Is Love the Same as Tolerance? The Truth about Love (Part One)

Per Merriam-Webster dictionary:

LOVE: “ a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.”

TOLERANCE: “a sympathy for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own.”

Let’s break these down further.

Is sympathy the same as affection?

AFFECTION: “a feeling of liking and caring for someone or something : tender attachment.”

SYMPATHY: “ a feeling of loyalty : tendency to favor or support; or an inclination to think or feel alike.”

So, is love the same as tolerance?

On the surface, they appear to be very similar to one another; but they are not the same. I think the major issue one would have with love and tolerance is in the form of ACCEPTANCE. If one does not accept, therefore, that means this person is a bigot and a hater.

God is love and loves all — but He does NOT allow everyone into Heaven for He is a holy and a just God.

Jesus hung out with people from all walks of life, but He did not condone every lifestyle.

In a nutshell, you can love a person and not approve of their lifestyle or beliefs. As individuals, we each have our own set of beliefs and we live our life governed by this belief system. It’s called free will as given to us, mankind, by God.

God does not force us to believe in Him or to love Him but rather He gives us the free will to choose between Him and the world. To choose who to love and who to give our loyalty to. This reveals the state of our heart’s true affection.

It’s one of the main commandments Jesus gave to believers — to love one another.

“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.” — John 13:34 AMP

This kind of love is an unselfish kind with genuine concern for the other, and the willingness to put that person’s wellbeing before your own.

As believers, we are also commanded to not only love our brothers and sisters, but our enemies as well.

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” — Luke 6:35 ESV

What does this kind of love entail? Does it mean we are to accept the person and their beliefs and lifestyle? Is that the kind of love Jesus is talking about?