Years after the death of President Calvin Coolidge, this story came to light. In the early days of his presidency, Coolidge awoke one morning in his hotel room to find a cat burglar going through his pockets. Coolidge spoke up, asking the burglar not to take his watch chain because it contained an engraved charm he wanted to keep. Coolidge then engaged the thief in quiet conversation and discovered he was a college student who had no money to pay his hotel bill or buy a ticket back to campus. Coolidge counted $32 out of his wallet, which he had also persuaded the dazed young man to give back, declared it to be a loan, and advised the young man to leave the way he had come so as to avoid the Secret Service! (Yes, the loan was paid back.)
President Coolidge is an example of the spirit and attitude of a Christian. It’s the attitude of being ready to love and understand, not of being ready to be angry and oppose. And although Silent Cal’s personality may have had something to do with his response to the young burglar, I suspect his faith was the major motivation. But it’s also an attitude of making proper distinctions. He properly distinguished between a sinner motivated by desperation and a sinner motivated by malevolence.
Christians today need to be able to make distinctions, to exercise discernment. Pop Christianity fails to make needed and basic distinctions. Therefore, it makes us simplistic rather than wise. Two prime examples of this simplistic failure are in the areas of judging and forgiveness.
Many Christians and non-Christians quote what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount as if it means we should never say something negative about another person’s belief system or behavior. Nothing could be farther from the truth. (Matthew 7:1 NKJV Judge not, that you be not judged.) Jesus indeed warns us about the type of critical, self-righteous condemning done by religious hypocrites. This kind of judging springs from a proud heart and a sense of being better than others. But we should be able to know when someone is advocating false beliefs or living in a way contrary to God’s Word. As a matter of fact, we should confront them with it. (Galatians 1:8-9 NKJV But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. (9) As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. Ephesians 5:11 NKJV And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them..)
In the same way, many Christians and non-Christians think the Bible requires believers for forgive everyone for everything all the time. Jesus didn’t teach that. He did teach that we should be patient with others, treat them with kindness and grace, and not take vengeance on them. But forgiveness is reserved for those who repent. (Luke 17:3-4 NKJV Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him.") That means the offender must change his mind about what he did and genuinely set forth not to do it again.
The Lord has called His children to be wise, not simple. We need to exercise mature judgment in our relationships and in our stand for truth. Discernment exercised with a kind and humble spirit is a mark of growing in the Lord.
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