Wanted: Truth AND Charity

Just a thought. A typical knee-jerk of many Christians is to dismiss all non-Christian thought as foolishness. This reaction is triggered by the recognition that there’s a thick wall of separation between the deepest heart commitment of the Christian and that of the non-Christian. But, while there is truth in this position, it’s not the whole story. Reactionary positions do not reflect a robust understanding of God’s “common grace.” Common grace is the Christian teaching that though all people (other than Christ) are sinners, God still prevents sin from doing it’s complete damage to our souls and minds.

Without a doubt, we shouldn’t forget the absolute antithesis in principle that exists between the Christian worldview and all others. So, sympathetically, we can understand why this reactionary trigger exists. Christians take biblical passages such as 1 Cor. 1:18-2:5 seriously. Nevertheless, unbelievers do utter truths, and frequently God permits them to see into issues more clearly than His children do. It simply is not Christian to reject genuine insights from unbelievers. Nor is it good reasoning (it’s called the genetic fallacy, i.e. dismissing a view because of it’s origin).

Referring to the insights, gifts, and skills that God graciously bestows upon unbelievers, John Calvin said:

If the Lord willed that we be helped in physics, dialectic, mathematics, and the other like disciplines, by the work and ministry of the ungodly, let us use this assistance. For if we neglect God’s gift freely offered in these arts, we ought to suffer just punishment for our sloths.

Christian charity, and sound scholarship demand that we closely and patiently evaluate the thought of unbelievers, both for the purposes of exposing its departure from Christ-centered principles as well as to gather from the Spirit’s gift of common grace.

So please, don’t just disagree with someone, look for their strong points, things you can agree with and build on. If you hear that ____ is wrong about something, look it up, listen to them, and even read some of their writing. This way we won’t simply stand for truth divorced from charity, but will display faith (trust in God’s word) working through love (taking the time to understand what others are saying).