by Daniel Stephens -

Compromise is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “an agreement reached by each side making concessions,” or “an intermediate state between conflicting opinions, reached by mutual concession.” Therefore, to compromise is to “settle a dispute by mutual concession or expediently accept standards that are lower than is desirable

Jesus himself set an example and gave instruction on how we are to live our lives. In living a life with Christ and seeing His kingdom established in the earth, He did not ask for compromise in our lives, he asked us to give Him all of our lives. In accepting standards below that which is asked of us from our heavenly father and our Lord, we are putting ourselves in a position of compromise.

Daniel Stephens

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God come with power
Mark 8:34-9:1 NIV

Unfortunately we have a tendency to make compromise in our lives in order to accommodate Christ. This places a great weight upon our shoulders, causing the cross to become a burden too heavy for us to bear. Gladly though, Jesus tells us to take his yoke upon us and learn from Him, for He is gentle and lowly in heart. In Him we will find rest for our souls. For His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt 11:29-30).

When we make the decision to receive Jesus, we are sacrificing our flesh, or worldly life, in order to attain to the purposes that God has for us in the earth. This is not about compromise as God does not make concessions. He is the same yesterday, today and for ever (Heb 13:8). It is in fact accepting standards far above what our flesh desires. Living in the fullness of Christ means living a life without compromise.

This is a hard pill to swallow as we think more deeply on the matter: For the sake of Jesus and the gospel we are to leave our houses, family and property (Mark 10:29) or even fortune and fame. Why would anybody want to? However, these things and many more that satisfy our flesh alone are idols that inhabit our time, thoughts, priorities and actions. The upside of living a life without compromise before God are the attached promises.

Assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time – houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life.
Mark 10:29-30 NKJV

It is important to understand that leaving these things does not indicate immediately filing for divorce and running away from our family and responsibilities. It does mean placing God first in every situation we find ourselves, and following Him alone. It means building relationship with Him and listening to His voice in order to fulfil all of the responsibility that He has given us, even in a hundredfold measure. In describing the characteristics of a deacon or elder, Paul tells Timothy that an elder or a deacon must be the husband of one wife, managing his children and household well (1 Tim 3:2,4,12). Therefore, we are not required to become monks or nuns in order to fulfil the words of Christ, but we are to live diligently, responsibly and above reproach.

If we choose to only live for now, we will place ourselves in a position of compromise, rather than placing ourselves in the centre of the will of the Lord, and the knowledge of the promises that lie before us. The scripture tells us that it will not always be easy, that there will be persecutions. However, there is a promise of something far more valuable than what we will receive in this present age, that of intimate relationship with the father (eternal life) in the age to come.

If we are content to live with compromise, and not fully submit our lives unto the will of the Lord, we are bowing down to idols that desire to control us. It is very easy to serve our flesh rather than our spirit, but to be in the will of the Lord we must resist the temptation to do so. It is impossible to serve two masters, and the Lord promises to clothe us, feed us and care for us as we follow Him in the fullness of His will for our lives.

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matt 6:24-34 NIV

The scripture clearly states that the things of the world that pre-occupy our mind, time and actions are not what God desires, but we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His

righteousness and all these things will be added unto us. Therefore, in order to live a life without compromise, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Our response needs to be just the same as Andrew and Peter when Jesus said to them, Come, follow me. (Matt 4:18-19) They did not stop and hesitate, the scripture tells us that they immediately left all that they had and knew to follow him (Matt 4:20).
The hardships that come when living a life without compromise are due to the battle between our flesh and the Spirit. However, a fully committed life that involves submission to God rather than compromise is one of fulfilment and joy as we make Him and His desires our number one priority. As we have already seen, God’s desire is that we first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Paul describes this in further detail in Romans:

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Romans 14:17-18 NIV

This requires that we take time to listen and then respond. It is not about “me” (eating and drinking), but all about Him (righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit). No matter what others may say or do, we no longer have time to bury our fathers or return to our homes (Luke 9:59-62), attend our newly purchased field or test our new oxen (Luke 14:18-19). These are idols or excuses that fill our hearts and keep God out of position number one. He must be our priority and our life. When He calls we must respond. Being lukewarm will not suffice (Rev 3-.16), it will not help us grow or, in turn, attain to the fullness of God (Eph 4:13) and move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ (Heb 6:1).

The rich young man who approached Jesus is a great example of one who was not prepared to give up all that he had in order to walk in all that He had. Even though he believed in Jesus and the scripture, diligently following the law, he built up treasure for himself in the earth rather than in heaven, exemplifying how impossible it is for those that compromise and serve more than one master to enter the kingdom of God.

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
So Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but one, that is, God.
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery’, ‘Do not murder’, ‘Do not steal’, ‘Do not bear false witness’, ‘Do not defraud’, ‘Honour your father and your mother.’

And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go you way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross and follow Me.
But he was sad at this word and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to the enter the kingdom of God!
And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:17-25 NKJV

Jesus was not asking the young man for compromise. He was in reality asking the opposite  he was saying that the only way to inherit eternal life is to stop trusting in and making idols of the things of this world and instead store up treasures in heaven. Jesus desired commitment and change in the young man’s life. After all, we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God and be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Rom 12:1-2 NKJV

Jesus desired that the young man give all of his life to God, and submit himself to His teaching. This way he would not be conformed to the world, or find himself in a place where compromise was necessary. It is simply a reasonable service unto God, and the only way to inherit eternal life. In submitting ourselves to the teaching of Christ, our minds will be transformed and we can begin to walk in the perfect will of God for the earth and our lives.

Jacob was a man who lived out the character of his name. He was a trickster, a conman and a supplanter, even stealing his brother’s birthright (Gen 25:31-34) and tricking him out of his blessing (Gen 27). He was also determined and committed to the task at hand, taking whatever measures were necessary to achieve what he wanted. He was prepared to work seven years for Laban’s daughter Rachel, and when he did not receive her, he worked a further seven years (Gen 29:15-30).

Jacob was determined not to give up, no matter whom he was facing, and wrestled with the Angel of the Lord until he got what he desired – the Lord’s blessing (Gen 32:24-26). What he also got was a new walk when the angel touched his hip to remind him of his point of transformation (Gen 32:25), as well as a new name – Israel (Gen 32:28). From here on God no longer called him a “trickster”, but rather, a “Prince with God” or God prevails, and from this Prince the Government (12 tribes) of God would be established in the earth.

This moment of encounter was only the beginning of what was to come for Jacob. Although the new characteristics had been spoken / prophesied to him and the reminder of his Godly encounter was evident in his walk, the Bible does not describe Israel walking the earth until after the death of Rachel.

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
Genesis 35:19-21 NKJV

Why is this significant? Israel could not be released into his fullness and absolute potential until his idol, the thing (or person in this case) he had lusted after for so long, passed away. In other words, not until we let go of the things that prevent us from putting God first and place in a position of compromise can we enter into the fullness of God’s promise for our lives.

Jacob was prepared to serve his uncle Laban for 14 years in order to receive his daughter. He had worked extremely hard to receive his reward, and all of the work was for his Father-in-law’s profit, not his own (Gen 30:30). It is no wonder that Rachel had become such an idol in his life. However, Jacob still could not walk in the fullness of the character that God had placed in him until the idol that he had worked so hard for was buried.

Seeking first the Kingdom of God and taking up our cross requires repentance (Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15), or in other words, a change in our mind. (Repent = metanoeo = to change one’s mind). It requires a change in our attitude, thoughts, priorities and at times even our character. It requires a burial of our idols in order to be proactive in transforming our lives. Repentance is far more than being sorry for our sins, for they were forgiven on the Cross. Repentance does not require compromise. It demands change.

God’s grace gave us Jesus (John 3:16), and the right to become children of God (John 1:12), and be transformed in His likeness. God’s grace asks us to come before Him with an offering, giving us an opportunity as kings and priests (Rev 5:10-11) to stand at the altar. Grace, however, does not just allow us to live as we please, but rather, it allows us to bring an acceptable offering before the Lord. Our offering is to be our first fruits, our best; otherwise we will be rejected and not able to enter into eternal life.

Cain and Abel give us a good example of this.

And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.
Genesis 4:3-7

Abel gave an acceptable first fruits offering to the Lord, but Cain compromised and just made an offering. On the surface it is difficult to see the problem. After all Cain did bring a substantial offering to the Lord. However, God asks for the first fruits, the best (Ex 22:29-30). So even when we think we are doing “good” things, we can still face rejection if our life is not in line with God’s desires.

It is not a harsh God that loves us, but God desires that we give all of ourselves to Him. With this in mind, we must devote ourselves to living a life of absolute commitment and obedience.

Our lifestyle should reflect our commitment and devotion with our actions and deeds being a reflection of our inner character. Our external appearance should be a reflection of our inner self. We must follow our words with our deeds and live not just in knowledge, but have that knowledge and relationship with God become our heart attitude. For where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be also (Matt 6:21; Luke 12:34).

If we relate to God in an uncompromising, ever enduring way, that is where our treasure and heart will be, and how our life will be a reflection of God. It will not be a labour to live in an uncompromising relationship with Him. However, there is a good indication that other areas of our life have been placed ahead of Him if we find it difficult living according to God’s plan and purpose, or it is stressful to open ourselves fully to the Lord.

It may seem that placing God first is in conflict with God’s own command to honour our Father and Mother (Ex 20:12), but who is our family? We are to take care of our natural parents, but who are our Fathers and Mothers really? When faced with his mother and brothers wanting to see him, Jesus responded by saying that his family were those that do the Father’s will.

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and the said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking you.

But He answered them, saying, Who is My mother, or My brothers? And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.
Mark 3:31-35 NKJV (also Matt 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21)

In order to fulfil the commandments “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul,” and “love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22:34-39; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27) we need to be 100 percent committed to the Father with uncompromising faith. Surely there are those that have wronged us, but we need to love them as ourselves. There are those that have persecuted us, spoken ill of us and not acted according to God’s will, but it is our duty to love and forgive, just as God does for us. As humans this is not possible as we have a natural tendency to judge and condemn, but when we live a transformed life and display the character of God, we can love one another without hesitation, even against our natural human judgement.

To live a life without compromise we must first recognise the areas of our lives in which we are in compromise. This can be achieved through prayer, and by asking ourselves the serious question – “Am I giving all of myself to God?” If our answer is no, then we are in a place of compromise and therefore outside of the perfect will of the Lord. He has a plan for you and I, which will be fulfilled, provided we submit ourselves unconditionally to His discipline, teaching and guidance. We no longer have time to work out what suits us best, and try to fit Him into our agendas.

We are to be presented to Jesus as a chaste virgin (2 Cor 11:2). If our life contains compromise, then this is not possible and we will become like the man who came to the wedding feast without a wedding garment who was cast into outer darkness (Matt 22:11-14). Alternatively, with compromise in our lives we are like the virgins who did not have any oil left for their lamps and subsequently missed the coming of the bridegroom and were locked out of the wedding feast because they were not adequately prepared.

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise answered, saying ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Matt 25:1-13 NKJV

If we are not adequately prepared by living in an appropriate relationship with God, there can be no growth or development in us. When the time comes for the bridegroom to return we must be ready so that we will not be caught short and cut out of the wedding feast. God does not accept mixture, not even the smallest amount of compromise. He is a jealous God who will not accept our idols or our excuses. He simply wants us; committed, covenanted and uncompromising. Then he can fulfill His purposes in the earth.

by Daniel Stephens