Wide Tolerance
God's wide, rich mercy and free gospel of grace call us to a life of broad tolerance and fellowship with all who love the Lord Jesus.
Hugh Black emphasizes the importance of recognizing goodness in all places and people, urging believers to embrace kinship with those who do good and to rejoice in the victories of the Cross through various channels. He highlights the arrogance and sinfulness of setting up barriers that exclude those who do not align with our views, stressing the need to tear down pride and prejudice to welcome all who sincerely love the Lord Jesus as brethren. The sermon underscores the spiritual insight required to appreciate God's grace working through diverse individuals and the humility needed to step aside and celebrate God's work accomplished through others.
Text
"He that is not against us is for us"
(Mark 9:40).
When we think of the tolerance of God with all of us, His patience, His longsuffering with our slowness of heart, His wide, rich mercy, His free gospel of grace, how miserable are the petty barriers and limits which we set up, how sinful is our arrogance with which we unchurch and excommunicate all who do not see eye to eye with us, and follow not us!
It is the mark of spiritual insight to be able to recognise goodness everywhere, and assert kinship with it, to feel in sympathy with it, to accept it, and thank God for it, to claim fellowship with every good man, to share in every good work, however unauthorised by man, if only it have the stamp of God's approval. Also, it is the highest triumph of grace in us to be willing even to be set aside, to see others do the work our own hands long to do, to be willing to be superseded, to rejoice in every victory of the Cross through others, to stand aside and praise God for every evidence of His power and mercy to the world through other channels than our own, to tear away all pride and prejudice and receive as brethren all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, to comfort ourselves with the inspiring thought that He has so many instruments beyond our narrow circle, to find peace and joy in believing that he who is not against us is for us.
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Narrow Tolerance
- The Mark of Spiritual Insight
- The Triumph of Grace
- Being willing to be set aside
- Rejoicing in others' victories
- Praising God for His power and mercy
Key Quotes
“He that is not against us is for us” — Hugh Black
“It is the mark of spiritual insight to be able to recognise goodness everywhere, and assert kinship with it” — Hugh Black
“He who is not against us is for us” — Hugh Black
Application Points
- We should strive to be more tolerant and accepting of those who disagree with us, and recognize goodness everywhere.
- We should be willing to be set aside and rejoice in others' victories, rather than seeking to do everything ourselves.
- We should praise God for His power and mercy to the world, even if it comes through channels other than our own.