Compromise

One of two definitions of compromise is  this, "to accept standards that are lower than is desirable."

When we look into the history between God and Man, you'll see a couple of running themes. One being, that after the "Fall" God quickly understood that we couldn't follow Him how He wanted us to follow Him. We were sail boats out at see with no wind, motor or oar to help propel us in a desired direction. We just drifted and did our own thing. Now there were a few men that followed God like Noah but even He wasn't a perfect follower. Instead, to point out their iniquities to them, the Law was etched in stone so that they would be able to have a standard of measurement. Without the Law, man didn’t realize that he was sinful in God's sight. They knew of God, heard about Him but really didn't know He had standards. The Law, introduced to them for the first time, said that they were sinful. They were clueless to their error until they were shown their error. It would be like 100 builders, building houses to their own specifications. Each builder would build it how they saw fit. Today, in a house we have codes and standards to follow but just imagine if their wasn't. One house could not have adequate electric wiring and burn down, one could have plumbing issues and flood, one could be poorly insulated and be too hot or cold all the time. Over the years, the codes and laws standardized home building so they would be liveable, functional and safe. God did that same thing through the Law. 

Before the Law, they lived however they thought was best for themselves instead of how God wanted them to live. You've got to understand, we came from perfection in Him in the Garden to being fully self centred. We went from being totally unaware of self to living in self and we walked however we felt like.

The Law was designed by God to highlight our selfish ways. It pointed out that we were separated from Him and that we needed Him to get back to Him. Those builders we referred to, they didn't know that there house was a piece of unliveable junk. It was how they were taught by their fathers and their grandfathers. All they knew is that it was right by them. 

So, God had to point their sin out and get their attention but the Law eventually was corrupted by man and was made as an instrument of control, fear and power. It became a business. Sound familiar. So, the very thing that was supposed to make man sin conscience was manipulated and compromised. Sounds like something we'd do.

So God came up with a final solution, justification, which is to render one innocent in the eyes of God. By Jesus’s sacrifice and our faith in Him we came out from under sin to get into a position where we could be cleaned of Adam's disobedience. With that clean slate made, we have choices now. We can either continue in our selfishness and satisfy the flesh or we can choose to follow Christ's example of self denial through faith in God. 

So here we are, now compromising God's sweet grace for fleshly satisfaction. When such a gift is given, how can we even think that our ways are the right ones. We build ministries in His name for money, we drag His love through the mud by hating those that disagree with us and we have created false ideas and doctrines to look like God but in reality it's just self. We feed our faces on selfish desires 6 days of the week then go that one day, shed a tear, then get right back to self the next day. 

Our history is full of compromises which has created the crazy world we live in today. We can get back to doing things right though. We can get back to a pure faith relationship with our God. He's still full of love and He wants us to fully rely on Him. Empty yourself of all you already think you know and come before Him so He can fill you full of Himself. 

To God be the Glory