complete picture of God. That’s all that is required. My Church may have a listing of doctrines, but the Church has only one Christ. And my compliance with all the doctrines in the world will have no meaning, if I fail to make Jesus Christ the center and significance of all things. Yes, it takes “two.” Jesus and me. All the laws on the books cannot win my salvation, but Jesus can.
I am “turned off” by people who are “always right”...people who see absolutes in everything. For life is not that simple. It is pure conceit to believe that we are always right and the other fellow is always wrong.
Judgment comes easily to most of us. We point the finger and we castigate and condemn and we are quite sure the other guy is going straight to hell.
But just as it takes two to tango, and two to fight, so there are always two sides to every situation before we get the complete story. The Bible reminds us again and again that we must not judge, lest we be judged. We must confess with Christian humility that sometimes the other fellow has truth too. It is Christian tolerance. “I will give the other fellow every benefit of a doubt. I will believe that his intentions are honorable and just, just as long as I can possibly do so.”
At times I worry about being weak, or “wishy-washy.” Would I be better to be “hard-nose”? Let me be “authoritarian” in my decisions and in my daily life. Yes, at times, I think how nice it would be to always be absolutely sure!
But I’m glad that my faith does not require that, and that I can be tolerant of other Christians who believe differently than I. How does salvation come to me? The Scriptures affirm that “I must accept the Lord Jesus Christ, and then I will be saved.” It doesn’t add 50 addendums. It doesn’t qualify that with a series of “buts” and “whereas’s.” It is absolute about one thing only...the God of Jesus Christ is the only absolute I need. Jesus Christ has given me a complete picture of God. That’s all that is required. My Church may have a listing of doctrines, but the Church has only one Christ. And my compliance with all the doctrines in the world will have no meaning, if I fail to make Jesus Christ the center and significance of all things. Yes, it takes “two.” Jesus and me. All the laws on the books cannot win my salvation, but Jesus can.
posted by Francis Geo. Guither at 6:34 AM
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