Compromising with the World

[Blake]

My problem is...

...the gospel is offensive to those still in the world. I mean, just based on my few (former) friends and semi friends, Jesus doesn't sit well with a lot of people, especially if you are articulate enough to defend your beliefs. And there's such a thing as being too comfortable with the world and I think...well, we're human beings, you know...we can fall into temptation.

I dunno. There's also, I think, the fact that some of us may be called to reach out to the dregs while others may just reach out to those closest to them. Or those in other countries. I don't think there's a one size fits all rule of thumb for evangelism. Just my thoughts, of course.

You're right on all counts brother. There are some people who the gospel will always be offensive to. Some have been delivered to reprobate minds, some have fallen in love with their sins, and some have idolized their own logic and reasoning from pride... it's sad and difficult to see. I have a couple of friends like this I've been trying my best with for awhile now and at the end of the day, nothing changes. They're invested in pop-occultism and new age philosophies and have let themselves become overly stubborn. Hearts of stone.

And not all are called to "street" evangelism, like you said. Some of us make a silent witness to the world through our own choice to worship God without compromise, and that speaks volumes in and of itself. We are all given gifts according to our talents and personalities, and not everyone is talented or gifted on a soap box. But some may be gifted in one-on-one, confidant settings. We can't measure ourselves according to what someone else is doing, we just have to nurture our own abilities with the help of God.

We can't let ourselves become like the Essenes in our thoughts and totally abstain and hide from the world, not when we should be fishers of men. We can't be like the Pharisees who are over-zealous so much in the law that their hearts become dead to the transgressor, not when the whole of God's New Testament is love.

 

[Jesse]

I'm sure there were highly legalistic Jews in the Cana crowd who scoffed at Jesus' miracle of wine. I'm sure having His feet anointed by the prostitute was the talk of the town. The drinker, the whore, the leper, the publican, all sinners in the Gospel and in the world today are loved by Him, and He came to them, and comes to us all, as we are. This is grace unmerited. He was in the world, but not of it, and around Him, people felt the love and acceptance of God.

His love draws us in and we change not because of who we are, but because of Who God Is. It was not the threat of law which changed their hearts, it was not the promise of approval from the socially esteemed, it was love.

Do people around us feel the love and acceptance of God, or the law of the Pharisee? I wonder. Be vessels of grace and love and don't compromise on the word -- it can all be done in a loving and accepting manner. I have never met a person who was lawed, guilted, theologied, doctrined or dogma'd into faith... only set free by the astounding, amazing grace of God, realizing there is something so much greater than their chosen captivity.

You mentioned not compromising on the word, which in my view, that is the same as not compromising to the world, which is what the OP is about.

Other people have answered, but how do you see it? How do we avoid compromising with the world?

 

[ezra]

Romans 12;1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 6:13
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Romans 6:19
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

transformed by the renewing of your mind is the key read the word pray . if you think its wrong it is.. dont let the world mold you put your self on the potters wheel allow God to shape you.. you can have fun in this world just dont yield to the wrong type of fun. the pleasures of sin for a season. The Holy Spirit will lead you in the right direction.. in the still small voice

 

[Gary]

If God sends us anywhere, he has prepared us and he goes before us.

The trick is knowing whether it's really God who's doing the sending.
.

 

[ezra]

what does the word say? walk in the spirit and we wont fulfill the lust of the flesh...(Galatians 5:16)Holman Christian Standard Bible .
The Spirit versus the Flesh

16I say then, •walk by the Spiritq and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh desiresr what is against theSpirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.s 18Butif you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. i often think we spend more time worrying about THE LUST OF THE FLESH . we forgot about walking in the Spirit. no offense but its not really a trick .it more about knowing discernment

 

[Willie T]

The trick is knowing whether it's really God who's doing the sending.
.

I like that verse where Jesus said, "Go into all the world, 'EXCEPT' that part of town where you feel out of place......"

 

[jasonc]

beer plus Jason= I would rather drink reuse water fresh from the plant. yeah I don't see myself doing that.

 

[Blake]

You mentioned not compromising on the word, which in my view, that is the same as not compromising to the world, which is what the OP is about.

Other people have answered, but how do you see it? How do we avoid compromising with the world?

I'm not sure. I think it's probably 90% grace and 10% human effort. Lord knows I don't have an honest clue on it. My conviction tells me that if it pricks my consciousness as being against the word and God's intention for man to run from it, but don't enter into sin by judging those who DO it, or create a stumbling block for them by being an arbiter of punishment rather than an example of grace.

Example: I had two highballs with my Mother about a week ago. That was enough for me to enjoy myself without resorting to drunkenness, so when she offered me a third, I kindly declined and had a nice cold bottle of water. Some time ago I might've been inclined to say "DON'T YOU KNOW THE GOOD BOOK SAYS TO RESORT NOT TO DRUNKENNESS? THE DEVIL IS LIKE A ROARING LION AND" yada yada yada... she would have been offended, I would have been self-righteous, and neither of us got closer to God as a result. However just by declining the third drink and being graceful about it, the conversation ended up taking a turn towards spirituality, and I got to speak on how much my life has changed since coming to the Lord. Edification through grace.

That's one example of being in the world but not of it. I didn't compromise, but I wasn't a zealot about it. I think back to times when I was first getting serious about faith and went into an extreme, alienating my old friends and associates and making Christianity into some barbaric boot camp where having any sort of fun was out of the question. I thought I was supposed to be sitting by a lamp studying the word all the time, listening only to Gospel music, watching only sermons and reading only Christian content. People made a wide berth around me LOL. I'm saddened at how many potential converts I ran away through legalism...

It took me a long time to put it all into practice, and I still fail every day. Truth is I am still quite worldly and I have a long way to go. I'm trusting God to finish the work He started in me. I never knew how to answer the question until very recently when people would ask me, "Do you think you are better than me because you follow the Bible?" "Why do you have to change this and give up that to come to God?" I used to say it's because otherwise we would go to hell. Sure, there's truth in that, but you might as well be slapping someone upside the head... I now have learned to say... "I don't change because of who I am or who I want to be. I change because of who God is to me." And that usually opens the door instead of closes it.

That's how I believe we avoid compromise with the world. Our goal as Christians is not simply to die and get to heaven, but to make this world as heavenly as possible. I hope that answers something. I'm really no one to answer anything.

 

[Jesse]

I'm not sure. I think it's probably 90% grace and 10% human effort. Lord knows I don't have an honest clue on it. My conviction tells me that if it pricks my consciousness as being against the word and God's intention for man to run from it, but don't enter into sin by judging those who DO it, or create a stumbling block for them by being an arbiter of punishment rather than an example of grace.

Example: I had two highballs with my Mother about a week ago. That was enough for me to enjoy myself without resorting to drunkenness, so when she offered me a third, I kindly declined and had a nice cold bottle of water. Some time ago I might've been inclined to say "DON'T YOU KNOW THE GOOD BOOK SAYS TO RESORT NOT TO DRUNKENNESS? THE DEVIL IS LIKE A ROARING LION AND" yada yada yada... she would have been offended, I would have been self-righteous, and neither of us got closer to God as a result. However just by declining the third drink and being graceful about it, the conversation ended up taking a turn towards spirituality, and I got to speak on how much my life has changed since coming to the Lord. Edification through grace.

That's one example of being in the world but not of it. I didn't compromise, but I wasn't a zealot about it. I think back to times when I was first getting serious about faith and went into an extreme, alienating my old friends and associates and making Christianity into some barbaric boot camp where having any sort of fun was out of the question. I thought I was supposed to be sitting by a lamp studying the word all the time, listening only to Gospel music, watching only sermons and reading only Christian content. People made a wide berth around me LOL. I'm saddened at how many potential converts I ran away through legalism...

It took me a long time to put it all into practice, and I still fail every day. Truth is I am still quite worldly and I have a long way to go. I'm trusting God to finish the work He started in me. I never knew how to answer the question until very recently when people would ask me, "Do you think you are better than me because you follow the Bible?" "Why do you have to change this and give up that to come to God?" I used to say it's because otherwise we would go to hell. Sure, there's truth in that, but you might as well be slapping someone upside the head... I now have learned to say... "I don't change because of who I am or who I want to be. I change because of who God is to me." And that usually opens the door instead of closes it.

That's how I believe we avoid compromise with the world. Our goal as Christians is not simply to die and get to heaven, but to make this world as heavenly as possible. I hope that answers something. I'm really no one to answer anything.

No, this is a really good answer I think. This is again (someone else reminded me of this to), the sanctification process, I had written earlier where God is purging out the bad and filling us with the Good.

I think it does take effort on our part as I believe you are saying, as we yield, he changes us from the inside out - again sanctification. We have to be willing. It's like when God said to be Holy as He is Holy.

Thanks for answering.

 

[Willie T]

I'm not sure. I think it's probably 90% grace and 10% human effort. Lord knows I don't have an honest clue on it. My conviction tells me that if it pricks my consciousness as being against the word and God's intention for man to run from it, but don't enter into sin by judging those who DO it, or create a stumbling block for them by being an arbiter of punishment rather than an example of grace.

Example: I had two highballs with my Mother about a week ago. That was enough for me to enjoy myself without resorting to drunkenness, so when she offered me a third, I kindly declined and had a nice cold bottle of water. Some time ago I might've been inclined to say "DON'T YOU KNOW THE GOOD BOOK SAYS TO RESORT NOT TO DRUNKENNESS? THE DEVIL IS LIKE A ROARING LION AND" yada yada yada... she would have been offended, I would have been self-righteous, and neither of us got closer to God as a result. However just by declining the third drink and being graceful about it, the conversation ended up taking a turn towards spirituality, and I got to speak on how much my life has changed since coming to the Lord. Edification through grace.

That's one example of being in the world but not of it. I didn't compromise, but I wasn't a zealot about it. I think back to times when I was first getting serious about faith and went into an extreme, alienating my old friends and associates and making Christianity into some barbaric boot camp where having any sort of fun was out of the question. I thought I was supposed to be sitting by a lamp studying the word all the time, listening only to Gospel music, watching only sermons and reading only Christian content. People made a wide berth around me LOL. I'm saddened at how many potential converts I ran away through legalism...

It took me a long time to put it all into practice, and I still fail every day. Truth is I am still quite worldly and I have a long way to go. I'm trusting God to finish the work He started in me. I never knew how to answer the question until very recently when people would ask me, "Do you think you are better than me because you follow the Bible?" "Why do you have to change this and give up that to come to God?" I used to say it's because otherwise we would go to hell. Sure, there's truth in that, but you might as well be slapping someone upside the head... I now have learned to say... "I don't change because of who I am or who I want to be. I change because of who God is to me." And that usually opens the door instead of closes it.

That's how I believe we avoid compromise with the world. Our goal as Christians is not simply to die and get to heaven, but to make this world as heavenly as possible. I hope that answers something. I'm really no one to answer anything.

I only wish I were following God as closely as you seem to be. But, I get closer all the time.

 

[Jesse]

what does the word say? walk in the spirit and we wont fulfill the lust of the flesh...(Galatians 5:16)Holman Christian Standard Bible .
The Spirit versus the Flesh

16I say then, •walk by the Spiritq and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh desiresr what is against theSpirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.s 18Butif you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. i often think we spend more time worrying about THE LUST OF THE FLESH . we forgot about walking in the Spirit. no offense but its not really a trick .it more about knowing discernment

No offense taken and I agree there is a discernment involved but sometimes the water is muddied,especially if the church you're attending is "doing it". There are also people who seem geniune but are not, I gave this example in this thread, if you didn't see it here it is again:

I gave an example of Jehoshaphat and Ahab, they were friends, it seemed all innocent, until it wasn't. Ahab had ulterior motives and almost got Jehoshaphat killed.

So we could be going along, thinking we're not going to fall into a trap laid out by satan, and then we've fallen into it.

 

[Blake]

I only wish I were following God as closely as you seem to be. But, I get closer all the time.

I'm a man given to lust of the eyes and belly, and the internet allows us to always wear our prettiest and most accommodating mask.

I look at women like objects sometimes and I have let my belly be a god to me. I am sin-sick and have a hatred for these offenses but I haven't yet learned how to let them go.

I am such a sinner. I sin intentionally and often. My favorite prayers have become the prayer of the thief on the cross and the prayer of the publican, respectively, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom", and "God have mercy on me." I know that left to my own devices there is nothing that I can do to reach Him. And I know that He has visited with me despite my faults and grievances... what I haven't understood yet is why.

It unsettles me somehow when people tell me I am closer to God than they are, or that I am a blessed or a example person. Maybe that's wrong of me and I should "let my light shine before men", but I don't see it. I feel like if God one day opens His gates for me perhaps I'll be in a tent and I'll get to wash white robes and polish golden walkways, even so, I would be so grateful for His mercy and grace, and I know it will be because of Him and not because of me. Please pray for me if the Spirit nudges you to.

But back to the topic at hand. Sorry Jesse!

 

[Jesse]

I'm a man given to lust of the eyes and belly, and the internet allows us to always wear our prettiest and most accommodating mask.

I look at women like objects sometimes and I have let my belly be a god to me. I am sin-sick and have a hatred for these offenses but I haven't yet learned how to let them go.

I am such a sinner. I sin intentionally and often. My favorite prayers have become the prayer of the thief on the cross and the prayer of the publican, respectively, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom", and "God have mercy on me." I know that left to my own devices there is nothing that I can do to reach Him. And I know that He has visited with me despite my faults and grievances... what I haven't understood yet is why.

It unsettles me somehow when people tell me I am closer to God than they are, or that I am a blessed or a example person. Maybe that's wrong of me and I should "let my light shine before men", but I don't see it. I feel like if God one day opens His gates for me perhaps I'll be in a tent and I'll get to wash white robes and polish golden walkways, even so, I would be so grateful for His mercy and grace, and I know it will be because of Him and not because of me. Please pray for me if the Spirit nudges you to.

But back to the topic at hand. Sorry Jesse!

No apology necessary because this is what we're discussing after all. How do we rid the world from our lives and how do we avoid compromises with the word.

It all sneaks in unawares, we always have to be on the look out. Like when God told Cain - sin is crouching at the door, ready to devour you.

 

[hallowbonnie]

I still feel conflicted about what went down with my ex best friend.I cut off our friendship I did it so fast and so sloppy.I wasnt long out of witchcraft myself when I met her .I had prayed for someone like her my whole life and it seemed like perfect timing I had came back to christianity and she was a christian.We spent so much time together liked all the same things ,prayed together etc.Two years later she starts dating this guy who practices witchcraft and next thing I know she has an altar in her apartment and is asking me to chant with her.There isnt much in my life that is an achilles heel but this definately is I had dabbled in it from age 12 to 27.Over the next year I tried to adjust and brush off that powerful pull I even fell and chanted a couple times with her.I finally got so frightened after a horrific nightmare at her place where I felt someone trying to suffocate me in my sleep .Rushed home in the middle of the night sent her a crapload of emails saying I couldnt be friends anymore and what shes doing is dangerous .She was so mad saying I was a brainwashed Jesus freak and asked if I honestly thought he was the only way to heaven and I said yes.It was such a mess and Im not sure what I should have done or if I even did the right thing I only know I still have dreams about her where Im crying because I miss her so much.

 

[Jesse]

I still feel conflicted about what went down with my ex best friend.I cut off our friendship I did it so fast and so sloppy.I wasnt long out of witchcraft myself when I met her .I had prayed for someone like her my whole life and it seemed like perfect timing I had came back to christianity and she was a christian.We spent so much time together liked all the same things ,prayed together etc.Two years later she starts dating this guy who practices witchcraft and next thing I know she has an altar in her apartment and is asking me to chant with her.There isnt much in my life that is an achilles heel but this definately is I had dabbled in it from age 12 to 27.Over the next year I tried to adjust and brush off that powerful pull I even fell and chanted a couple times with her.I finally got so frightened after a horrific nightmare at her place where I felt someone trying to suffocate me in my sleep .Rushed home in the middle of the night sent her a crapload of emails saying I couldnt be friends anymore and what shes doing is dangerous .She was so mad saying I was a brainwashed Jesus freak and asked if I honestly thought he was the only way to heaven and I said yes.It was such a mess and Im not sure what I should have done or if I even did the right thing I only know I still have dreams about her where Im crying because I miss her so much.

Hi HB,
This is the sort of predicament I was referring to when I was using the example from the Bible, we can get tripped up by satan through other people that seem innocent enough.

I think you definitely did the right thing because your friend was trying to drag you down with her, into sin and away from God. It reminds me of the verse that asks the questions "What does light have to do with darkness?" unless it is ready to illuminate it but your friend remains in the dark with her practices. Now that you know where she is at I guess you could pray for her.

We can avoid being worldly in obvious situations, but sometimes it's difficult to see ahead with 20/20 vision to make sure our decisions are solid on Christ.

 

[jasonc]

beer, bible and lust. how does one not have a problem doing studies in a bar? I can see witnessing to them but if one isn't lead to do that then I suggest don't do it.

 

[Jesse]

beer, bible and lust. how does one not have a problem doing studies in a bar? I can see witnessing to them but if one isn't lead to do that then I suggest don't do it.

Agree. I wouldn't be allowed in one so.......

 

[jasonc]

Agree. I wouldn't be allowed in one so.......

lol. im double your age plus 6.

 

[Jesse]

lol. im double your age plus 6.

So the choice I have in addressing you is "old man" or "sir"......hmmmm..decisions, decisions...

 

[jasonc]

So the choice I have in addressing you is "old man" or "sir"......hmmmm..decisions, decisions...

Lord wil suffice.