COMPROMISE? NEVER!

COMPROMISE? NEVER!
Thursday, August 30, 2018 by Ron Susek

How boldly do you "preach" the truth, whether as a witness or a sermon? Consider Paul's words to Timothy in today's edition of FaithWalk: Courage for the Journey.

Compromise? Never!
by Ron Susek
@Golden Quill Publications
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word . . .
(2 Timothy 4:1-5)

There are two ways to abuse an audience and fail as a preacher of the Bible. One is to turn truth into a sledgehammer, always bashing and battering people's sensitivities. The other is to treat truth like a powder puff, only applying soft, gentile plumbs of sweet smelling powder.

Here is the key to successful preaching: present the truth with grace and love, but above all, state the truth! We are not called to lure people to the faith by compromising truth. We are called to equip people to stand before the throne of God as mature duplicates of the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Paul's words are so sobering that it would do well to read the text: "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word: be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of any evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11-5).

In short, be loving, gentle and kind, but never compromise the truth. God did not give Moses ten ideas for discussion, but Ten Commandments to be obeyed. They are more absolute than gravity. They will never pass away. God's Word (the Bible) is absolute. It will be precisely the same even when the heavens and earth pass in fervent heat (2 Peter 3).

The prophets and apostles were rejected, beaten, imprisoned and even martyred for speaking the truth. And those who carried out these deeds against the preachers of truth only multiplied their own condemnation.

We live in a time when rejection of the truth is making absolute fools of God's highest creation. Sadly, many stand in pulpits doing verbal hand stands trying to slip a tiny bit of truth into a whirlwind of compromising terms. And they are honored by other churches longing to match their attendance.

But remember Paul's words, " I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word . . .." It is a simple choice: be temporarily rejected by some lovers of the lie or rejected by the Judge of all time.

Compromise? Never!

Always remember, Immanuel: God is with you!
Your friend,
Ron