2 Samuel 13:21-22 – “When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry. 22 And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was awakened to several things.   One was the danger of being overly tolerant of sin in Christians or those who profess Christ.

In 2 Samuel 13, we have the horrible story of Amnon raping his sister Tamar. In (vv. 21-22), there are three revealed sins, each impacting not only those committing the sins but also others.

• Amnon’s act is obvious.
• Then we see a second sin with an even broader impact.

“When King David heard about all these things, he was very angry.” That is good, but he did nothing. He was the father and the civil authority. Had he dealt with Amnon, Absalom could have possibly been restored, the nation spared from being torn apart, and lives spared from being lost.

• Then, Absalom’s hate.   It affected many others.

Paul addressed the issue of excessive tolerance in the body in 1 Corinthians 5 and 6.   In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul addressed the issue of sexual immorality, and in verse 2 says, “And you are puffed up!”   What were they puffed up over or proud of?    It was their claim of tolerance!

Paul admonished them in verses 6-7, saying: “Your boasting is not good.” He continued his discourse, reminding them that their tolerance among those claiming to be followers of Christ was destructive and an insult to Christ and His sacrifice.

However, we must be cautious about becoming God’s fruit inspectors and going after everything and everyone we deem unacceptable. In 1 Corinthians 4, reflecting back on Chapter 3, Paul says, “Therefore do not judge anything before the time…” Simply, let God judge motives. You deal with actions!

If we turn a blind eye to sin in the church, especially sexual sin, we not only insult God, but we also damage the testimony of Christ and become stumbling blocks for the lost.

I am not suggesting that we go on a witch hunt and become, in our minds, God’s sin-busters!  NO!  We deal with sin according to the Word of God with the goal of restoration in mind.

We have a world to reach, and if we allow blatant sin to thrive unchecked in the church, we destroy the church’s testimony and message.  If sexual sin is tolerated, what can be judged?  Then the church loses credibility and becomes an “anything goes” environment with no consequences for actions.

1 Corinthians 6:9 – “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?”  In the context of what has been discussed in the preceding verses, this focused on sin in the church.

We want God’s power, and He wants purity.   Power without purity of heart results in tyranny.

Lord, help us to be pure and surrender our entire being to You.