Has the church ever compromised itself into righteousness or influence? This is not just a rhetorical question, consider for a moment if you can think of a time that compromise was beneficial for Christianity or people.
This chapter comes towards the end of this devotional
because it is such an important topic, and one I want to leave you thinking on
for years to come. G. Campbell Morgan said, “The church today has destroyed her
own influence by compromise.” The Bible is clear on all matters that it speaks
to, so our goal is not to please men, but God (Galatians 2:10). An apocryphal quote attributed to
Martin Luther says, “Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier
is proved; to be steady on all the battlefields besides, is mere flight and
disgrace if he flinches at that point!” While we don’t know who said it, the
sentiment is worthy of acceptance: the Christian, the chaplain, is judged on his compromise.
A chaplain may think that he is going to make friends by flattering hearers with soft messages, but failing to tell someone the truth is helping
them on their way to destruction. Too many popular speakers fill their message
with much truth, science, intrigue, rhetoric, and facts, but make no difference; why aren’t they
making a difference in eternity? They shrink back from the ultimate truth, they
fail to magnify the Lord Christ and testify of repentance towards God and faith
in our Lord Jesus Christ. Chaplain, let us not be like them, let’s make a difference for
eternity, let’s stand and not shrink back.
There is a morbid dislike in these days of all that is called ‘controversy.’ Men will persist in crying ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace, and in speaking smooth things, when they ought to warn men plainly of danger. This is not charity but cruelty. ~ JC Ryle
Key Verse: You yourselves know how I lived among you…how I
did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable… ~ Acts 20:20
More:
1. There is room for being crafty as serpents in addressing controversial
subjects (Matthew 10:16, Luke 11:53-54). I’ve had members come into my office
and ask, “What does the Bible say about [explosive subject]?” It would be easy
to say, “Let me lecture you exactly what it says.” Rather, I’ve seen the most
fruit from asking, “What do you think the Bible says about [topic]?” In cases
where someone is trying to trap you, this will reveal their motive, and in cases
of someone trying to learn the truth, it nurtures a great conversation. Regardless
of their motive, make sure you leave them closer to the truth than you found
them.
2. When preaching we should consider what the audience needs to
hear, but we shouldn’t force anything into the text or omit anything based on
what our audience needs. If we do so, we can become their lens for reading
scripture, or we may discourage them altogether because they don’t (nay, can't) see what we
see. I have long held to Dan Phillip’s hermeneutic principle, “Remember: Scripture meant one
thing before you were born, means the same now, and will mean the same, should
you die. Preach that meaning.” Would the original author of scripture be
surprised by your use of it?
3. If someone is going to be offended, let them be offended by
the Word of God and not us; Paul Washer was approached with “I don’t agree with
your interpretation of that verse.” To which he was able to faithfully say, “I
didn’t interpret it, I read it.” Let us bring no offense outside of the
scripture. John MacArthur put it this way, “If the truth offends, then let it
offend. People have been living their whole lives in offense to God; let them
offended for a while.”
4. Martin Luther pressed forward to nail truth to doors, stand
before princes and pontiffs, and declare, “My conscience is captive to the Word
of God…I cannot and will not recant. Here I stand, I can do no other, God help
me.” Luther offended many in his day, but five centuries later we still
remember his name for his stand. Will people in Heaven remember you five
centuries from now? What about those in Hell who you flattered instead of warned?
5. Further Resources:
Lloyd-Jones, Martin. Preaching and Preachers. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1971.
MacArthur, John. The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in
an Age of Deception. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007.
Welch, Edward. When People are Big and God is Small:
Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man. Phillipsburg,
NJ: P&R Publishing, 2023.
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