Concerning tolerance, mercy, and eternal salvation

By Jan Bilewicz,
Love One Another! 2017-38
Youth

The ideology of moral permissivism, pleasure, convenience, and shallowness, which the majority of mass media promote, creates an impression that the purpose of life, which in fact is eternal salvation, can be easily attained without great personal effort or sacrifice.

The media distort the image of the Merciful God who is patiently waiting for the conversion of every sinner and portray God’s mercy instead as permission to do everything: “do whatever you want, and God will be so merciful that your sin certainly won’t bother Him”. The result being that many minds will probably conjure up an image of the Lord God as an old man with a long gray beard who is ambivalent about everything that anybody does. To some of the faithful, and even to some theologians it is beginning to seem that everyone will be saved, exactly because the Lord God is extraordinarily tolerant and merciful. On the other hand, they won’t accept Jesus’ unambiguous words, for example the ones that call us to break radically from sin along with every near occasion of sin: “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell” (Mark 9: 43-45). Like the calls to enter by the narrow gate, to deny yourself, to take up your cross, etc.

Care for the wellbeing of one’s neighbor may be expressed, among other ways, through admonition. We don’t want for our brother to remain in error

The lie about attaining salvation without stress, another heresy from over the course of centuries, is developing dynamically, and may be the most deadly of all. It is the fruit of heedlessly surrendering oneself to the spirit of the world, who is the “father of lies” (J 8:44). It happens that even some Catholics have ceased to believe what Jesus teaches in the Catholic Church, on the contrary, they have an unwavering faith in what is written in liberal magazines which are enemies of the Catholic Church and struggle persistently with the teaching of Jesus as well as the official teaching of His Church.

There is no salvation without repentance

I will illustrate the phenomenon described above with one of a multitude of examples. A certain important personality in Germany, who considers himself to be Catholic said: “Let’s take for example two homosexuals who have been living together for 35 years. They take care of each other right up to the final stages of life. How could anyone say that there is no value in this?”. End of speech. It is as though the issue were conclusively closed – two men justified and sanctified. Will we soon be shouting “Santi subito!” at their funeral?

From the outset it is important to observe that the issue we are dealing with here is a record worth being entered into the Guinness Book of Records. Statistics indicate, however, that a homosexual will have on average 12 partners in the course of a year. That is to say, a different partner every month. The record holders can brag about having more than a thousand sexual partners in the course of their usually short (and wasted) life… And these two have been together 35 years!… Even if it were true, the problem remains that for 35 years they were grounded in mortal sin. Well, but since they care for each other….

Let’s take other examples. A certain Italian Mafioso takes good care of his “family”. A hacker breaking into a private bank account is a solid employee at his company. A certain terrorist sends financial support to his truly poor family in Yemen. How could anyone say that there is no value in this? Such questions seem somehow shameless, don’t they?

The Lord God always forgives if a sinner acknowledges his sins, breaks with them, and confesses them in the sacrament of reconciliation

Two mutually supportive men who are partners in mortal sin for 35 years find themselves in “the final stages of life”. Question: “Could anyone say that there is no value in this?”, a truly caring pastor could ask instead: “Is this enough to attain salvation?”. And the immediate answer would have to be: “unfortunately not!”. One cannot deny the good, but are we showing mercy by pretending that these two men are not in fact in deadly danger? Do we harm someone by facing them with the truth?

Or perhaps active homosexuals, as the authorities of this world confirm, aren’t doing anything evil. If “no one was killed and no one was robbed”, they pay their taxes, they say they love each other, and they even want to receive Holy Communion? God’s Word says: “Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers-none of these will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:9-10). And in another place: “If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh” (Gal 6:8).

It is clearly and explicitly explained. The first words of the first citation were written out of an accurate prediction that some will delude themselves. We know that even though they took care of each other, “sodomites” are headed for a dismal fate, since in order to attain salvation it isn’t enough “to do something good in life”; rather, it is necessary to keep God’s commandments. Does this mean that they no longer have any chance…? In fact, they do! The Lord God always forgives if a sinner acknowledges his sins, breaks with them, and confesses them in the sacrament of reconciliation. It is exactly by this means that God reveals His endless mercy. All this will no doubt require great effort, sacrifice and self-denial, but it’s worth it to undertake even the most difficult task if it has to do with saving your life, and your eternal life at that.

God is boundlessly merciful towards repentant sinners. Not only forgiving them and returning them to life, but also healing them and restoring what sin destroyed, and granting a new heart and a new soul. The First Doctor of souls and bodies! We have many impressive testimonies these days to God’s workings in the lives of repentant sinners, including homosexuals (for example from the Courage community).

The call to repentance along with mercy for the penitent are among the most basic themes of the Scriptures. Among the classics, one might say, is the parable of the prodigal son returning to his loving Father (Luke 15:11-32). Here are two other fragments from the Scriptures: “Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed […], they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die” (Ez 18:27-28).

“Repent […]. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, […] I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, […]. Turn, then, and live” (Ez 18:30-32).

So, can God save someone who completely refuses to ask for forgiveness, has no intention of breaking with his sins, and, on the contrary, is “proud” and publicly expresses his “pride” in blasphemous parades in the streets of major cities?

Jesus says through His Church: “God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end” (CCC 1037).

Love differently

Let’s return to the half-finished statement about the two homosexuals. What is the goal in this? I think we know. It is most likely designed to make us “accept and appreciate their [that is, homosexuals’] sexual orientation”. Hence, accept sin and accustom oneself to it. What progress! This is what they want themselves and this is what the “world” wants. Apologists for this approach say that we must always love sinners. Even when they don’t want to repent. If they don’t want to repent, let them not repent! Let’s accommodate people! Why make their lives more difficult?! Let’s accept it and legalize their sins, and that will be the end of it. In this quick, effective, simple way we could get rid of a lot of other (maybe even all) problems that the faithful come across: Holy Communion for those living in civil unions, cohabitation, contraception, etc.

Does the Lord God want us to “accept and appreciate” the practice of homosexuality?

The Word of God says: “For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error” (Rom 1:26-27). Neither in the above citation nor in any other place in the Holy Scriptures is there even so much as a trace of this acceptance that we are being called to. So how are we supposed to appreciate “degrading passions” or “deviation” that goes against nature?

God is boundlessly merciful towards repentant sinners

Each of us has a number of inappropriate inclinations, desires, and temptations which result from the injuring of our nature by original sin, or also from some other cause. But didn’t Jesus through His passion and death demonstrate what the true consequences of sin are? How can we accept and appreciate something that is the cause of such great suffering? This is also why many people suffering from homosexual inclinations separate themselves from sin: they live in complete abstinence and are happy. Because happiness comes from fulfilling God’s will and never from mindlessly following the inclinations which are against God and nature. St. Paul warns everyone who wants to legalize sin: “Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. That is not the way you learned Christ!” (Eph 4:17-20). And the Lord Jesus directs a very powerful admonition at all sinners: “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:43-44).

To accept and appreciate mortal sin is obviously a proposition straight from “the father of lies”. This is no kind of love for the sinner, but rather betrays Jesus and anyone who is struggling to fulfill God’s will in his life. To love the sinner means to tell him the whole truth about sin: that its ultimate consequence is hell, as well as the whole truth about God’s boundless mercy, which overcomes all sins if the sinner will simply repent and commit himself to correction.

Silence or admonition?

Loving one’s neighbor, a basic Christian obligation along with loving God, depends on caring for his wellbeing. Inasmuch as God created the earth and in the person of Jesus Christ conquered death, I would submit that He knows best. What can a person who can’t even create the simplest living cell know about life? What can a person who never returned from “the other side” know about death and the last judgement? This is why we mustn’t pretend that the atheistic media know better than the Lord God. Only He knows with complete certainty and is never wrong. Care for the wellbeing of one’s neighbor may be expressed, among other ways, through admonition. We don’t want for our brother to remain in error, because it will harm him, diminish him, cheapen him, and kill him. Remaining silent would mean permitting all this, and, as a result, becoming jointly responsible for it. Hence, Jesus’ explicit directive: “If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender” (Luke 17:3). We have to exhort each other; delicately and wisely, but we still have to do it. For example if a wife kept quiet concerning her husband’s abuse of alcohol, she would be contributing considerably to his gradual degeneration, and would share the blame. This is how it is with all sin.

You can’t accept nor tolerate sin because it is the greatest misfortune of the human person

Jesus directs us to exhort, as He Himself did. He didn’t stop with a diplomatic smile and acquiescence when He ate with tax collectors and adulterers. We can’t imagine a Jesus like that! But can we imagine Jesus saying that we should accept and appreciate adultery and deception?

What happens if someone living according to the worldly version of “tolerance” or “love” fails to admonish his sinful brother? The word of God once again answers this question clearly: “If the righteous turn from their righteousness and commit iniquity, […] they shall die; because you have not warned them, they shall die for their sin, […] but their blood I will require at your hand” (Ez 3:20). And the previous verse: “But if you warn the wicked, and they do not turn from their wickedness, or from their wicked way, they shall die for their iniquity; but you will have saved your life” (Ez 3:19). These are very powerful words directed towards all the faithful, and above all, however, to pastors. Referencing the above mentioned words from the Book of Ezekiel, St. Augustine wrote”: You see, brethren? Do you see how dangerous it is to keep quiet?” (On Pastors) In what sense is it dangerous? For example, the imprudent protectors of the homosexuals, etc. may end up at the same place their protégés will end up, that is in hell. The comfort which is valid for all and always is in the fact that as long as we live we can repent.

Tolerance is a good thing in every situation with the exception of one: you can’t accept nor tolerate sin because it is the greatest misfortune of the human person. In regard to evil, one must protest, and struggle against it to the utmost. So it is necessary to proclaim the good and perform it, and to wisely exhort the concrete sinner to whatever extent it is possible. Do all this out of love for your neighbor, but also for yourself. Silence in the face of evil will leave those who might be able to recognize the truth in error, and cause it to grow in particular persons or the society at large while leading to eternal perdition.

The prophecy of Cardinal Wojtyla

At the end of his pastoral visit to the US in August of 1976 Cardinal Karol Wojtyla proclaimed a rather shocking, but prescient announcement: “We stand today before the face of the greatest confrontation that humanity has ever experienced. I expect that neither a wide circle of American society, nor even the broadest circle of Christian communities is fully aware of this. We stand before the ultimate confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, the Gospel and its opponents. This confrontation was written into the plan of God’s providence. This is a time of trial into which the Church must enter.”

This dramatic confrontation, which has been going on for several decades, has recently been gathering ever-greater momentum. The remarks above comprise only a minor example of the picture playing itself out in the spiritual battle: quiet and bloodless, but completely real. There is a fear that millions of people have already died (eternally) in it. The battle is now being waged for each of our souls. The time of trial continues. We know that we will not resist Evil through our own strength. The only rescue is in clinging tightly to Jesus – the only Savior of the world, to His Church, established on the foundation of the apostles, and to His cross. The only rescue is in the acceptance of the gift of God’s mercy.

Source: https://loamagazine.org/archive/2017/2017-38/concerning-tolerance-mercy-and-eternal-salvation

The above article was published with permission from Miłujcie się! in April 2021.

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