One Foot In God's Word, And One Foot In The World And The Dangers Of Compromise Series

As Christians, we are called to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:14-19). However, many of us have found ourselves straddling the fence, with one foot firmly planted in God's Word and the other foot deeply rooted in the world. This compromise has led to a watering down of our faith, and worse still, many of us justify and defend our actions, unaware of the devastating consequences on our spiritual lives.

The Consequences of Compromise

In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus warns the church in Laodicea, saying, "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." This passage highlights the dangers of being lukewarm in our faith, neither fully committed to God nor fully rejecting Him.

When we compromise our faith, we open ourselves up to the influences of the world. We begin to adopt the values and morals of the world, which are often in direct opposition to God's Word. This can lead to a gradual erosion of our spiritual foundation, causing us to lose our footing and stumble.

Justifying and Defending Ourselves

One of the most alarming aspects of compromise is the way we justify and defend our actions. We rationalize our behavior, convincing ourselves that we are still following God, even when our actions clearly contradict His Word.

In Romans 1:18-32, Paul describes the process of justification and defense, where people "exchange the truth about God for a lie" and "worship and serve created things rather than the Creator." This passage highlights the dangers of intellectualizing our sin, where we use our minds to justify our actions, rather than submitting to the authority of God's Word.

Examples of Compromise

Tolerating sin: We tolerate sin in our lives, justifying it as a minor infraction or a necessary evil. However, sin is like a cancer that spreads, corrupting our hearts and minds.

Worldly values: We adopt worldly values, such as materialism, individualism, and hedonism, which are in direct opposition to God's values of humility, selflessness, and obedience.

Compromising relationships: We form relationships with people who do not share our values or faith, compromising our witness and our commitment to God.

Watering down the Gospel: We water down the Gospel, making it more palatable to the world, but in doing so, we lose the power and the truth of the message.

The Solution

So, how do we avoid the dangers of compromise? Here are a few solutions:

Return to God's Word: We must return to God's Word, studying it, meditating on it, and obeying it.

Repent and confess: We must repent of our sin and confess it to God, acknowledging our need for forgiveness and restoration.

Surround ourselves with believers: We must surround ourselves with believers who share our values and faith, providing accountability and support.

Pray for discernment: We must pray for discernment, asking God to reveal to us areas of compromise in our lives and to give us the strength to stand firm in our faith.

In conclusion, having one foot in God's Word and one foot in the world is a recipe for disaster. Compromise leads to a watering down of our faith, and justifying and defending our actions only serves to further erode our spiritual foundation. Let us return to God's Word, repent of our sin, and surround ourselves with believers who share our values and faith. Only then can we stand firm in our faith and avoid the dangers of compromise.