Compromise

by Chris Simmons

Although compromise may be the effective tool of choice in political circles and an important component of successful and happy marriages, it is a fatal and lethal blow against the faith and convictions of a child of God. It has been said that “compromise is the crack in the armor we are supposed to be wearing (Ephesians 6:10-18), and when our armor is compromised that is the very spot Satan will strike his death blow!” The word compromise may simply be defined as “a concession to something detrimental or pejorative” (American Heritage Dictionary). Satan looks for opportunities to tempt us into a compromise against the truth of God’s word to our own spiritual detriment and destruction.

Pharaoh, during the days of the Israelites captivity in Egypt, offers to all of us a great example of how Satan seeks to get men to compromise their faith and make concessions in their convictions of right and wrong. Pharaoh had no intentions of ever allowing his slaves, the Israelites, to leave and Pharaoh had responded to Moses and Aaron’s demand from God to “Let My people go” by saying in Exodus 5:2, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” Yet as God continued to “multiply (His) signs and (His) wonders in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:3), Pharaoh sought to utilize compromise and concession to achieve his ends.

Satan has always sought to compromise the mission and purpose of the church by seeking to divert the focus of the church from the spiritual to the physical. Every denomination in the world today represents a succession and series of compromises from what the Lord planned and built (Matthew 16:18). But we need to understand that every compromise of the church is preceded by the compromises made in the hearts of individual Christians. The nation of Israel was compromised because the hearts of its leaders and citizens were compromised. By studying the attempts of Pharaoh to compromise the efforts of Moses and Aaron to lead the Israelites out of captivity, we can better understand how Satan will seek to compromise our hearts and seek concessions against our faith and convictions. Consider these four compromises that Pharaoh sought to use against the Israelites that Satan will continue to seek to attack us with today.

1st Compromise – Exodus 8:25, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” Pharaoh’s concession was to say, go ahead and worship your God but just stay here in Egypt to do it. Today, Satan will offer the compromise to go ahead and worship God on the first day of the week as long as you continue to live in the world, as one of the world, the rest of the week. The compromise is to live hypocritically, conforming to the world except when we occasionally come to the assembly to worship God. We read in II Corinthians 6:17, “‘Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord.” Satan will seek to compromise the separation and distinction we are to have with the standards of the world. We’re called upon to be an “example of those who believe” to the rest of the world in terms of our “speech, conduct, love, faith and purity” (I Timothy 4:12) which precludes any compromise or concessions on our part every day of the week. To continue to practice sin while we claim to serve God is compromising everything Jesus died for (Romans 6:1-4). Some think they can serve God but continue their “course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries” (I Peter 4:3). God says we’ve got to leave them all behind – completely. Paul said “put them all aside” (Colossians 3:8). How long will we go trying to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the church (I Kings 18:21)? Joshua commanded the Israelites to make a choice (Joshua 24:15) and so must we. If we’re going to serve God, we must turn from all of our wicked ways which is called repentance. Satan has found great success in the church today when it comes to getting man to compromise his repentance unto salvation.

2nd Compromise – Exodus 8:28, “I will let you go… only you shall not go very far away.” Don’t go too far! Don’t go too far in your service to the Lord. Go ahead and serve God as a Christian but don’t go too far with your zeal and love. Satan will seek to compromise our spiritual fervor so that we don’t get worked up about teaching the lost and serving our brethren, about devoting ourselves to study and prayer. Jesus spoke of the compromise of the brethren in Ephesus who had maintained doctrinal purity but compromised their “first love” (Revelation 2:2-4). Jesus referred to the compromises the Laodiceans had made that had resulted in a spiritual state of lukewarmness that God found disgusting (Revelation 3:15-16). Compromise is not just about sinful acts that we won’t give up, it’s about righteous acts that we’re indifferent about performing. Satan has been so successful about getting man to compromise his “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:3). Our compromise might be that we are only willing to love the Lord our God with part of our heart, a portion of our soul, some of our mind, and a bit our strength – rather than all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind (Mark 12:30).

3rd compromise – Exodus 10:8-11, go worship your God but don’t take your “little ones” with you. Moses had told Pharaoh that everyone would go, but Pharaoh sought compromise by not allowing anyone but the men to go. Satan today seeks to compromise our families – that is, go ahead and serve God but don’t teach God’s word to your children every day (Deuteronomy 6:7) and certainly don’t “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Satan has been a master compromiser within the family and the home – seeking to compromise our God given roles and responsibilities. Compromise takes place when men fail to assume their leadership roles and when women abandon their roles of submission and nurturing. When God’s structure in the home, and discipline within the family is compromised, our fellowship with God is also compromised and our souls are in grave danger.

4th compromise – Exodus 10:24-26, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be detained.” Finally, Pharaoh’s last attempt at compromise was to use their possessions as a lure to bring them back. How often do the things of this world compromise our faith and obedience by luring us back into the world we came from. John wrote in I John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.” It’s a compromise that breaks our fellowship with the Father. It’s a compromise that keeps us from preparing our souls for our eternal home (Luke 12:15-21). It’s a compromise that renders us unfruitful and unusable to God in His service (Matthew 13:22). It’s a foolish compromise that leaves us unprepared for our eternal home.

Part of the lyrics in one of Glenn Campbell’s most famous songs “Rhinestone Cowboy” include the sad words “There's been a load of compromising, on the road to my horizon.” Indeed Glenn Campbell life’s story has been a story of great compromise, but our life story doesn’t have to be so. May we never compromise “for even an hour” the truth of God’s gospel so that His fellowship might remain with us forever (Galatians 2:5).