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Compromise 11/19/00 Past/Future Articles |
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Compromise 11/19/00 Past/Future Articles |
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Have you ever thought about how many compromises we make in life? Many times there is nothing wrong with compromise, yea even we should be willing to sacrifice our own feelings to keep peace or see that the work goes forward. An elder is given the command not to be self-willed nor to Lord over God's heritage. So we see there are times we are to condescend to others, on the other hand, in the realm of faith there is not compromise. We must stand firm on what God has said and what we know to be true, never compromising the word of God. He has given no man that authority, only God the Son.
Pharoah offered Moses four compromises in Exodus chapters 8-10 when the plagues were being sent on the Egyptians by God. Pharaoh did not want the children of Israel to leave for they were a valuable labor force for him. He first told Moses in 8:28 to take the people into the wilderness to sacrifice to their God, just don't go far. Pharaoh knew if they did not go far, they would return to Egypt. We must distance ourselves from the world or we will go back. The Lord said in Luke 9:62 if we put our hand to the plow and look back we are not fit for the kingdom. We cannot look back as Lot's wife or we'll be lost.
Many fool themselves into thinking they can sit in the service of God and then go a little way back into the world - dressing as they do, talking as they are, and living so one can not tell them from the world and be alright. NOT SO! We must take the stand Moses did and go out from evil, shunning the very appearance. There is no way we can partially serve God. He accepts only total obedience. (to be continued - DEC. 17)
Walter M. Bishop, Elder