The crossroads of compromise

We are in a war, a war to the death with the enemy of our souls (see Nov 2,10, 2010). Most of us in the West don't get this, and as a consequence we find ourselves robbed, wounded, diminished and left dazed and puzzled as to “why all this has happened to me”. We blame others, and no doubt those who just came to mind as your read this are less than blameless. However we are more often than not, blind to our own part in it all, blind to our own unclaimed responsibilities, and to the problems we cause ourselves by our reactions to the injustices that are perpetrated upon us. But the fact of the matter is that the real enemy are the spiritual forces of the Evil one, that tempt them (and us) to live selfish, greedy and self serving lives.

As with all wars, there is much propaganda on the go. We are told, and we tell ourselves and others, many lies. These originate from father of lies Satan (John 8:44). One of his big ones in the West, is that he does not exist – the material is all there is. As a result of this, most of the time, we live as though there were no spiritual forces behind the things that life brings to us. In today's world there is no right and wrong, we have believed the lie that all opinions are equally valid. Inconsistently while we claim that all truth is relative, we have exulted tolerance to an absolute. That is tolerance has become the greatest good. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that tolerance is a virtue, and that most of the time tolerance is far better than intolerance. But it is not an absolute. I do not want to tolerate incompetence in airline pilots, or drunk drivers on the road, or child abuse. The fact of the matter is that tolerance of sin in our own lives is destructive. It is always destructive (see for example “Provision and Protection" in November posts).

Have you ever noticed that good habits are hard to get into and easy to get out of, while bad habits are just the opposite easy to get into and difficult to get out of. How much sewage do you want in your drinking water? We will never have 100% pure water, but how tolerant do you want to be of pollution? We can learn to live with it, and these days much of the world does. But pollution diminishes our quality of life and results in infections and diseases and illnesses that would better be avoided. In the same way the little sins, the little compromises, diminish our quality of life. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light we have fellowship with Him and each other. But the little sins lead to further sins. One little “white” lie, leads to another to cover it up, which leads to another to cover up the last one. When we embrace the darkness, even a little of it, it leads to more and more. The picture I have is of a whirlpool. On the edges where the current moves slowly we can perhaps easily escape and we tell ourselves there is no danger. But little by little we are drawn to the centre where the current is unmanageable. I remember borrowing a friend's car one time when I had trouble with mine. It scared me to death. The brake peddle went right down to the floor before the brakes caught. It had happened so gradually my friend had hardly noticed.

Its like this when we compromise in the little things in the Christian life. By and by we do not notice that we are not as close to the Lord. We get used to living with diminished joy and then without it. We tell ourselves and others that we are fine, wearing masks that fool even us. Then we wonder why Church is boring, and the things of the Spirit seem less exciting. We are no longer lost in wonder love and praise but rather in the “ho hum” of it all. Once we were on fire for the Lord, but now, it all seems rather ordinary. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:3 talks about living as mere men (or women). We are not meant to live as mere men, we are meant to soar like the eagle (Isaiah 40:31). If you want to know what the Lord feels about our compromises, I would suggest Revelation 3:15-16. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm ― neither hot nor cold ― I am about to spit you out of my mouth”. It makes Him want to puke!

When through compromise we have forsaken our first love, and we all come to it from time to time, we need to repent do the things we did in the beginning (Revelation 2:4-5). When we find ourselves in this place, we need to consider again the price that was paid for our redemption. In the light of the tender Mercies of our God, Paul tells us not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. When we enter fully into this we actually prove “what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1,2). When we fail, and we all fail at times, we need to return to Him. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to even cleanse us from all unrighteous (1 John 1:9). He will abundantly pardon. What an amazing God we have.

Compromise then is a crossroads that leads to our being conformed to the World, and to being spiritually ineffective. It is the little foxes that spoil the vine (Song 2:15). On this road we are robbed of our joy and our hope and our faith. In these days, we need to make up our minds exactly where we stand. Are you willing to take the road less traveled? We need to mark a line in the sand. We need to take a stand, and having done all to stand. We are in a war to the death, with the enemy of our souls. How much compromise do you want our soldiers to make in physical war? How much cancer to you want them to leave in your body, if they operate on you for cancer? Make no mistake about it, the little compromises are exactly like cancer. The Biblical picture is leaven. In time it changes the nature of the whole lump. If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!