Standing and Compromising

Note, that the title of this message is standing and compromising; not standing or compromising.   We must stand without compromise on God’s Word; but there is a time for compromising our preferences for the good of others. To compromise God’s Word is evil. To compromise our preferences for the good of others is good.

We  live in an unstable world. In all my years, America has never been as politically unstable as we are presently (April 2010); and the Christian Church has never been as unstable as it is right now as it majors in seeking to attract a lost world and not offend by speaking the Truth and as it offers emotional worship experiences that make us feel good about ourselves and minors or even ignores  Biblical, doctrinal preaching that makes us think and often feel uncomfortable and guilty.

LITE BEER, LITE SODAS, LITE CALORIC FOOD, LITE DOCTRINE

 

This is the age of lite beer, lite sodas,  lite caloric foods and lite doctrine. Crowds do not  flock to churches to hear about their sins and salvation through faith in the shed blood of Christ. They’re not interested in God’s Biblical, moral standards for Christians. They want lite, guilt-free preaching. Such churches are producing Biblically ignorant and spiritually unstable Christians with good self-images.

Many such Christians would brand Bible preaching as being “out-of-touch with this present generation”; however,  this is not just a phenomenon of this generation.  Bible preaching has been “out of touch with modern thinking” throughout  my fifty-four years of ministry.

WE MUST STAND UNCOMPROMISINGLY ON GOD’S WORD

 

We can’t afford to compromise on Biblical truth and principles of right and wrong.   To do so would destroy the heart and purpose of our church and make us totally ineffective and bring disgrace to the name of Jesus.

Oh, we might get larger crowds and help people feel good about themselves and give them feel-good experiences; but like the Laodicean Church  of Revelation 3:14-22,  we would make Christ sick  and He would “spew us out of His mouth”.

We would be better off to close down our Church and Christian School, sell the property and give the money to the poor and needy.

We would be better off to quit talking about our Christianity, ignore God and the Bible, and go totally secular in our thinking and live as we please. That’s what Peter tells us in II Peter 2:20-22.

 

ONLY TWO STANDARDS

 

There are only two standards and ways of life.  God and His Biblical standards  vs.  the Satan-dominated world system with her standards. There are no other choices and no middle ground.

THE BIBLE ON SEPARATION

 

Listen to God’s commands for separation from false doctrine and sin. 

Sin and false doctrine ALWAYS go together. In fact, false doctrine and compromising preaching produces sinful living.

I’ll simply give you some references on separation.  You can read and obey them or simply ignore them and take the consequences.  It’s your choice.

Matthew 7:15-20

Romans 16:17-18

II Corinthians 6:14-18

II Corinthians 11:1-4,  13-15

Galatians 1:6-9

II Timothy 2:15-19

II Timothy 3:1-7

Titus 1:6-16

I Peter 5:8

II Peter 2:1-3, 9-22

II John 7-11

Jude 3-4

Revelation 3:14-22

Revelation 18:1-4

IS IT EVER RIGHT TO COMPROMISE?

 

Though it is never right to compromise in teaching and preaching the Word of God; compromise is  essential for learning to get along with one another. That’s what Paul encouraged the two ladies, Euodias and Syntyche, to do in their relationship with one another and in their work together  in the church. Philippians 4:2.

Certainly in marriage, compromise is essential as two individuals from two different families come together to live as one.  Marriage and other interpersonal relationships will not survive without humble compromise, nor can a church work without it.

SPIRITUAL STABILITY, THE QUALITY WE ALL ADMIRE AND NEED

 

Spiritual stability is the ability to stand true, resolute and uncompromising on Biblical and moral issues.  We can’t be bought, bribed or intimidated. How badly we need such men and women in the political arena as well as in our churches.

WHERE DO WE FIND THAT STABILITY?

 

Psalm 1 describes and contrasts the stable and the unstable man.  The difference is found in his attitude towards the Word of God.  Stability is found  by being saturated in the Word of God. Instability is caused by ignoring God’s Word and going our own way,

STABLE CHRISTIANS DESCRIBED  

They  work out their differences peacefully and get along in love.         Philippians 4:1-3

 They maintain a spirit of joy.  Philippians 4:4

 They maintain a spirit of forbearance.  Philippians 4:5

There is a sweet reasonableness about them. 

They are gentle with the fragile feelings of people.

They are merciful towards those who fail and show the patience and graciousness of humility  in spite of mistreatment.

They are not self-centered, nor do they demand their rights.

Remember, we and our rights and opinions are never the issue. God’s glory is the only issue.

 Let us all adopt John the Baptist’s motto as found in John 3:20

“HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE.”

 

 

WHY SHOULD WE LIVE THIS WAY?

 

“The Lord is at hand.”   Philippians 4:5

That doesn’t just mean that death or Christ’s return is near.

It also means that He is with us constantly.  He lives in our heart by His Holy Spirit.  When we think a thought, He is near enough to read it.

When we breathe a prayer to Him, He is near enough to hear and answer.

 God help us to learn to stand up uncompromisingly for the Word of God and to sit down and be willing to compromise when it comes to our opinions and preferences.