The Spirit Of Compromise
The Lord’s people have always been attacked and challenged by those in the world. The undenominational church of the New Testament today continues to be criticized by the denominations of the world. On each occasion when the church is attacked from without, we must be willing and able to defend the “bride of Christ” by using the “sword of the Spirit.” As Jude wrote, we must be willing to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). The soldiers of Christ must be stedfast and unmovable. The attacks from without will do nothing but make the Lord’s people stronger as long as the truth is cherished and defended against these attacks. The greatest danger to the Lord’s church today is the spirit of compromise which seems to be growing in popularity among the ranks of the Lord’s people. Our persevere in the restoration of the New Testament church are not unlike Nehemiah’s efforts to restore the walls of Jerusalem. Several made efforts to stop the rebuilding of the walls. They began by using force; their efforts failed. They then desired Nehemiah to leave the work to meet for discussion. This also failed because Nehemiah saw this invitation as an invitation to compromise. His reply was, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” It is interesting to notice in this regard some words of brother F.G. Allen written in about 1886, which are profoundly important even today. He wrote, While we remain true to the principles on which we started out, there is no earthly power that can impede our progress. But, the day we leave these walls and go out to take counsel with the world will mark the day of our decline. We have nothing to fear from without. Our only danger is from within. This danger lies in the direction of indifference and compromise. While we are true to God in the maintenance of these principles, the divine blessing will rest upon our work. But, should they ever be surrendered, ruin will as certainly follow as that the Bible is true” (Old Path Pulpit, p. 33).
Certainly it will not benefit the Lord’s church to invite denominational speakers into our classrooms and pulpits. It will bring only catastrophe to the Lord’s church to encourage meetings with these who have set aside the principles of New Testament Christianity in a spirit of compromise for the sake of “friendship.”
We must, as Nehemiah, live by the principle, “We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night.”
Lester Kamp – The Gospel Preceptor – May 6, 2022
The above article was “borrowed” as it fit well with the a.m. sermon I plan to preach this week. That sermon is: Faithful Stewards. One will find that it is not possible to be a “faithful steward” if they ‘compromise’. There may be areas of life when it may be possible to compromise (in some small way) and still remain faithful to the task at hand. This is because in these instances the principles by which a task is defined by man and are not immutable. That is, the conditions and rules in such a case are set, and controlled by man, and therefore, changeable. But when it comes to what God has stated in His Holy Word, there is no compromise. When there is compromise here, there is sin.
Compromise in the realm of religion is sin because God, His Word, His Laws, Commands, and Precepts are unchangeable. Psalm 119:144 tells us not only that His Word and His righteousness are everlasting, but also through His Word man can understand what God wants man to do. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live. Even in this, the New Testament age, we can know what God wants us to do and how to do it. It MUST be done without compromise that we might receive the promises that He has made in His Word. In Malachi 3:6, in dealing with the sons of Jacob, God Himself stated that He does not change. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. He had previously made promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God did not and will not compromise, therefore, so that the promise could be fulfilled, the sons of Jacob would not be consumed. It was through them Christ would come.
That plan of God is now complete. It came to fruition in Christ. Christ did not compromise when He came to die on the cross, purchase the church with His precious blood, and ascend to the Father with that blood sacrifice. Then the Word of God came to the apostles through the Spirit. Because of this uncompromising plan of God, the obedient and faithful can be heirs according to promise. However, if one compromises, they cannot receive the promise of God. This is clearly indicated in Galatians 3:26-29. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This is what Jesus was saying in John 10:1 while He was on the earth. He said: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. Why compromise? That way only leads to death and destruction. Let us help you understand that true way – without compromise – to become sons of God?
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
