All of us have a particular group of people that we are comfortable with. While we know some people are quite versatile and can adapt themselves to any group they associate with, others have a hard time adapting.
Illus: For example, we all know there is a proper way to arrange a place setting at a dining room table. Still, many will simply put the eating utensils on the right for every-day service. WHY? Since most folks are right handed it just seems to be the most logical place to set the silver. Then someone comes along and says, “Oh, you do not believe in practicing proper etiquette?” We say, “Sure.” Then we might explain, “We believe in being proper, and the proper thing is to place the fork on the right side, take our right hand, pick up the fork, scoop up a bite of food, and our mouth will fly open as we bend our elbow.”
Seriously, most of us feel comfortable with those who believe in such logic. When we are taken out of the role that seems logical, then we feel uncomfortable.
The Bible is God’s spiritual etiquette Book. It contains all the DO’s and DO NOT’S that we Christians may know how to function at ALL TIMES and in ALL PLACES.
As we are in contact with people each day, we may find ourselves doing what others are doing when we are in unfamiliar situations. Often Christians live like this. We find ourselves in situations where we do not know what to do so we follow the crowd. If we are not careful we may find ourselves violating God’s commandments and we may be “eating out of the same hog troughs” that the ungodly eat out of in the same fashion they eat out of them.
Such was the case with King Solomon. Look at 1 Kings 11:1-11. We read, “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee...”
God became very angry with Solomon because Solomon ALLOWED OTHERS TO INFLUENCE HIM TO COMPROMISE HIS CONVICTIONS.
He first DISOBEYED the Lord by GOING IN TO THE HEATHEN WOMEN AND ALLOWING THEM TO COME TO HIM.
The Lord warned him, in verse 2, “...for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods...”
Sure enough, as Solomon began to associate with those women, he began to compromise his convictions. Soon he became like them. God, Who had been pleased with him at one time, became very angry with him. God became so angry that He took Solomon’s throne from him. God did that BECAUSE HE HAD SET DOWN THE RULES FOR SOLOMON TO FOLLOW.
God did not just arbitrarily give those rules. HE MADE THOSE RULES FOR A REASON.
God gives us definite rules. He has a reason for giving us these rules. It is for the same reason He made rules for Solomon. If we break these rules and COMPROMISE we will be just like the ungodly and serve the same gods they serve.
Two of the biggest words having to do with Christian living begin with the letter “C.” The first is COMMITMENT! The second is COMPROMISE. God wants us to COMMIT our lives to Him. He does not want us to COMPROMISE.
The Bible makes it clear that THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO things we must never compromise.
I. AT NO TIME ARE WE TO COMPROMISE GOD’S WORD.
Illus: In 1994 a group of “freshman” congressmen were sent to Washington, D.C. with a mandate to balance the budget. Many Americans were very proud of these men. You may not belong to the same political party, or agree with them, but you have to admire them for refusing to compromise their convictions. They were under all kinds of “heat” to operate just as those who had gone before them who had allowed the budget to become terribly out of balance because they were willing to COMPROMISE. The threat was made that they could not be re-elected unless they compromised. They quickly responded, “We were not sent here to be re-elected. We were sent here to balance the budget!”
Few times, since the early history of this country, have there been so many fine young men and women sent to Washington, D. C. who REFUSED TO COMPROMISE THEIR CONVICTIONS. A special television program dealt with how they met together on a daily basis for prayer and the reading of God’s Word. Those people want what is best for America.
We are being told today that you must COMPROMISE to survive. We ask, “Whatever happened to GOD-FEARING people who stood up for Bible based CONVICTIONS, who were willing to say, 'I cannot compromise because to do so would be to do something that is wrong in God’s sight.'”
Many Christians in our churches know they are saved by God’s grace, and by grace alone, and they know they are no longer to live as sinners live. However, there are also many who live lives of COMPROMISE. For them there is very little distinction between them and the lost world.
WHY HAVE SO MANY ACCEPTED COMPROMISE AS A WAY OF LIFE? Because the same thing that happened to Solomon is happening to the present-day church. Remember, Solomon allowed “strange women” to COME UNTO HIM and then HE WENT TO THEM. Once that process started, those “strange women” turned his heart away from God.
Today “strange women” and everything else of the world stand ready TO COME TO US and if we allow that, it will not be long before the things of the world will turn our hearts away from God.
Many are the Christians who, like Solomon, once loved the Lord, but whose hearts have been turned from the Lord. Once they were very dedicated Christians. They knew they were saved by God’s marvelous grace. Years ago, before they started compromising with the devil and his crowd they would not have...
- Gone shopping on Sunday.
- Worn seductive clothes that encouraged the lust of the flesh.
- Supported the filth of Hollywood by watching movies.
- Allowed ungodliness to be pumped into their homes that is so available now on the NUDE television channels.
- Gambled.
- Supported dance halls.
We could go on and on listing how it ONCE WAS, and how now, like Solomon, many ALLOW THE UNGODLY TO COME TO THEM and THEY GO TO THE UNGODLY. They no longer see anything wrong with this.
Illus: We have Christians in our churches who once took the Bible and stood before a Sunday school class, teaching others what It says we SHOULD and SHOULD NOT DO! Some of those same Christians do today the very things they once told others they should not do.
Listen, it does not matter if the National Council of Churches, and every church leader in the country says it is all right to do a certain thing, if God’s Word tells us to refrain, and we do it anyway, WE HAVE COMPROMISED THE WORD OF GOD!
If the apostle Paul preached to the church today, he would say the same thing he said to young Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:13, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
Illus: In this changing world, where so many have compromised God’s Word, how refreshing it is to meet a COMMITTED CHRISTIAN every now and then who has not compromised God’s word. He is like a small refreshing breeze in the heat of summer.
Listen, we are not the first generation of people to feel the pressure to compromise.
Illus: After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, Nathan, the prophet, had to deal with compromise. God gave him the assignment to confront the king and point that finger in his face and tell him, “Thou art the man.”
No doubt Satan tried to tell Nathan, “When you stand before the king tell him he should not have done what he did. Perhaps if you do not make him mad, he might give you a position in the palace...”
Instead, Nathan drew David a picture of an evil rich man who had greatly wronged a poor man. Not knowing that the man Nathan was speaking about was himself, David demanded the identity of the evil man. Nathan was waiting for David to ask. Nathan told David, “Thou art the man!”
Every generation before us has had to face the temptation of COMPROMISING. Those who were dedicated to God refused to COMPROMISE GOD’S WORD FOR ANYONE OR ANYTHING!
AT NO TIME ARE WE TO COMPROMISE GOD’S WORD.
II. AT NO PLACE ARE WE TO COMPROMISE GOD’S WORD.
It matters not where we are, Christians are not to COMPROMISE God’s Word. This is not easy. Sometimes we can get into some pretty “hot” spots!
Illus: When the three Hebrew children were told to BOW or BE BURNED IN A FIERY FURNACE, I can assure you that Satan threw the temptation to COMPROMISE at them.
However, they made it clear, “WE MIGHT BURN, BUT WE WILL NOT BOW TO ANYONE EXCEPT THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD!"
I am sure the good, liberal preachers of that day said, “Fellows, it will not hurt to bow. God will understand that this is not something you want to do, but that you are being forced. Perhaps you can just bow one knee.” Those young men made it clear. They WOULD NEVER BOW, EVEN IN THE FACE OF DEATH, TO ANY STATUE!
The reason God has cautioned us about the danger of ASSOCIATING WITH THE UNGODLY is because He knows they will contaminate others to be like them.
Illus: We saw this happen to America years ago when the influence of “The Beetles” became felt across our nation. Before their era, music was refreshing. Most of it brought the best out of people. Then they came, hollering and screaming, and most of our music has been contaminated ever since then.
Most folks who have not been contaminated by such noise (called music) believe the best thing we could have done when those “beetles” got off an airplane in this country was spray them down with DDT and send them back to England.
Only those who HAVE NOT BEEN CONTAMINATED can recognize who have compromised. For example...
Illus: In the magazine “Europe,” Dec. 1995, there was an article by Rev. Bob Zemeski, of Russia. It was titled, “Music From Hell.” He said some things that many will not agree with because so many have compromised God’s Word for so long they have become like the lost world and do not even know it.
One part of his article stated, “For thirty years we have suffered intense persecution. Now freedom is bringing another great harm to our churches. This damage is coming from Christians in America who are sending rock music and evangelists accompanied by rock bands. Our young people do not attend those meetings because we have all committed not to participate in secular entertainment.”
He continued, “This is a great burden to our hearts. Many come with Bible in hand and rock music. We are embarrassed by this image of Christianity. We do not know what words to use in urging that this be stopped...We are very much against Christian Americans bringing to our country this false image of ‘ministry’ to God. We need spiritual bread...not false cakes. It is true that rock music attracts people to the church, but not to Godly living.”
Churches have changed drastically. Many of the NEW METHODS of ministering are COMPROMISES. Why are Christians doing today what our forefathers taught as sin? Were they so dumb and thick-headed that God could not tell them it was okay to do these things then? Or, could it be that those things were sinful and the church today has COMPROMISED and people’s hearts been so turned from God they cannot even see their compromising, backslidden condition.
One thing is for sure: IF A THING WAS SIN YEARS AGO, IT IS STILL SIN! When we compromise we have a price to pay. Compromise cost Solomon his kingdom. It may cost you your:
- Godly testimony.
- Godly influence.
It is a certainty, if you continue compromising it will cost the eternal soul of some loved one.
Conclusion:
We should never take compromise lightly. In Romans 12:2, we read, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Why does God tell us not to be conformed to the world? God knows that the same thing that happened to Solomon will happen to us. Solomon once loved the Lord so much he offered a thousand sacrifices. God even appeared to him two times. But, after he began to ALLOW THE WOMEN TO COME TO HIM and after HE WENT TO THEM, they did just as God’s Word said they would do. They turned Solomon’s heart from following God.
One can not COMPROMISE with sin and live close to the Lord. God was so displeased with Solomon after he compromised that He took away the kingdom.
Perhaps some of you have compromised God’s Word with SOMEONE or in SOME PLACE in your life and God is very displeased with you. NEVER SHOULD WE ENGAGE IN COMPROMISE WHEN IT COMES TO GOD’S WORD.
I. AT NO TIME ARE WE TO COMPROMISE GOD’S WORD
II. AT NO PLACE ARE WE TO COMPROMISE GOD’S WORD
