Original Content: https://windhavenministry.org/appreciating-diverse-beliefs/
So today I want to talk a little bit about appreciating diverse beliefs. What I mean by this, is that we shouldn’t spend all of our time butting heads about which set of beliefs are right or wrong. Belief is personal, and we also need to be aware of our own incorrect, limiting beliefs that may be holding us back from spiritual growth. Everyone’s relationship and walk with God is a personal journey. Where I am at in my journey may not be where you are, and that’s okay. In this vast world, we all have something to share and we all have something to learn from one another.
When we are growing spiritually, we should open our hearts and minds to appreciate diverse beliefs. Further, what I’m saying is that it is perfectly okay to “agree to disagree” and not beat each other over the head with a difference of theological opinion. At Wind Haven Ministry, our goal is to connect the churches to bridge this gap we’ve created that has divided them. Jesus warned against this very thing, against division in the church.
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul taught the church of Galatia about the fruit of the spirit. When Paul was referring to the fruit of the spirit, he was teaching about living by the spirit. Paul told Galatia, not to gratify the desires of the flesh, but to be led by the spirit. (Galatians 5:16-18) He went on to list the works of the flesh, which were listed in verse 19. I’m not going to list those here, because that is not the focus of today’s message, however, I encourage you to study this passage deeper.
But today I’m focusing on what Paul said about the fruit of patience. “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
So the original Greek word used for patience was pronounced “makrothymia” which means patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, forbearance, long-suffering, and slowness in avenging wrongs. More specifically, it means “patience without a reaction” or good-natured tolerance. Let’s understand the English word tolerance, which means “the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.”
The thing about tolerance is you don’t usually have to tolerate someone you greatly love and usually agree with. Sometimes you might have a slight disagreement, but you can agree to disagree. This is tolerance, but we also have to apply tolerance to our enemies. Maybe there’s someone you just can’t stand, and you disagree on many things that you feel are too important. Maybe this person has a different belief system or religion altogether.
But the fruit of the spirit is “makrothymia.” And to understand what Paul meant when he used this word we have to look at every meaning of the word and understand the connection between patience and tolerance. Tolerance is patience, and patience is tolerance. As I said, you don’t usually have to be super patient with someone you agree with, but rather you have to be patient with someone you disagree with.
We live in a vast world. When we study biblical history we find that there is a connection between all of us as believers, no matter what denomination we serve, or even which “Abrahamic religion” we serve. We all have a vast opinion of what is right and what is wrong when following Jesus & God. And some things that some “cultist” religions believe are very wrong, there’s no doubt about that. But we must choose our battles wisely, and figure out what is within our control to fight against, and what should we let go of and leave for God to handle.
The extreme example I’m going to use today is the religion of Islam. There are terroristic people in every religion, so I’m not focusing on any terrorist group today, just simply the basic religion, and where it came from. If we look way way back into biblical history, we find the origin of Islam and how it stemmed off of Judaism, which then led to Christianity. But do you know how Islam was founded?
The Bible says in the story of Abraham and his two sons, Issac and Ishmel, that he sent his son Ishmael and his mother Haggar away, and they traveled to the middle east. Ishmael is identified as the father of the Arabs, an ancestor of Prophet Muhammad, and his half-brother Isaac is the ancestor of both Prophet Moses and Prophet Jesus.
I mention this because, even in the Christian religion today, we have divided ourselves into a multitude of groups due to intolerance, disrespect, and lack of appreciation for diverse beliefs. Jesus didn’t intend for us to organize a new religious system in his name, but we organized many. Jesus came so that the law would be complete and the word would be written on our hearts. Jesus wanted for us to learn how to tap into the holy spirit who he sent as a guide for all of us to know God through Him.
Nevertheless, we are learning, growing people. We need and desire to understand the world we live in, the God we serve, and the Christ we follow. This is the journey to knowing God. But in the end, 1 Timonthy 4:4 says, “For everything God created is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” Now obviously, not all things are good and should be accepted, but all things that God created are good. Jesus said to “love your neighbor as you love yourself” which is essentially the golden rule of “do unto others.” This is the entire point of the Law and the Prophets, and Jesus summed it up. Jesus’ contemporary, Rabbi Hillel, stated the principle as “what is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the Law and the Prophets; the rest is commentary, go and learn.”
If it hurts someone else (such as a violent act of murder, rape, abuse, etc.) then it isn’t good, nor is it truly received with “thanksgiving.” But if it’s an individual choice you make that doesn’t intentionally harm another, and you feel in your heart of hearts that you receive it with thanksgiving, then God says it is good and shouldn’t be rejected. This is where individuality comes into play in a personal relationship with God. This is why we can’t just judge one another for differing beliefs or personal life choices. My belief in ice cream every night for dessert doesn’t harm you or have anything to do with you. It may not be the healthiest choice, but it’s mine to make and I receive that ice cream with thanksgiving!
In the same way, your neighbor’s belief about divorce and remarriage also has nothing to do with you. We have to live by what we say. The word says we will be judged by the same measure that we judge others. If you live by the word in the Bible and how you see it, then you have to live by all of it. In order to live by it, you have to fully understand it and the intention of every author, book, and passage.
So if you are still learning and growing in the Word, which we all are, just because you have an individual revelation or understanding of a certain part of it, but you don’t understand all of it yet, how can you judge or choose to be intolerant of another person’s choices? Put another way, who are you to judge another? In the same way, who is another to judge you? God is our final judge and authority. We have to understand the specific purpose, intent, and difference between an individual revelation and a revelation intended for others. Not all thoughts or revelations are meant for you to share with others. We are all on different paths, but they are all leading to the same place.
Jesus came to give us room to learn and grow. Part of that process is making mistakes and learning the lessons from them.
Much love, brothers and sisters in Christ, peace be with you.
-Pastor Sarah Grace