When it comes to matters of morality and righteousness, God will never meet a sinner halfway: His holy standards do not shift or adjust with the moral climate of a society. No matter how the earth may quake, east remains east and west remains west. We serve a Savior who humbled Himself, put on human flesh, and became sin for us. He does not command that we befriend the world to gain followers for Christ. Compromise can be so subtle that it can even threaten to influence the workings of the church.
1 Cor. 7:23 says, "You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men." How easily we can become slaves to the opinions and desires of others and neglect our heavenly purpose! God has called every believer into His service, and the specific role of each slave is dictated by the Master. Jesus not only reveals the path but the activity; He commands not only the activity but the means to His end. God does not show the end and allow us to devise the way to that end. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As Christ is allowed to live out His life through us, His end is realized by His grace.
As we cannot compromise the call of God, we must refuse to compromise the path God has chosen that we walk to fulfill that call in obedience. We cannot say, "I will be a pastor, LORD, but only after I have fulfilled the requirements of seminary training." In like manner we must not say, "I refuse formal training, for the disciples were unlearned men who God filled with His Spirit and all wisdom." God has called many to be pastors and teachers, and for some the path has been through study and others primarily through experience. But for each true follower of God He must remain all in all.
Compromise is a poison that clouds judgment and the ability to hear God clearly. It obscures the vision of God's call. It numbs a man as alcohol, instead it increases inhibitions rather than reducing them. Compromise inhibits us from reckless abandonment to God's plan, will, and call that faith requires. Every compromise appears small: like Lot we say, "Isn't it a little one?" We think that compromise will allow us to escape judgment but gives place for even greater sin (Genesis 19:17-20). Let us be led by God and not fall prey to man-pleasing. May we commit to be slaves of God first, only, and always.
Amen to that. It is very important to constantly examine our lives in order to see where we might have let compromise creep in like a weed and to root it out before it grows worse.
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