By Jerome Jimoh 

We are living in what many would describe as ‘interesting times’. May be so, although I do not find it ‘interesting’ at all, more like distraughtly to me. At best, I should describe the current state of the world in terms of the Dickensian paradoxical phrase of ‘the best of times’ and ‘the worst of times’.  How did mankind get to this point of confusion, of a prevalence of ‘facts’ and ‘alternative facts’, of ‘deep fake’ and ‘virtual reality’?  I hereby posit that the avoidable confusion stems from the prevalence of compromise with the Truth. Let me declare quickly that in this article, ‘Truth’, embodied in God, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17 NKJV) is grounded in the Christian belief system. This, needless to say, is opposed to Serpentine ‘Falsehood’ and all that Satan embodies.

Because the test of our faith comes in myriad ways as also a test of our spiritual integrity, of our walk with God. Do we stand steadfast or do we compromise.
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What is Compromise?
The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary offers a range of denotative and connotative meanings in both positive and negative senses. Compromise can, on the one hand, imply ‘concession’, accommodation’, and ‘deal’. Compromise represents a “middle ground,” often described as a, “give-and-take” approach that avoids continued conflict In these positive senses, the word carries mutually agreed settlement that produces a situation or a condition that is better than the status quo ante bellum.

‎On the other hand, compromise can also mean to ‘jeopardize’ or ‘weaken’ standard, quality, or value.  In the walk of faith and matters of religious beliefs, this is precisely what compromise means. To compromise in these contexts is to change or adjust principle, standard, opinion, idea, stand, etc. in order to accommodate another (often lower) standard or principle. In this context, Compromise dilutes at best, at worst it pollutes.

In this (negative) context for example, a lady accepts or refuses to compromise her moral value in the face of a sexual proposition by her boss that can earn her a promotion and attendant benefits. Although this is an unethical demand by a superior to a hardworking staff of the opposite sex, the staff had a right of decision and stayed true to her personal moral standard by rejecting the demand – at possibly a high price.  ‎

‎In matters of our Faith where good and bad, right and wrong, and ultimately God and Satan are the clear, unequivocal options available to the Christian, we compromise when we dilute, undermine, or in any way concede the word of God in exchange for the values, standards, and beliefs of this world.  Psalms 19:7 warns: “The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”

‎Compromise with Satan (as the Serpent) is the main cause of the Fall of the first Man (Adam and his God-chosen wife Eve). In Genesis 3:6, Eve, “… saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” She subsequently gave the fruit to her husband who, succumbing to the Eve-assisted temptation, did not object but ate it as well. Thus, Adam compromised on God’s instruction in Genesis 2:17 that, inter-alia, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”

There is always a price for disobedience of laid down laws. Man did not die physically but spiritually as well. He was separated totally and finally from God spiritually, physically and emotionally. Having compromised with Satan the Adversary, Man’s glory was removed instantly. In essence, Man lost the presence of God in his being and became exposed to sin. This was Satan’s desires of course; but it could not have happened except that Adam and Eve, exercising their God-given freewill, acted on their (wrong) choice.

A most important point is that compromise in matters of faith provokes the anger of God. Without the omnipotent cover of God, the believer is unprotected from satanic attack in its many forms.
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However, in order to undo Man’s compromise with Satan (the serpent), God immediately commenced His redemption plan for Man. Hence, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to the Earth to restore Man to the original plan that he dwells in His presence. God achieved this through the sufferings, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This resurrection, the only one in the history of the world, we celebrate every Easter.  Indeed, this unique event is the reason for and the anchor of our Christian faith in a life after death.‎
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The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the symbol of Man’s victory not only over death but also the age-long bondage that first separated Man from God and denied Man the pleasure of His glorious daily relationship with Him as it was “in the cool of the day.” (Genesis 3:18.) A risen Christ and all that it signifies is the very foundation of all Christians. If Christ had not defied death and outlived it, nothing worse can be imagined for the fate of mankind. Indeed, living for good or for ill, nay, the entire purpose of life would be meaningless. ‎But with a risen Christ seated on the right hand of his Father on the throne, we are assured of not only our resurrection but into eternal life of glory – on the condition though that while here on earth, we fulfill the Christian conditions.

It is unfortunate that today, our practice of Christianity has been compromised in many ways. Take the matter of tithing. Some professed Christians say “I don’t believe in tithing, but I give alms”.  There are professed Christians who serve other gods or join cults to acquire power, security or to make money to become rich. These are compromises relinquishing spiritual power and /or material prosperity.  Of course, having sold their souls to another god in exchange for these worldly acquisitions, the power and the prospect of resurrection is consequently nullified!
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Several times, in the Bible, the Israelites often provoked God by compromising their faith to serve the gods of the land they were to occupy. A typical example is found in Judges 2:10-15. After the era of Moses and Joshua, “another generation (of Israelites) grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what God had done for Israel”. They were doing evils in the eyes of the Lord “and served the Baals” and various other gods – such as Ashtoreths.

‎In contrast to the above generation of Israelites, Jesus Christ came to the world on an uncompromised assignment to redeem mankind of the burden of Adamic sin that compromised Adam’s relationship with his Creator.  Jesus Christ came to pay for the sin of Man’s compromise and restore Man to his original relationship with God.

Just as God has good plans for everyone, (Jeremiah 29:11), even while we were still in the womb, God had given this singular assignment to His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. While on earth, therefore, Jesus never lost focus, nor compromised on this assignment. When tempted by Satan the temper and adversary, Matthew 4:1-11 narrates that Jesus remained focused on the ultimate plan of His Father (God) until “the devil left him (Jesus), and angels came and attended him.” Jesus would neither negotiate for nor be settled with “the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” No compromise, period!

At Gethsemane, a Jesus in deep agony could have compromised God’s plan of redemption for Man. Instead, he only said in that unimaginable emotional state, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” Again, no compromise with his God-given assignment, period! ‎

‎Compromise, like Satan the Deceiver, manifests –or, to put it it in popular parlance, rears its ugly head- by other means.  It can feature in the context of the test of our faith: what is termed ‘Evidence of Faith Testing’.  It comes as tempting, juicy options put in front of the believer. To do or not to do, ‘to be or not to be, that is the question’ (Hamlet 3.1). American great poet Robert Frost, in “The Road Not taken” wrote of two roads that diverged in the woods; the one he chose to take made all the difference in his life. Similarly, two ways are ever available to Man to go:   the popular, well-trodden wide and broad way ‘that leadeth to destruction’, or the ‘narrow …which leadeth unto life’ (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV). Whereas the one offers immediate gratification here on Earth, the other grants delayed but eternal gratification on the other side of life.

God, in His infinite wisdom grants Mankind the freewill to choose his own fate. Says the Book of Sirach 15:16-18 (CEB): ‘He has put fire and water before you; you can stretch out your hand for whichever you choose. Life and Death are in front of human beings; and they will be granted whichever they please, because the wisdom of the Lord is great; he is mighty in authority, he sees everything.’  Again the central point to this is the choice to compromise on our spiritual integrity, or to remain steadfast through thick and thin.

Compromise, as evidence of faith testing, as a test of spiritual integrity, as an assessment of our trust in God, comes through trial of all sorts. Job, of whom the Lord  said ‘there is none  like him in earth,  a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil’ nonetheless had his days of trial in the form of terrible tribulations. ‘Then said his wife unto him, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die”. Job, not unexpectedly, denounced her foolish counsel. Scripture says ‘In all this did Job not sin with his lips’. (Job 2:9-10, KJV). He did not compromise. Indeed, said he in defiance: ‘Though he slay me yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain my own ways before him.’ (13:15)(KJV)

Other instances of compromise are found in the Bible.  A covetous King David contrived to kill his army general Nathan and take over his wife. The heavy price he paid for lowering his personal standard with God, in order to satisfy immediate gratification of his carnal senses is well documented in Scripture. Even Apostle Peter, confronted with his followership of Christ was quick to deny his connection. ‘Woman, I do not know Him’ (Luke 22:57, KJV). Ananias and his wife Sapphira, otherwise committed Christian couple, compromised their spiritual integrity by under-declaring the proceeds from the sale of their property. The unbearable sense of guilt and shame cost both their lives –and possibly heaven.

Compromise as a willful lowering of our moral standard in exchange for immediate benefit is glaring in the matter of ‘corruption’ in public office. In this context, Merriam-Webster dictionary describes corruption as ‘dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers)’. Transparency International (TI) defines ‘corruption as ‘the abuse of entrusted power for private gain’. To bring the matter closer home then, a Nigerian public officer is in principle and in practice, expected to uphold integrity both as a public servant and as a leader entrusted with the management of public affairs. If, when, and where he falls short of these expectations, he is guilty of compromise.  As evident in the sorry state of Nigeria, the condition of the country suffers incalculable damage from the compromise by its citizens of their spiritual integrity and personal moral values. The Holy Book is clear in this respect: ‘Righteousness exalts a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people’ (Proverbs 14:34 NKJV).

How does compromise occur in the life of the Christian?
In the passage quoted from the Book of Judges, the Israelites failed to teach their children the Laws and the moral values handed down to them through the generations of Moses and Joshua. In our present society, we are repeating the same failure by not passing on to our children the standards and the morals we learnt in our Christian practices and cultures.  For example, gone are those days the good nature/attitudes we learnt during our upbringing by our parents, or even by our grandparents. The culture of respecting elders and greeting them even when we don’t know them is now almost extinct. The Biblical injunction to ‘honor your father and your mother’ does not, indeed cannot, in a society with a communal sense of responsibility, mean only our biological parents. Regrettably, this is the narrow, myopic, way that many in the body of Christ read this injunction. It is wrong.

‎The Israelites traded God’s covenants for their own convenience by tolerating what they should have rejected outright. God’s instruction as the Israelites got to the Promised Land was firstly, to never to serve the ‘gods’ of those people. They were also to be a separated tribe from the people whose lands they were possessing – no intermarriage, etc. However, the Israelites considered the Commands of God too strict and difficult to obey. They subsequently succumbed to their base human desires rather than their higher spiritual demands. In sum, they compromised!

Today, we like to serve God at our convenience and not as commanded. For instance, church attendance is at convenience; get to church late or even give flimsy excuses for absence.  Many are ‘cafeteria Christians’ who, like selecting for a meal in a cafeteria, pick and choose what virtues to live by and what to ignore. That undermines faithfulness to the Christian precepts and loyalty to our Master, Jesus the Christ.

‎The lowering of the standards of holiness has become common place. We take God’s permissive will as an option to His divine will. This causes ‘destiny accidents’ because we make personal choices that are not in sync with God’s plan for us. Furthermore, presumptuous and even secret sins take over the believer. David realized this weakness as a compromise when in Ps 19:13 he prayed God to delivered him from presumptuous sins. ‘Presumptuous sins manifest in a wide range of ways, including pride, prejudice, and intolerance.

What are the effects of compromise on the life of a Christian?
I can confidently give six ways that compromise with wrongness (as embodied in Satan and his tempting ways) affects the life of the believer.  One, it removes the coverings or protection of God from him or her. Two, it delivers him to the enemy. Three, compromise exposes the Christian to spiritual attacks. Four, it weakens the power of resistance to enemy attacks. Five, it exposes man to continual spiritual, and in turn, physical defeats. Lastly, and this is the bottom line:  compromise ultimately leads to condign but just punishment from God.
May God deliver us from the evil of compromise, Amen.

‎Jerome Jimoh is a pastor with Opendoors Christian Centre. He lives in Port Harcourt.