Compromise: The Greatest Sin of Our Age
So many in our world today cry out for compromise. They promise it will bring peace. It will assuage human confrontation and division. However, no great cause was ever won through compromise!
In fact, throughout history, it was the masses who refused to compromise that eventually won their liberty, their dignity, and the right to life.
Moses proved to be just such a man.
As a young man, he refused to serve the gods of Egypt although his adopted mother, the daughter of Pharaoh, believed in them. Instead, he chose to be numbered with his own people. “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26).
Although initially his faith in himself and his own ability waivered due to a speech impediment, he seldom waivered at God’s promises. If God said he would free the Israelites from the Egyptian taskmasters, then Moses would settle for nothing less!
Consider his negotiations with Pharaoh over Israel’s release.
Visit #1
Moses’ first request was that the Israelites be allowed to take a three day journey to worship. Notice Pharaoh’s response:
“Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens” (Exodus 5:1-4).
Pharaoh basically said, ‘Why aren’t you slaving away? You’re nothing so go back to work!’
In response to the request, Pharaoh increased the Israelites’ workload, causing them to be angry with Moses and Aaron. Moses questioned the Lord but was quickly assured that God was moving!
Miraculous Visits
Moses and Aaron entreated Pharaoh a second time…and a third…and so on. Each visit, God performed a different miracle to reveal his deity to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh refused to listen.
What a tough fight! How many of us would have given up after one or two visits and said, ‘God, I think you missed it!’ Moses, however, stood in faith on God’s promises and repeatedly visited Pharaoh!
Again and again, Pharaoh would promise to acquiesce to their request only to harden his heart once the plague ended.
After the swarm of flies encroached upon the land, Pharaoh offered to allow the Israelites to make a sacrifice to God…but they could not go as far away as requested by Moses. Moses refused this offer.
Another time, Pharaoh offered to allow the adults to go worship but they had to leave their children behind. Once again, Moses refused this compromise. How many of us have compromised and by doing so, are leaving our children to the mercy of this sick world?
Instead, Moses kept returning to Pharaoh’s courts, performing the miraculous plagues that God instructed him to perform. Consistency and a refusal to compromise describe Moses’ tenacity!
One of the final plagues was the encroachment of darkness. Indeed, it was a darkness that was so impenetrable that it could be felt! Often, I’ve wondered if our world has not slipped into such a spiritual darkness itself!
Finally, following the plague of darkness, Pharaoh agreed to allow the Israelites to worship if they left their cattle and flocks behind. Moses once again refused the compromise, saying “Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind” (Exodus 10:25-26).
Even so much as a single hoof would not be left behind! How often have we compromised what seem to be little things?
• We say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…as long as it doesn’t interfere with sports, the kids’ activities at school, or my soap operas!”
• We say, “I will give all I have to the Lord…as long as I can afford it along with the ‘wants’ I have!”
• We say, “I will serve God with my whole heart…but surely these measly standards of holiness are not that important; it won’t matter if I let a few little things slide.”
Just how many compromises are we making? And are they truly helping us spiritually?
What If We Were the Israelites?
Based on some of the little compromises I’ve seen in our saints, I would dare say many of us would have been happy with the status quo. “That’s right, Pharaoh. As long as you supply us with the straw to make the bricks, we’ll be happy to be slaves to sin the rest of our lives.” Really? Is that really what God has for His people?
Some of us would have leapt at the chance to take a 3-day vacation from Egypt even without our flocks and cattle. But, God wants our livelihood included in this life of worship!
Even some of us would have easily left our children behind in the city of the Egyptians while we ‘served’ our God. I can just feel many of you shaking your heads but how often have you heard families in the church saying:
• “Well, I live for God but it’s up to my child if he wants to come to church or not.” Um, as long as that child lives with you, you need to give him or her as much opportunity to serve God as possible…and that means having them attend the house of God every time the doors are open!
• “Well, the rock music, the violent video games, the pornographic comics and manga are just this generation’s idea of entertainment. We should be understanding of such choices.” Indeed, when such entertainment conflicts with Biblical mandates, it’s time to put on the brakes! God never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. According to Malachi 3:6, God said, “I am the Lord, I change not.”
For so many years, we have been brainwashed to believe that compromise is the only way to ‘grow a church’ …but if you have to compromise to have people sit on the pew, you don’t have a church at all. You have a social club.
For so many years, we have heard from psychologists and educators that there is a generation gap and we have to give in to the whim of Hollywood that our young people fall prey to so that we can relate with our children. Instead, why don’t we show them something that is more consistent that these changing fads, more wholesome and fulfilling than the latest video game, and more lasting that the pleasures of sin for a season!
For so many years, we’ve heard that compromise keeps people from being offended. In fact, political correctness has taken not only ‘Merry Christmas’ from us but it has made us swallow every form of lifestyle without a word! Indeed, while scripture says that a brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, the Bible also says to preach the truth in love. That means being honest, truthful, and exact when we tell others what God expects of His people. We’re so afraid of offending people that we’d rather see them lost and burning for the rest of eternity than tell the truth!
Look at the Israelites. Pharaoh at one point said they could worship their God if they didn’t go too far from Egypt. Egypt is a type of sin. Satan doesn’t mind you worshipping as long as your life doesn’t change. He doesn’t mind you sitting a pew as long as you have no relationship with God! And he doesn’t mind that pretty song you sing as long as you no longer feel a need to worship in the “beauty of holiness!”
Sure, Pharaoh was offering the Israelites a chance to worship for the first time in 400 years! Many of us would have leapt at the chance! It was such a big step compared to what they had been doing…yet Moses said, “Not good enough!”
Why? Because God promised far more than that!
What Happens When We Refuse to Compromise?
In the end, the Israelites not only walked out of Egypt free but they left with the Egyptians’ riches! Because Moses would not compromise, Exodus 14:8 says he left with a high hand!
So often, we settle for a workplace that lets us at least attend Sunday morning service, obstructing us from worship and encouragement the rest of the week. We settle for a doctor’s advice that says we can continue to live if we become dependent on certain medications, rather than praying until medical science is confounded by our healing. We settle for tucking our heads when asked about holiness so that we don’t stick out too much. But there is a mighty ministry and blessing for those who refuse to compromise!
You want your family saved? Stand your ground…don’t compromise!
You want to win your coworkers and have freedom to worship your God? Stand your ground…don’t compromise!
You want to live life abundantly as Jesus promised? Stand your ground…don’t compromise!
You want to make it to heaven? Yes…stand your ground…don’t compromise!
Look at Moses…and stand your ground!
