Living A Life Without Compromise
Daniel 1:1-20
The life of Daniel is the story of a young man that “Lived a Life Without Compromise.” The setting for the book of Daniel is during the third year reign of Jehoidakim king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon occupied the territory of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar was the reigning monarch of the kingdom of Babylon. While Nebuchadnezzar was gathering the treasurers and hostages in Judea when an emergency call came from Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar’s father had died and he needed to go back home.
Among the hostages Nebuchadnezzar took with him back to Babylon were Daniel and his three friends. Daniel was from a royal family and only a teenager at the time as were his three friends also teenagers. They were forced to travel 1,500 miles to Babylon.
Daniel 1:3-5: Nebuchadnezzar was a smart political leader. He chose the most gifted princes from Judah and planned to train them to team up with him as political leaders. Nebuchadnezzar ordered his chief officer to “bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility – young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The kind assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.”
Daniel 1:6 “Among these were some from Judah: Daniel – (name meaning ‘God is my judge’, Hananiah, (the Lord has been gracious), Mishael, (The one who comes form God), and Azariah (The Lord is my helper). The chief official gave them Babylonian names: to Daniel, Belteshazzar (the secret of their God Bel), to Hananiah, Shadrach (“the inspiration of the sun god”, To Mishael, Meshach (he who belongs to the goddess Sheshach.) and to Azariah, Abednego (servant of Nebo - the morning star). Although the young people were given names of pagan gods of Babylon they continued to live up to their Hebrew names.
Daniel 1:8: “But Daniel (along with his three friends) resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and win, and he (Daniel) asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
With unshakable conviction, holy daring and delicate finesse of courtesy Daniel and his companions revealed their extraordinary gifts of wisdom and character. Whether they should eat the king’s food was much more than a questions of expedience or health. It related to the integrity of their vows of consecration as Hebrews to the God of Israel. The ceremonial significance of food even when just a part of the meat was dedicated to the pagan gods of Babylon would mean compromising their faith in the Lord God and the laws given by God to Moses. Regardless of the cost they would not defile themselves by eating any food dedicated to false gods.
Daniel and his friends were committed to living a life without compromise.
Do you want to live a life without compromise? Then there are several commitments you can make.
I. You Live a Life without Compromise when you Stay True to Your Convictions. Daniel 1:8
Daniel requested that their guard serve them only vegetables and water to eat for ten days. If after ten days they were not as healthy as the others in training then they would look at other options. At the end of ten days Daniel and the other young men looked healthier than any of those eating the royal food. So the guard did not force them to eat the king’s diet but continued to serve them vegetables instead.
Daniel and his friends based their convictions on God’s Word. Leviticus 11 – 17 outlines God’s commands concerning eating clean or unclean food. The true Jew only ate Kosher food.
It’s helpful to distinguish between personal convictions and Biblical convictions.
Personal Convictions come from family, community, and are often based on personal tastes and preferences.
There are various convictions on how to spend your Sabbath or Sunday. For those who work on Sunday they need to find another day to celebrate their Sabbath. For most of us our Sabbath is also on Sunday.
I grew up without many convictions on how to observe Sunday. I attended church Sunday morning and the rest of the day was fun in the sun – fishing, swimming, playing ball whatever. Carollyn grew up with strict Sunday observance. The entire day was special and dedicated to the Lord. The Sunday paper was saved to read until on Monday.
Some have the conviction of not eating out on Sunday. Others do not mind eating out on Sunday.
Conviction concerning what is appropriate to wear has changed over the years. Some Christians used to interpret modesty of dress to mean ladies work black stockings and rolled their hair up in a bun. Makeup and lipstick was viewed as worldly. Having a piano and organ in the church was not spiritual because they were used in bars and taverns. Some women thought it was sinful to wear slacks and only wore dresses.
Personal convictions are just that and should not be forced upon others.
Biblical Convictions have clear teaching in the Bible. The Ten Commandments are clear. You don’t need a conviction to not commit adultery or lie or steal. Biblical convictions determine why you do some things and don’t do others.
Biblical convictions agree with God’s Word. True convictions don’t take away or add to the Word of God. When examining your lifestyle and activities your involved in you can ask yourself three questions:
1. What affect will it have on me? Will it contribute to your physical and spiritual life? I Cor. 3:16-20
2. What affect will it have on others? Will what you are doing help or hinder the spiritual walk of others?
3. What affect will it have on the cause of Christ? I Cor. 10:31-32
Three tests:
1. The test of secrecy. Would you be embarrassed if others knew what you are involved in? If your parents knew all that you searched for and found on the Internet would you be embarrassed. Would you welcome Jesus to sit by your side and view all your activities?
2. The test of universality. Would you encourage everyone to do what you are doing? What kind of community and world would we have if everyone were involved in your secret activity?
3. The test of prayer. Can you pray and ask God’s blessing on your activity?
Three sources of light:
1. Light from within. Do you feel guilty or uneasy about the activity you’re involved in? You can usually trust your conscience to signal you when you feel guilty. Although you can’t always trust your mind – as someone has said, “The neurotic builds castles in the sky, the psychotic lives in them and the psychiatrist collects the rent.”
2. Light from without. You can get excellent counsel from godly Christians. Proverbs 11:14, “Where no counsel is the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
3. Light from above. The best source is light from above, James 1:5 says: “If anyone lack wisdom let the person ask of God.”
In the lives of Daniel and his three friends you can see young people that stayed true to their convictions. They did not believe in being politically correct. They went against the accepted culture of their day. They resolved not to defile themselves. They refused to accept the Babylonian identity. You will not that Daniel always referred to himself as Daniel and not as the Belteshazzar the Babylonian name given to him.
II. You Live a Life Without Compromise When You Stand the Test of Opposition and Temptation. Daniel 1:12-16
Daniel and his friends resisted the royal food of the King. If you had a plate of prime rib with all the trimmings and a plate of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower, which plate would you choose. The meat offered Daniel was good meat, but it had been dedicated to pagan gods. Daniel refused to compromise and chose the broccoli and vegetable plate. God rewarded the self-discipline and obedience of Daniel and his three friends with physical health and vitality.
Temptations and testing will come to you on a regular basis. I heard about one test a teacher gave her class. She asked the class to identify birds by looking just at their feet. She displayed the feet of birds and asked the class to write on their paper the birds that matched the feet. One little boy said he would not take the test. The teacher said that if he didn’t take the test she would fail him. He refused so she said, You failed the test. Then she asked him what his name was. He rolled up his pants and stuck his feet out and said, “You tell me what my name is.”
Daniel was tested and he stood the test of the temptation to indulge and enjoy the better things in life. The temptation to yield to the better things in life is not easy to pass up.
A few years ago, Chicago attorney Michael Silbert called attention to one of the most unusual cases in his career. Having agreed to do some estate planning for a new client, he went to her condominium to
inventory her belongings upon learning of her death.
When he got there, he could barely get in the one-bedroom apartment It was packed 4-feet deep with bags and boxes of purchases the woman had made. Some had sat, unopened, for more than two decades. According to Silbert’s wife, who cleaned out the apartment and inventoried the items, “There were 200 sets of sheets still in the packages, 50 to 60 sets of pots
and pans still in the boxes, 200 pairs of shoes, mostly not worn and all high-end.”
The bathtub was filled with packages, and the bed was mostly covered,except for a corner someone could squeeze onto. It took six weeks of cleaning just to find the silver in the bedroom. Did you know that,
according to a study conducted by professors from Illinois and Minnesota, about 3 percent of the population suffers from an unreasonable need to buy things? In other words,Elton John, Emelda Marcos, and Michael Jackson aren’t alone. Elton recently broke with his business manager over the financial chaos caused by his compulsion to spend nearly a half million dollars on flowers. The former first lady of the Philippines fled her home 15 years ago, leaving
1,500 handbags, 200 girdles, 2,000 gowns, and 1,500 pairs of shoes. Michael Jackson reportedly spends between $10,000 and $15,000 a day to buy makeup, sustain his wardrobe, and maintain his opulent lifestyle.
For some people shopping can be hazardous to their pocketbook. People are looking for the latest gadget or the best deal.
A man at the San Jose International Airport was worried about missing his plane. He had no wristwatch and could not locate a clock, so he hurried up to a
total stranger and said, “Excuse me, could you give me the time, please?”
The stranger smiled back and said, “Sure.” He set down the two large suitcases he was carrying and looked at the watch on his wrist. “It’s exactly 5:09.
The temperature outside is 73 degrees, and it is supposed to rain tonight.
In London, the sky is clear and the temperature is 38 degrees Celsius.
The barometer reading is 29.14 and falling. And, let’s see, in Singapore the sun is shining brightly. Oh, by the way, the moon should be full tonight here in San Jose and— “Your watch tells you all that?” the man interrupted.
“Oh, yes, and much more. You see, I invented this watch, and I can assure you there’s no other timepiece like it in the world.”
“I want to buy that watch! I’ll pay you two thousand
dollars for it right now.” “No, it’s not for sale,” said the stranger as he reached down to pick up his suitcases
“Wait! Four thousand. I’ll pay you four thousand
dollars, cash,” offered the man reaching for his wallet.
“No, I can’t sell it. You see, I plan to give it to my son for his twenty-first birthday. I invented it for him to enjoy.” “Okay, listen—I’ll give you ten thousand dollars. I’ve got the money right here.” The stranger paused. “Ten thousand? Well, okay. It’s yours for ten thousand even.”
The man was absolutely elated. He paid the stranger,
took the watch, snapped it on his wrist with glee and
said, “Thanks!” and he turned to leave.
“Wait,” said the stranger. With a big smile he handed
the two heavy suitcases to the man and added,
“Don’t forget the batteries.”
What would you have done if you were in Daniel shoes? Would you compromise or would you have the self-discipline to say “No,” to the temptation to enjoy the better things in life. Daniel could have rationalized and made a case for eating what was served him. After all, he was being held hostage. He was a captive. Surely God would understand if he gave in.
Daniel and his three friends are an example to all of us on how to live a life without compromise. They were young men of character. Someone defined character as “what you do when no one is looking.”
It takes courage to be a person of character. Various levels of love demonstrate true character.
A woman refuses to make more excuses for her husband when he misses work because of a hangover. That’s tough love.
A father notices his daughter’s tear-stained face, and so he sits down and encourages her to tell him what’s on her heart. That‘s tenderhearted love.
A parent gives up an attractive job promotion so the family can stay in the town where they have made friends and put down roots. That’s sacrificial love.
A young widow offers forgiveness to the drunken driver who hit and hilled her husband. That’s radical love.
Every day you make choices that show whether you are courageous or cowardly. You choose between the right thing and the convenient thing, sticking to your convictions or caving in for the sake of comfort, greed or approval.
It takes courage to be a Christian. You hear some people say that being a Christian is for weak people, cowards and those who like potluck dinners. It takes courage to own up to you sins. It’s not easy to repent and be honest before a Holy God. You have to tell the truth about yourself – that you’ve lied, you’ve hurt people, you’ve cheated; you’ve been greedy, dishonest, unfaithful and self-centered.
You say, “I can’t confess up to those things. It would be too embarrassing and humiliating.” “After all, I’m not so bad, now Silicon Sam and Sue they are wicked, bit I live a pretty good life. I’ve made a few bad choices but nothing serious.”
It takes courage to trust Jesus and become a Christian.
Have you ever played the game at summer youth camp where you would run through a wooded area blindfolded, relying on a friend for verbal directions to help guide you. “Turn to the left, there’s a tree coming!” “There’s a log in front of you---jump!” Some kids that play the game lack trust in your directions and shuffle their feet and walk very slowly. Other kids will trot along and a few will run like gangbusters.
If you are the one blindfolded the urge is to tear off the blindfold and look to see the tree that you are about to run in to. It takes courage to play that game.
It takes courage to walk by faith as a Christian. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We walk by faith, not by sight.” We do have the promise, Proverbs 3:6 that God, “Shall direct your paths.”
Cowards don’t last long on their spiritual pilgrimages. They shrivel up and disappear. It takes great courage to repent and become a Christian. It takes enormous courage to follow God’s leading in the Christian life. It takes courage to live a clean moral life when surrounded by immorality. It takes courage to remain true to your convictions when everyone at your work or school or neighborhood says to you: “You’re hopelessly idealistic, old fashioned, a little bit strange, in fact, you’re a religious fanatic”?
To Live Without Compromise there are three things that will help you stand the tests of opposition and temptation.
First, participate regularly in worship at church.
Second, plan a daily quiet time alone with the Lord
Third, get involved in Christian fellowship in some kind of Christian service.
I encourage you to Make the Commitment to Live your Life without compromise.
Ø Stay True to your Convictions based upon God’s Word
Ø Refuse to yield to temptation
Closing Song on Screen:
All the Way My Savior Leads Me
All the way my Savior leads me, What have I to ask beside? Can I
Doubt His tender mercy, Who thru life has been my guide? Heavenly
Peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell! For I know whatever befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know whatever befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
