By John David Hicks
Is compromise a “dirty” word? How often are we told not to fall victim to compromise? But, in some situations, compromise does have its place. The dictionary defines compromise as a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by opposing claims or principles; by give-and-take a person changes their demands. Compromise is based on give and take. The neighborhood kids decide to play baseball first and go swimming later. You have beef for dinner tonight and chicken tomorrow night. Compromise does give each person the satisfaction of thinking that they got at least part of what they wanted.
Where we need to be careful is in the distinction between compromise that is expedient and compromise that harms our integrity. Sometimes we think that our political opinions and other beliefs are principles that cannot be compromised, when really they are just our ideas on some matter. Our current politicians need to hear that there is a difference between compromising your opinions and compromising your principles.
To be in relationship at times demands compromise. In your interaction with people, it’s natural that you’re not going to be in agreement with them on everything. A judicious compromise can restore peace to a relationship. But when your principles are compromised, the peace is a short-lived achievement. In the world today, whenever there is conflict, compromise is suggested.
Some things can be compromised without affecting your character, but there can be no give and take when it comes to moral principles. You end up giving, but not taking. Moral principles are the foundation of your character. To compromise your convictions is to surrender to the flesh and the devil. God does not compromise moral principles and neither should you. Your behavior is governed by your principles. When you live in harmony with them, you have peace; when you violate them you have war. Guilt comes from knowing what is right, but doing what is wrong.
On the Mount of Olives Jesus said to his disciples, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He then withdrew, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke: 22:40-42). He then found his disciples asleep in verse 46: “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
God is Love, good and all-powerful. God is personal and relational in nature. He has given human beings the freedom of choice, even though the choices men make have introduced pain and evil into our world. For love to be real, it must be possible to choose against it. Because of free will, many of God’s promises are conditional and dependent on human response. In terms of prayer, it can be said that our prayers (or the lack thereof) do make a difference. God has sovereignly decided to make some of his actions contingent on our requests and actions.
In the Bible, God does changed his mind, he compromise in the light of changing circumstances, or as a result of prayer (Exod. 32:14; Num. 14:12–20; Deut. 9:13–14, 18–20, 25; 1 Sam. 2:27–36; 2 Kings 20:1–7; 1 Chron. 21:15; Jer. 26:19; Ezek. 20:5–22; Amos 7:1–6; Jonah 1:2; 3:2, 4–10). At other times he explicitly states that he will change his mind if circumstances change (Jer. 18:7–11; 26:2–3; Ezek. 33:13–15). This willingness to change is portrayed as one of God’s attributes of greatness (Joel 2:13–14; Jonah 4:2).
Freedom of choice means that you are morally accountable for your actions. That is why God says in Isaiah 1:18–19, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD… If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.”
In Jesus’ humanity he expressed his true feelings, and his desired to do God’s will. Some times as Christians, there is a struggle between our will and God’s will. Jesus understood the terrible suffering of the cross, but he willingly placed himself in his Father’s hands saying, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.”
When a person compromises their moral principles they compromise their integrity. Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 26:41, TLB. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” All temptation from Satan is to compromise your moral principles.
God’s Word tells us that there are two things you must do to win over the compromise of the devil. First, you must have some standards and convictions. A standard or conviction starts with a commitment that there are some things you know you will not do, some places you will not go, and some things you will not say based on God’s Word. When you honor and cherish these convictions, they speak with authority. These values will win more battles over temptation than anything else. “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV). The Lord can keep what is committed to Him.
Second, you must plan to run from the zone of temptation, or resist it. The basic rule is to get away from the source of your temptation. If a sinful thought or desire is not dealt with immediately, it will weaken you and lead to sinful behavior. Thus, you must have a plan! Proverbs 22:3 advises, “The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it” (NASB). Proverbs 4:14-15, TLB says, “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.”
When the New Testament talks about sexual temptation, it gives one command: RUN! Run for your life! Get out of there! No argument can win when your emotions are involved; the devil will win every time. Any movie, book, magazine, friend, party, event, Web site that puts a temptation into your mind is an open door through which you allow Satan and sin into your life. If you are slow to run, the temptation will catch you. The slower you go the stronger the temptation becomes. Paul said to “flee fornication” and “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14). You are to flee from sin.
Sin can be conceived in just a few seconds in temptation. Your sinful desires will impregnate your action and give birth to sin. Sin always causes something in you to die, whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual. The wages of sin is always death (Romans 6:23). In the garden, Satan told Eve that she wouldn’t die and people today still believe that lie. Yet Eve’s innocence died, her marital harmony died, and her relationship with God died. Titus 2:11-12 KJV says, “For the grace of God…teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled and godly lives in this present age.”
Remember how Joseph overcame temptation. He refused his master’s wife’s solicitation to “Come to bed with me!” Joseph said, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” He had some standards and convictions and RAN. “But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house” (Genesis 39:6-12). When you run, run toward God. “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7).
God has a Blessing for the person that will not compromise. Isaiah 33:15-16, TLB. “He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil—this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him.”
Ephesians 4:27, TLB reminds us, “And do not give the devil a foothold.” Someone has said, “In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win.” When you compromise with evil, only evil wins. That is the Curse of Compromise.