Refusing To Compromise

Introduction

I want you all to paint a picture in your minds of a different situation in your own life. Imagine that you are for some reason dependent upon others for your livelihood. You can’t work or whatever the case might be. And so you are dependent on the generosity of others for your living. And able to even survive. And you’ve been doing this for a long time. And at some point, someone finds out something about you. And they don’t like it very much.

And this person is a main source of your survival. And they say to you, unless you change this about yourself, I’m going to cut you off. I’m not going to help you anymore. What do you do? Do you compromise your values? Do you get on board with what they want you to do? Do you go along with it? Or do you stick to your guns and say, no? This is what’s right in God’s eyes, and no matter what may be the consequence, I can’t get on board with that. I cannot compromise myself in what I believe, in what I practice. Or maybe it says is becoming the case more and more, you’re a business owner. And someone comes into your store and they want something, they want you to do something that would go against your faith.

And you say, no, I’m sorry, I can’t do that. And you do it in the most polite way possible, but they don’t really care about that, and they decide they’re going to sue the pants off you because you didn’t give them what they wanted. What are you going to do when that situation happens? More and more we as Christians are being called upon to take a stand for our beliefs. Every day sin becomes more accepted by our society while resisting it or even calling it what it is looked down upon as bigoted, as intolerant, as mean, as hateful. In an age of moral relativism, there is no longer any right or wrong. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. That which is good is called evil, and that which is evil is called good.

There is just everyone’s opinion. The world tells us that we conservatives, you Christians, had better just keep your antiquated beliefs to yourself and not force them on anyone else. And by forcing them on anyone else, they mean just keep your mouth shut. I remember a few years ago, really several years ago, that I received in the mail a packet from Florida College. And again, not making any sort of endorsement. This is just a real life example of what is going on in the world today, and it has only gotten worse in the years since I got this packet. But in that packet, they were, you know, of course, citing an appeal to alumni, etc., that saying, look, you know, we are just losing a major source of financial support from a couple of major companies who were telling their employees that they’re no longer going to match those employees’ donations to the school.

And those companies, or IBM and General Electric. These are two major companies. This is no small fish. And the reason, guess what? I bet you can all guess exactly the reason why they were stopping their donations to that school is because the school condemned homosexuality. And when they found that out they said, well we can’t do that. We can’t send any money to them because they condemn homosexuality. If the private schools in this nation are no longer safe to practice and believe what they will how long before the churches in this nation fall under the same attack? As individuals, the public already tries discredit and shame us for denouncing sin, I think it’s only a matter of time before their attempt to force their so-called tolerance upon the churches that we are a part of.

1. We Are Under Attack From Satan

And in doing so they themselves fail to practice their own beloved intolerance or their own beloved tolerance. They just don’t get it. They don’t see the double standard. Brethren we are under an increasing attack. And that attack is coming in many forms. I mean just a couple of weeks ago Hillary Clinton herself said that anyone who is essentially a conservative not a progressive I think is what she was getting at belongs in a so-called basket of deplorables because we believe the Bible. We’re deplorable because we believe the Bible. Can you believe that is where we are today? We have wholly turned into a place that calls evil good and good evil. We are under attack, and make no mistake about it. That attack is coming directly from Satan.

He is directly involved and at fault. He is a lion, 1 Peter 5 and verse 8, prowling about seeking whom he may devour. He is trying to destroy us. He is trying to destroy our values and everything that we stand for. He is out to get us however he can. He has many schemes that he goes about trying to do that. Ephesians verse 6 and verse 11 tells us that we need to put on the armor of God in order to stand against those schemes. We cannot be ignorant of his design. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 11, Paul writes, that we would not be outwitted by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his designs. Brother, we have to know what he is up to.

We have to keep our eyes open to know what he is up to so that we can fight against it. We cannot be ignorant of what he’s doing. It is out there before us, and we must see it for what it is and be ready to fight.

That’s what he’s doing. He blinds people through false doctrine, through blinding their hearts and their minds, 2 Corinthians 4 3 and 4. Even if our gospel is veiled, it is failed only to those who are perishing. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Don’t be confused, right? Don’t be discouraged thinking, well, maybe all those people out there in the world are right. What Paul tells us here is that this gospel is veiled to whom? To those who are perishing. Those who are unbelievers. They don’t get it. Because Satan is blinding their hearts and their minds.

He’s enticing people with the desires of the flesh. Ephesians 2 verses 1 through 3. These are the sons of disobedience, Paul writes there, that are doing the works of Satan, the work of the one who is in this world. And he persecutes those who would try to do right in a context back in 1 Peter 5 verse 8 and 9. After he tells us that the devil is a roaring lion, he says that those who are trying to do right across the world are all going to suffer the same kinds of persecution as those of us who are maybe in this room today, and maybe you are that business owner, and you’re scared of somebody walking in your door and deciding they’re going to sue you because they don’t like what you believe.

2. Under Attack From the World

He’s telling us there that we are not alone in that. We are under attack from Satan, and we are under attack from the world, his agents in this world. And by that I mean that the people around us, it might be our neighbors, it might even be our friends, our enemies, our co-workers, or the person who comes into our place of business. It is those who form public opinion. Now, again, don’t get me wrong.

Trying to just discredit all these people. These are souls who are lost and then they are in darkness. They have been deceived, and we need to be trying to reach out to them, showing them the true and right way. But it’s an attack from the world, those who are around us. And I even remember another story that came to mind as I was thinking about this was just a couple of weeks ago, I read that of course there’s you know, again, obligatory sports reference because Tony is not here. BYU, that’s Burham Young. Now, they, again, no endorsement here to BYU. but they have a lot of principles that are sound. And one of those is in their student code of conduct, they sign on.

Anyone that goes to that school signs on saying that they are not going to practice a lot of different things, alcohol, homosexuality, etc. Well, they’re trying to get into the Big Twelve conference. And there was a school in the Big Twelve, I can’t remember which school, but there’s a school in the Big Twelve that wrote a letter to the conference officials saying, don’t let them in because their values don’t line up with ours. Their values, in other words, their condemnation of homosexuality, that’s not our values. And you shouldn’t let them in because of that. We’re under attack from the world. From people who are undermining the very fabric of our society. And they think that it’s strange when we are different. They malign us when we are different.

1 Peter chapter 4, if you turn over with me there, 1 Peter chapter 4, verses 1 through 4. Since therefore Christ suffered in the same way or in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. So again, if you’re living differently, or if you’re living how you ought to, you’re going to suffer, and that’s okay. So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. The time that is passed suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.

3. Under Attack From the Government Itself

Put that in today’s terms. Wait. You don’t drink. What? Weirdo. They malign you. That just doesn’t make any sense. You don’t. You don’t think that it’s okay to kind of fudge the numbers a little bit? You don’t think it’s okay to curse? What’s the big deal? The world is those who are trying to press upon us upon their employees, upon the institutions that they support. Their progressive worldview. And not only are we under attack from them, but we are also under attack, I would even say from the government itself. We wrestle not against just the spiritual forces of a Satan, but the authorities that he works through. Our government and the government around the world, many around the world promote things that we know to be false.

And they do it with our money. They fund scientific research that tries to prove evolution and therefore destroy God. They fund abortion clinics and they fund handing out condoms to kids in high schools, and they ostracize anyone that opposes them. We are under attack from Satan through that government. Our government is supposed to be based upon freedom. But this freedom is increasingly giving way to what I would call the new gods, little g gods of our society. And those gods are, well, the god of this world, number one, but the God of equality and the God of political correctness. That is what people put above anything else now. Well, listen, don’t everyone’s the same, everyone’s equal no matter what they do, no matter what they believe.

Don’t offend anyone. Let’s just be, you know, just everybody’s exactly the same no matter what. Don’t offend anybody. Those are the new gods of society. That’s all that matters to this progressive society. And they want us to get on board. But we cannot afford to compromise our religious beliefs for the sake of political correctness. We are coming under increasing pressure from our government to do so, but we cannot.

4. The Light Has a Responsibility to Expose the Darkness

And he’s right. We’re not. This country is comprised of many different people from many different walks of life who believe many different things. And then in fact, we never were technically a Christian nation. We were founded upon the ideal of religious liberty. People can practice whatever religion they want to do, and Christianity was never set up as the state religion. We all know that. So he’s right about that. We may not be a Christian nation. But, brethren, as long as there is life and breath in our lungs, there are Christians in this nation. And we need to stand up and fight. We need to take the fight back. We cannot be silent. We cannot be afraid of those who are calling us intolerant, those who are calling us bigots and hateful.

We need to take the fight back. Because the light has a responsibility to expose the darkness. And we are of the light. Turn with me if you would to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, verses 1 through 10.

Paul tells us, therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. A fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no full filthiness or foolish talk, nor crude joking which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, who is covetous, that is an idolater has no inheritance in the kingdom of God in Christ. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. We need to be telling people out there in the world what is coming upon them if they continue down this path.

Not because we are hateful, but because we love their souls, because we are concerned and don’t want them to go where that path leads.

Let no one deceive. 7. Therefore, do not associate with them, for at one time you were darkness. You were like that. But now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. Again, we must call what is good and right and true exactly what it is. We cannot allow those things to be swapped and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. We know what is pleasing to him, and it’s what he has outlined for us in his word. We need to be that city set on a hill that cannot be hidden, Matthew 5, verses 14 through 16. I think that too many times we are losing this battle because too many times we sit idly by while the truth of God is being attacked.

We are losing this battle, and Satan is winning this battle in our society because the ones that he works through are the loudest ones, and we sit back and do nothing. They are the vocal minority, and they are effective at what they do. They are pushing their views, and they are the louder they are, the more and the faster they are going to be accepted. We can’t let them be the only ones that are being loud. We have to stand up and talk and convince and show people through God’s word that this is what’s right. We have to stand up and fight. And if we do that, the darkness cannot hide from the light. And continue in Ephesians verse 11, chapter 5. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

For it is shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. If we spread our light better, if we expose the darkness, the darkness cannot hide behind the facades of moral relativism and political correctness. If we teach people about the truth of the Bible, that there’s reason to believe it. And follow what it says, that this is indeed God’s word, that we can teach them the morality that is found therein, that indeed homosexuality is wrong, and drunkenness is wrong, and cursing is wrong, and adultery is wrong, and everything else promoted as right and fine is actually the things that are deplorable.

In the eyes of Almighty God, who set those things down for us. We are not the deplorables, but Satan and his followers are.

5. God's Word Does Not Compromise

It is not something that just can be changed with the whims of society. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God’s word does not compromise. A compromise is simply a couple of different things. Number one, a settlement of differences by mutual concession and agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc. By reciprocal modification of demands. In other words, if I’m going to compromise, that means I’m going to be making some concessions. I’m going to adjust something about what I believe. Of course, it’s not even that, it’s not even a compromise, really, because we’re supposed to be the ones that make all of the concessions. But number two, it’s an endangering of reputation. It’s an exposure to danger. A compromise of one’s integrity.

And really, that’s what we’re talking about here. If I’m changing my beliefs, if I’m not going along with what God says, that means I am exposing myself to danger. I’m harming my reputation, I’m compromising my integrity. In other words, if someone looks at me, as Steve was saying in class this morning, and I’m not doing the things that God says, or even if I’m condoning and approving of things that God said were wrong, then who am I? What difference does it make if I call myself a Christian and yet I’m acting or even believing hypocritically? Why would someone change what they’re doing if I appear to be okay with it? What we do matters. But what we believe matters as well. What we teach to others matters as well.

6. Stand Firm With the Strength of God

If we don’t stand for the truth. This is what happens to us. Compromising as a Christian means that we are not even a Christian. We’re not being what a Christian should be. We’re not holding to the whole counsel and truth of God. Anything short of doing God’s will is sin. And so compromising our beliefs is sin. Brethren, we have to stand firm. We’re told in many different places throughout Scripture to do so. 1 Corinthians chapter 16 to verse 13, be watchful, stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. So we sang earlier, be strong and courageous. Perfect song for this occasion. Ephesians 6 11. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand firm. Stand, therefore, how many times does Paul use that word in this context? It’s a lot. Having fastened on the belts of truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness. Philippians 1 27, let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or I’m absent, I may hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. That’s what we need to be doing right here.

We need to be standing and striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. We need to be walking as a group of Christians in this place, arm in arm, fighting this battle together. Spreading his life, being the city on a hill in this community, teaching people that the way of the world is leading to hell. We cannot back down. 2 Thessalonians 2 15, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now, again, that’s those traditions that he’s talking about. That’s not just traditions of man. This is traditions of Scripture. He’s saying you hold on to what you were taught because this is directly from God. It’s not something we made up, and it’s not something that changes.

You hold on to those traditions because they are the truth of God’s word. We cannot back down. We cannot say, oh, well, I can tolerate this or that or that. This is not wrong or that’s not wrong. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m just going to kind of use a bend, but don’t break defense because, well, if we let some people into our midst, well, then the church is growing, so that’s a good thing, right?

We cannot tolerate the things that are named in Ephesians chapter 3, 5, 3, and 5 that we read earlier, the things that are named in Revelation 21 and verse 8. We must be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. We can’t move. We’ve got to be right here, saying that which is sexually immoral, impure, covetous, all those things, foolish talk, projecting, those things are not proper. It shouldn’t even be named among us. Nor should we be condoning them. We have to stand firm against the things that are found in Revelation 21 8. We have to stand against the things written in Colossians chapter 3, verses 5 through 10. And we have to put on and stand for the things that are written in Colossians 3, verse 12 through 17, which is much the same as Ephesians chapter 5, which we already read.

That means standing not just against the outright sin of the world, but against the errors that come into dominations of the world, the allowing of things that are not taught in God’s word, that those things that creep even into the Lord’s church. And we need to stand not only against the evil things, but stand for doing the good things, evangelizing the community as we’ve been studying on Sunday mornings in our class. And we have to do this using God’s strength. Do not be deceived into thinking this is a battle that we can win on our own. The only way to stand firm is with the strength of God on our side. Therefore, Paul says in Ephesians chapter 6 to put on the whole armor of God.

Our strength comes from the Lord and not from ourselves. Paul says to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Not mine. I don’t have that power. I can’t do it. Only with God’s help can I do this. Paul tells us that the power of God is immeasurable. Ephesians chapter 1, if you look at a couple of these Ephesians 1 and verse 19, he says, What is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. Ephesians 3 and verse 16. And according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being. In verse 20. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.

The common phrase in there between all three of those is not just God’s power, but the fact that his power is working where? Within you and me. We have to allow his immeasurable power to work through us for good in this world. We have to put on the whole armor of God to stand against the schemes of the devil in the evil day. That means putting on this belt of truth, the truth of God’s word, the breastplate of righteousness. Again, not being hypocritical, but giving people a reason to, yeah, you know what they’re doing. He’s practicing what he’s preaching. The shoes of the gospel of peace, doing everything in love, the shield of faith, believing that God’s power can work through us, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit in prayer.

If we do this, we have nothing to fear.

Conclusion

And I think we all are to some extent. The message of the gospel is don’t fear. Don’t fear the oppressors. Don’t fear the forces of darkness because they ultimately will lose. God has already won the ultimate victory. Matthew 10, 28, do not fear those, he says, who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. They can’t do anything to you. They can do a lot of physical things. They can maybe take away your support. They can take away your business. They can take away your money, but they cannot take your soul.

So it says, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. So if you’re here this morning, who is it that you are going to fear?

Who is it that you’re going to believe? The forces of darkness or the forces of life.

Christians refuse to compromise.

No matter the cost. It may cost us our livelihood, it may cost us our life. But neither of those things is worth our spiritual life. There’s no such thing as compromise with the word of God. There’s only truth and error. And the truth is that we will suffer for our faith, but it is well worth the cost.

And we need to be pressing on towards that goal. So if you’re here this morning, why don’t you become a disciple of Christ? Won’t you sign on? Not with what the world is trying to get you to get on board with. Because that’s end is nothing. It’s deplorable, it’s death. Sign on to that and take hold of that, which is truly life. You need to respond to the gospel. Why don’t you come now while we stand and sing?