Compromising Our Faith

I recently made a comment on Facebook that compromise is a dirty word in Christianity. Compromising our faith is something we can do without realizing we are doing it and if we don't stop to think and consider what we might be doing or saying. These, most of the time, are simple, unintentional slips. What I'm referring to are those times when we might be faced with a question or challenge concerning our faith, what or why we believe.

In our Christian faith, there is no room for compromise. Here's what I'm referring to; Jesus died on a cross to pay for our sin. He rose from the grave, resurrected into a new heavenly body, which we will, one day, also have. (Phil. 3:20-21) At some point in our life, we heard about this and what we needed to do to know Him as our Lord and Savior. We confessed to Him that we are sinners and we asked Him to forgive us and He did and took us to be His. We are forgiven and will have life eternal  with Him when this physical life is ended.

That's a nutshell version of the gospel and how we, those of us who are Christians, reacted to it when we heard it. There is no variation or alternative to salvation in Jesus. There are not many roads to heaven and Jesus is the only way (JN. 14:6). We have been called narrow minded, bigots and some other choice names for proclaiming this truth but don't allow that to break you down and give in to the harassment. If you/we do that, we begin to compromise the most important truth in the Bible and our Christian lives.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;  having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.  1 Pet 3:15-16

We live in a culture today that hates God and loves to mock Him. When we are approached and questioned about our faith or belief in Jesus, we need to be able to explain what and why we believe.  I have witnessed far too many Christians melt and crumble when questioned about there belief in Jesus. Christian T-shirts with scriptures quoted on them have always been an easy target for those who oppose the Christian faith.  I have witnessed more than one Christian stumble to explain the Bible verse on the shirt they are wearing. I always believed if you are going to wear a T-shirt with a Bible verse on it, be ready to explain that verse when asked about it.

This has always been a way to get the attention of someone and an opportunity to tell him/her about Jesus. But if you don't even know what the verse on your shirt is, let alone what it means or says, don't wear it. I saw this happen to a young man I was with in an auto parts store. He was asked what the verse meant and he couldn't answer. The guy asking was somewhat inebriated, I could smell the booze, but not belligerent until my friend couldn't answer. At that point, he scolded him for wearing a shirt with a scripture on it which he couldn't explain. I gave him a brief explanation of the verse and he stopped the conversation.

Here's another example: This is probably not given much thought by a lot of Christians who will skip out on Sunday worship services to play softball, basketball or some other sport. I used to play in a lot of softball tournaments and the tournaments always were held on Saturday and Sunday. That made sense since most people were not working on those days. But, if we were moving on in the tournament and were scheduled to play on Sunday morning, they were playing without me. I don't say this to brag or boast, I simply want to make the point that, as Christians, we must be able to prioritize and understand what is most important in our lives. We're not going to hell for missing a church service but if we are putting a softball game above worshipping our Lord and Savior, our Christian Priorities are out of whack.

In addition to that subject, many Christian parents will do this same thing for their children who are participating in soccer, baseball, football or some other activity. Why schedule these events on a Sunday morning? Because Sunday is just the second day of the weekend: that's how our culture sees it. According to our society and this anti-God culture, there is absolutely nothing wrong with scheduling these events for a Sunday morning. For Christian parents, this is one of the best teaching opportunities available. The parents have the advantage in explaining why they will not participate on Sunday mornings. And, remember, this is not a legalistic stance, it's simply putting God first, right where He belongs.

Allow me to share one more form of compromise. In many churches today, the message has been watered down and thinned to a point that many will never hear the truth. This ranges from sermons and messages which never mention Jesus or the gospel to a watered down, feel good about yourself message. People go in on Sunday mornings and come out feeling the same way they did when they went in. There is no Holy Spirit moving because the Spirit can't get in. Social justice and politics have taken over the pulpits in many churches. Pastors are taking it upon themselves to create their own versions of what the Bible says. "Jesus is not the only way to heaven." Where does the Bible tell us that? It doesn't but many people in the pulpit will want you to believe it.

This is not just a compromising of the faith or belief in Jesus, it's a total distortion of scripture.

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.              2 Tim 4:2-5

That time is here and has been for quite a while now. These people don't want to hear the truth and be convicted in their hearts. They don't want the pastor stepping on their toes and there are many in the pulpits of these churches who are more than willing to accommodate them. These people don't understand what it means to compromise their faith; they don't believe that compromise is a dirty word in Christianity. And, many of them are not Christians, truly saved by the blood of Jesus Christians. Many believe they are going to church to feel better about themselves or because it sets a good example to their families or it's a social thing. And, the sad thing is this, many will never hear the gospel or the truth of what the Bible really says because they are in a local church which doesn't teach it. And, I didn't even mention the issue of gays in ministry or gay marriage in the church. I guess that's a topic for another time.

Compromise in the Christian faith is a dirty word and we must understand how easy it is to fall into this trap. We need to be in our Bibles, studying the word of God and knowing what it truly says. We need to be in prayer daily, seeking God's guidance. Then, when we are challenged or asked to give a reason why we believe, we will be prepared.