Never give up to the desert or to any of its minions! Never cease to fight! You must fight to live—an’ so make that fight equally for your mind an’ your soul!”
–Zane Grey (Wanderer of the Wasteland)
“There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.”
–Psalm 36:1-4 (NKJV)
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I want to take another look at compromise this morning. How often do people forsake truth for tolerance? They give over to emotions and feelings versus holding firm to conviction. Does happiness takes precedence over obedience to the Word of God? We are called to obey rather than to give in to the tide of political correctness.
Briefly, take a look at the first chapter of Judges.
1:6 – mutilation was a pagan practice (hmmm, i.e, abortion). Judah began to draw its standards from the people around them–only partial obedience.
1:19 – they began to trust in iron chariots rather than God–diminished power is the result of diminished faith.
1:21 – Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites.
1:29 – Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites.
1:30 – Zebulun allowed the Canaanites to dwell among them and become forced laborers.
1:31 – Asher dwelt with the Canaanites.
1:33 – Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants.
1:34 – Dan was forced into the mountains, and later on Dan ceases to exist as a tribe. They are no longer recognizable because of their compromise.
Rather than whole-heartedly obeying God, they did so only in part. They compromised. Perhaps one of the saddest commentaries in Scripture can be found in Judges 2:2-3 (NKJV).
“‘And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?’ Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’”
This country was founded upon Biblical principles, but to look at much of what is happening now it is easy to see that many of these principles are being bent, twisted, ignored, or forsaken. Listen! Compromise always leads to Catastrophe!
Take a look at 2:5, “Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the Lord.” (NKJV) The word “Bochim” means “weeping.” Compromise will bring you to a place of weeping. There will be brokenness because of half-hearted devotion and obedience. Don’t blame the government–the Democrats or Republicans–for our dilemma. Blame the people, especially half-hearted believers who have led the nation to weeping.
Someone has said that the most miserable people in the world are professing believers who will not commit themselves to the Lord. We are getting to the point, however, where there are those who prefer not to be called “Christians,” and I can see why for they have removed Christ from their life. They are no longer Christ-like.
But, on the brighter note–there are those blood-bought believers who are standing up to the test. They are not giving in to the world, or the devil. Walk away this morning with, not a song on your lips, but one etched deep in your soul.
“When we walk with the Lord
In the Light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
–J.H. Sammis