Spiritual Compromise Is A Killer 2016.11.29
We live in a day & age where certain "paranoia" is not only acceptable, but necessary. Most, if not all of our homes have smoke & CO2 detectors nowadays - But when we were kids, I know that I didn't. And this is a necessary "paranoia" because CO2 is a silent killer - you don't see or smell it. It slow builds up, and when it overtakes you, you will be lucky to get out with your
Spiritual Compromise is far worse than these silent & subtle killers. When we begin to slightly disobey God, it seems like no big deal, but what we fail to realize is that our conscience gradually begins to numb. We begin to feel the involvement of sin is nothing more than a need to readjust priorities - It's not that big of a deal. When you & your family are trying to escape a house filled with CO2, would you stop to take a break?
And yet, how often do we "take a break [from remaining pure] amidst the CO2"?
Read Jeremiah 3:2, and it helps us to understand how God feels about our compromises when He's involved. In this scripture, He calls Israel prostitutes for their worshiping of false gods.
Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. | ||
Jeremiah 3:2 |
God likens our relationship with Him to a marriage - it is something to be protected & guarded. But if we guard it with lazy effort (or no effort), then it has no value. We must understand how important purity is in our relationship with Him.
Take a minute right now, sit back and honestly ask yourself - don't just blurt out the boilerplate answer but honestly think about it:
"How valuable is your relationship with God?
How intensely do you protect it?"
How often do we approach our casual disobedience, saying "God won't be upset because it's such a little thing." We talk ourselves into thinking that our evil (let's all it what it is) is simply 'ok'.
We wouldn't tolerate if our spouse had slight deviations in our marriage, would we? Our spouse hanging our with a member of the opposite sex with such frequency... What about our spouse wanting to "casually date"? It's a big deal! And this is how God views our lack of faithfulness to Him. Just as our earthly marriages are to remain pure so they can be a testimony to the world, He also wants our relationships with Him to be a sign to the world.
1"If you, Israel, will return, then return to me," declares the Lord. "If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, 2and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast." | ||
Jeremiah 4:1-2 |
We have been given great gifts (a relationship with God, our sins forgiven at the death of His Son, protection, grace, love, ...) and we must make sure that our focus & energy keep ourselves in seeing it that way. If we value these gifts, then we will do everything in our our power to protect & guard it. We would leave all other things to the side to keep it safe. Protect your purity!
