DO NOT BE A COMPROMISING CHRISTIAN

Home

DO NOT BE A COMPROMISING CHRISTIAN
1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Introduction: Compromise.....clever, seductive, subtle, deadly, is one of most effective tactics ever invented by the devil for use against Christians. Satan really doesn't expect to convince most Christians to go out and commit some horrendous sin. No, he would much rather convince us to lower our guard just a little at a time....so gradually that we hardly realize it when we stumble. Instead of falling headlong into a pattern of sin, we drop our standards one notch at a time until our integrity is impaired, our character is injured, and our relationship with God is damaged (Illus: Redwood tree). In much the same way, the devil tries to bring down the Christian through a steady drone of small, seemingly insignificant temptations. Just as those small beetles found access to the tender core of a huge, 400-year-old redwood, Satan will find ways to creep into our lives for the purpose of eroding our foundations. Compromise was rampant in the Corinthian Church . They had made some drastic concessions to the enemy.... Satan. For example...In chapter 5 we learn that sexual immorality was being tolerated in the church at Corinth . In chapters 8 - 10, we see that they toyed with Idolatry. In chapters 11-14, we see how they lived in pride. They abused spiritual gifts and dishonored the Lord in worship. Chapter 15 reveals a doctrinal problem. There were those who were questioning the resurrection. Is compromise a problem today? There are those who identify themselves as Christians who have... abandoned the authority of scripture, who are growing more tolerant of abortion and sexual sin. Compromise does not happen all at once. It happens just a bit at a time. If you don't stop the little in-roads of compromise, you will eventually end up a casualty. How can we avoid this pitfall? I believe our text teaches us two things we must do. We must:

I. LIVE WITH AN AWARENESS OF THE SPIRIT'S PRESENCE (V.16)
Notice that...

A. The Spirit's Presence In The Believer Is A Fact

Many Christians are not aware of the blessings they have in their relationship to the Holy Spirit. The very second you are saved, the Holy Spirit... Indwells you, Baptizes you into the body of Christ, fills you (takes control), and begins to reside with-in you. Please understand that these things don't happen to just some believers, but every believer... (Rom 8:9) "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

Because the Spirit indwells you, He is with you all the time. We should never think that we can compromise and no one will know.

B. The Spirit's Presence In The Believer Has A Function.

The Holy Spirit is given to the believer for many reasons. For instance, the Holy Spirit works within us to...

1) Encourage Us In our praying, learning, witnessing, growing.

2) Enable Us To detect and defeat sin! (Illus: The Alarm sounds and you can respond or ignore it. The Holy Spirit is an internal alarm system that goes off with-in the believer to help us detect sin. When that goes off in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to defeat the temptation and experience victory!

II. WE MUST LIVE WITH AN AWARENESS OF SIN’S POWER (V. 17)
Sin affects us. Notice that there are two things mentioned here that sin will bring into the believers life.

A. Sin Will Bring Defilement Into The Believer’s Life.

Individually and collectively.

B. Sin Will Bring Discipline Into The Believers Life.

Note the term "destroy". From the word to pine or waste; properly to shrivel or wither, i.e. to spoil or to ruin, to deprave:- corrupt (self), defile, destroy. God will not take our compromises lightly. He is Holy. We are to be "holy"! When we are not then He must take action. He will discipline His children. For example....

1) Jonah

2) Annanias and Sapphira

3) The Corinthians... (ch. 11)

Conclusion: (Illus: Shoe shine boy…”I’m not going to charge you again, I just don’t want my work walking around looking like that.”) You know that is probably what the Lord thinks about us. That's why when we begin to drift from Him, we hear Him calling us to repent of our backsliding. He doesn't want His work to go around displaying the filth of this old work.