COMPROMISE BY COMPROMISE
Text: James 1:13-16
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
James 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Statement: Backsliding all begins with a series of small compromises.
I. Christian laxness happens gradually, over a period of time. It happens slowly as a result of a series of compromises. Little by little, compromise by compromise, you start lowering your standards and the changeover from truth to error; right to wrong, and moral to sin takes place. Compromise is really quite insidious.
II. The supreme example of compromise is found in the life of Lot. When God called Abram from Ur to the land of Promise, he took his nephew, Lot, with him. But they no sooner arrived than a famine came upon the land. They were forced to go to Egypt. Upon returning they were both rich in cattle, flocks, herds, servants, tents, silver, and gold. Thus the land could not support both of them and Abram gave Lot the choice to go anywhere he wanted.
It seems that every choice Lot made was wrong. In Lot's choice we can see that it was a series of little compromises and lowering standards that led to his problems. But, don't feel to sorry for Lot. He did what he wanted to do. Just like most of us. We must remember that every choice has a consequence. Some good and some not so good.
Lot's first compromise (Genesis 13:10-11) Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Genesis 13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.: We must understand that Lot loved playing on the edge with sin and worldliness. He, like most of us today, was oriented to pleasing himself, and to do it above all else. Lot gave in to his weakness. Anytime any of us give in to our weaknesses - watch out. Lot looked out over all the land and convinced himself that the land down toward the plan of the Jordan, by Sodom was most suited for it was fruitful soil. I'm sure he told himself that this was a business decision. My herds and flocks will do better down there. I can grow better crops down there. This was what would be best for his family. He rationalized this choice so it didn't look like a compromise.
But, this choice of Sodom, came after a long time of looking and longing (Genesis 13:10) Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. He wanted Sodom for himself. What Lot did, is precisely what many Christians do. He totally, completely, and absolutely disregarded God and did exactly what pleased himself. Lot's first compromise was moving near the city of Sodom.
What Lot would have really liked to do; was sit on the fence. He wanted to have it both ways. He tried to live in two worlds. Examine your life! Isn't that the same with many Christians today? You want to be Christians. You want to go to heaven. You want Jesus, but you also want to do what everyone else is doing. You want to enjoy the worldly things. You want to have worldly fun. You want to blend in and not be different from the world. You want it all and you want it all your way. Christians are not suppose to blend into the world. They are to be a peculiar people (Titus 2:14 & I Peter 2:9) Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
I Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: They are to be light and salt (Matthew 5:14-16) Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Matthew 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. That means Christian are to stand out. The must be different. After all they have different vales, loves, and desires.
There is a problem with trying to sit on the fence. Anyone who has ever sit on the fence know this is true. You can't remain indifferent for ever long, because God has a habit of shaking the fence just enough to force a decision. Sooner or later all fence sitters fall off, usually on the wrong side and get hurt. It doesn't have to be that way. You can avoid this hurt by not sitting on the fence in the first place. Examine your life! Are you sitting on the fence?
Lot's second compromise (Genesis 13:12-13)Genesis 13:12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.: His heart's desire became action. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). He moved out of the hills into the plain of the Jordan. He left the moral influence of his uncle and pitched his tent toward the glittering cesspool of immorality. He now has no interest in Godly things or fellowship. Examine your life today! Is there a lack of desire for Christian fellowship? He placed the temporal above the eternal. Do you place the temporal above the eternal? Has the church taken a secondary position in your life?
Lot's third compromise (Genesis 19:1-7) Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; Genesis 19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.Genesis 19:3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.Genesis 19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: Genesis 19:5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.Genesis 19:6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, Genesis 19:7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.: It isn't long before we see Lot become hardened to sin. We find Lot living in the city of Sodom. Any time a Christian places themselves in the middle of such immorality and wickedness then it won't be long before that same Christian becomes hardened to sin. Lot was not careful. Not only is Lot living in the city, he becomes a leader. We find Lot joining in and sitting at the gates. He becomes one of them.
It cost him his spiritual edge. He became so spiritually dull that he no longer realized how bad things had become there. Sinfulness had worn him down. He didn't stand out in any way as different. Evidently, he didn't have much of a testimony. Hard to have a testimony if you are inviting Satan's filth to rub against you. Lot had gotten used to the steadily deteriorating conditions of day-to-day life in Sodom. Lot is not unusual in this. Any Christian that surrounds themselves in sin, will also find themselves getting use to deteriorating sinful conditions. Examine your life! There is nothing worse than spiritually dull Christians. Christians today are desensitized by the daily exposure to sinfulness and filth from TV.
Lot's fourth compromise (Genesis 19:8-14) Genesis 19:8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. Genesis 19:9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. Genesis 19:10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. Genesis 19:11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. Genesis 19:12 ¶And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: Genesis 19:13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. Genesis 19:14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.: Lot has finally reached the fullness of his compromising. Not only has he become hardened to Sodom's sinfulness, he is willing to allow his family to participate in it. It seems that God sent two angels to take Lot and his family out of Sodom before He destroyed it. When these two angels showed up at Lots house, so did the community. They weren't just curious. They were so perverse that they couldn't wait to violate these two strangers. Lot offered his own two daughters to the men of the city. What kind of father would offer up his daughter to men for sexual pleasures. Examine your life! How upset are you when your children blend in with the sinful worldly habits? Or do you actually encourage it? Our children cannot do everything the world does.
But the men would have nothing to do with these women, their sinfulness would only be satisfied by homosexual activities with other men. The angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness, but they were so far gone in the perversion that even though blinded, they still groped for the door in order to get to these two angels and commit their sin.
Then the angels literally took hold of Lot and his family to remove them from the city. Lot wanted to save his two son-in-laws. He went and told them what the angels had said. But how could they take Lot serious. They had watched him compromise so often and repeatedly lower his standards so that his witness and testimony had long since lost its authority. Examine your life! How is your witness and testimony?
Even with all this - Lot lingered. The two angels literally had to take Lot and his family by the hand and physically remove them outside the city's gates (Genesis 19:15-16) Genesis 19:15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. Genesis 19:16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. Lot wanted to linger in sin. As Lot and his family fled, his wife, who could not leave the city of sin that easily, looked back toward Sodom and was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26) Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Examine your life! Do you like to linger in worldliness?
Lot's fifth compromise (Genesis 19:30-38) Genesis 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. Genesis 19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Genesis 19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. Genesis 19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Genesis 19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. Genesis 19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Genesis 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. Genesis 19:37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. Genesis 19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.: He allowed sorrow and disappointment to over take him. Now alone on the mountain watching the smoke of several cities rising to heaven Lot and his daughters conclude that the entire world has been destroyed. The daughters get Lot drunk and then lie with him and bare him children.
Lot had compromised with sin and was now compelled to reap the harvest of bitterness. ..., for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7) Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. You can't play with sin, because sin will play with you. You can't invited Satan to look into your life without expecting him to also come in.
III. When Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, he never intended to fall into such immorality and sin. He didn't start out saying I'll openly accept sin and sleep with my daughter Actually if you had told Lot at the beginning that he would wind up sleeping with his daughters, he would have probably slapped you to the ground. But it happened. It happened because he compromised his faith. It happened because with each move he came a bit closer to sin, accepting it more and more until the lure drew him in. One compromise at a time. Each one with its consequences.
So, it is with all Christians that compromise and lower their values. You start lowering your standards by compromising a little here and a little there.
- You spend a little less time in the Scriptures.
- You start coming to church when it's convenient.
- You spend more time doing other things.
- You relax your grip and begin to backslide.
- And your witness for God also decreases.
- Your joy vanishes.
Are any of these things happening in your Life? It all begins with a series of small compromises.; what we fail to realize is: such small compromises invariably get out of hand. Have you been slipping backwards? Have you been lowering your standards? Have you been compromising? Isn't it time you let God have your life? Completely and totally.