No Room for Compromise

We are tempted to think that since our salvation is secure, it will not harm us to be exposed to sin, at least in small quantities.  We tell ourselves that it is okay to indulge in a little self-pity, especially since life is so discouraging.  We think that it’s all right for us to look at pornography because we’ve still got things “under control.”  Or we say, “I don’t really have a drinking problem; I just get drunk sometimes.”  We cut a few corners at work; no one will ever know.  We enjoy a juicy morsel of gossip.  Or we shade the truth.  We don’t lie, exactly, but if someone gets the wrong impression and it works to our advantage, we don’t take the trouble to correct them.  These are the kinds of little compromises that trap Christians every day, and they inevitably lead to bigger and bigger sins.

When it comes to sin and its little compromises, we need to adopt a policy of zero tolerance.  There are things we need to get rid of entirely, so as to remove any temptation.  There are places we should not go, things we should not see, friends we should not meet, ideas we should not entertain, conversations we should not start, and desires we should not indulge.  If we claim to follow Jesus Christ, we need to get rid of anything and everything that can become a snare.

Here are some questions every Christian needs to ask: What do I need to get rid of?  What temptations do I need to avoid?  What is keeping me from total obedience to Christ?  If we don’t get rid of these things, we’ll be trapped.  We need to remember that as Christians we are on the way to glory land.  We are under the watchful care of our Guardian Savior – Jesus Christ – who has won the victory and whose kingdom is advancing little by little.  There is no room for compromise.  So don’t settle for a partial victory that falls short of full obedience to Christ!

–Ryken