Compromise
Dear Friends,
No longer do those of the world ask us to compromise our beliefs, morals or principals… They demand it! Frankly, if we are honest, much of their reasoning and logic sounds right, fair or reasonable to us. Unfortunately, those messages are appealing to the “natural or carnal man” within us, not the “spiritual man” that is a result of our rebirth in Christ (Rom. 8:5-10). It is always a temptation to listen to our old nature and compromise. Typically, it will make life here in this world easier but it is a slippery slope because the more we listen, the more “right” it sounds and as soon as we compromise a point of godliness, the easier it is to do it again.
To compromise is to make concessions or accommodations for someone who does not agree with a certain set of standards or rules. There are times when compromise is good and right—compromise is a basic skill needed in marriage, for example, and in other situations in which keeping the peace or unity of the body is more desirable than getting one’s own way.
In certain other matters, however, compromise is not good. The Bible makes it clear that God does not condone compromising His Word or commands: “Be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left” (Deut. 5:32). “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed” (Psalm 119:2-4). “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law (jot or tittle) will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So, if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt. 5:18-19). God is holy, and His ways are right and perfect. Concerning matters that God has clearly addressed in His Word, we do not negotiate, bargain, or compromise.
What makes compromise so dangerous is the subtle way it approaches us. Compromise, doesn’t involve a wholesale capitulation to worldly ways or ideals; rather, it accommodates them which in turn affirms them. I would guess that most who read this article would affirm the Bible to be God’s Word. You may even say that the writers were inspired by God to write what they did. But inerrant; relevant for today; literal? This is where compromise is so often made by, we modern highly intelligent, humans. “That was meant for the first century not the twenty-first century…” Compromise! “The Bible is more of a philosophical guide rather than a true historical document…” Compromise! “Over the millennia many mistakes have been made in our modern Bibles by copyists and translators…” Compromise! These seemingly logical compromises completely invalidate and de-legitimize the Bible as our guide to eternal life. That’s Satan’s greatest desire! If we truly believe in an eternal, perfect and transcendent God, why can’t we hold to the belief that He would protect and maintain the perfection of His revelation to us? Dear friends, never cross that line. Hold to the inspired, inerrant and always relevant truth of God’s Word!
As we go through this world, we will hear many calls to compromise. The “fleeting pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25), the “… empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, (Col. 2:8), and “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) all tempt us to compromise in areas we should not. Usually, the temptation to compromise is heightened by some type of fear, such as the fear of being rejected or criticized by friends, family or others of the world, perhaps even others in the church! But, from an eternal perspective, there are certain lines that should never be crossed because there are times when compromise becomes evil, a tool of Satan. Resist him! (1 Pet. 5:9)
Only by Grace!
Pastor Mike