This is a common accusation of Christians, but is it warranted?
A bigot is: a person who is intolerant towards those holding different opinions. It also has the connotation of religious hypocrisy.[1]
There are 4 different points that are worth considering to paint a response to this question:
- It all depends whether the person in question is an authentic Christian or a nominal Christian. This is a distinction many non-Christians often do not make because they do not understand the spiritual change that takes place when someone actually becomes a Christian. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 7:21a). All nominal Christians are by nature hypocrites and often can be bigoted.
- It also needs to be remembered that whilst every true Christian is perfect in the Father’s sight because Jesus’ perfection has been applied to their account, they are not actually perfect but are being made perfect through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. As a result there is not a righteous man [or woman] on earth who does good and never sins. (Eccl 7:20).
- The Bible calls true Christians to cloth yourself with humility and to think less of yourself than others and especially God (Phil 2:5–8). Similarly Christians are told to put away all…hypocrisy. (1 Pet 2:1). This doesn’t sound like bigotry!
- If real Christians are bigots then it is because God is a bigot. Jesus himself said, I am the way, and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. (Jn 14:6). Post-modernism (and the world through history past) despises the exclusive nature of Jesus, the Gospel, the Bible, Christianity and Christians because it is a constant reminder of the truth that they presently reject.
One might say that true bigots are those who are intolerant toward God himself.
The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,
Pastor Chris
Cromhall Chapel 