What Is Your Price?

Every now and again I’ll go searching for some new music on Amazon music. There is a lot of good Christian music on there that is outside of the mainstream CCM that I stopped listening to a few years ago.

The other day I found a CD by some random guy that I was thoroughly enjoying. It was just his great voice and a piano and the songs were very appealing to my ear.

But a couple of songs in, I heard a weird phrase. Wait, what? I listened for it again. I wasn’t sure if it was unbiblical, but something didn’t seem right. I kept listening…

The next song came on. In this song, he assured his listeners that God would enable you to listen to your own heart. It was actually a very strange lyric and–no question with this one– definitely NOT biblical (Jeremiah 17:9)

At that point, I moved on.

But, it was a reminder that unbiblical, false teaching comes in all kinds of packages. It comes in pleasant-sounding songs as well as rap music. It comes in theatrical productions as well as in a soft-spoken preacher. In church and at work. On the TV as well as through a friend or your favorite social media account.

Any false or unbiblical teacher has either been deceived themselves or has chosen to compromise.

We can avoid being caught up in deception by careful and correct study of scripture. It is authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient. It is the only source of truth and God’s gift to us to keep us from deception. If we are deceived for a short time, He is faithful to call us from deception at some point if we are His own, dear child.

But let’s talk for just a bit about those who intentionally choose to compromise.

Some say we all have a price at which we will compromise. For many it is popularity, for some it is power or wealth, for others it is fear of what others will think. For many in the west, the price of compromise may be comfort, convenience, security, or stability. And then there is family. Many are unwilling to stand strong because of the ridicule and antagonism they receive from their families.

More and more, we are watching people compromise what is taught in scripture. People we have trusted to not compromise.

It is a most discouraging and disheartening process.

In the face of this most discouraging set of circumstances, how do we respond?

Since we can’t control what others do, we must keep plodding along, serving the Lord, intent only on pleasing Him. When we put our eyes on some other goal or idol, we end up compromising —sometimes without even realizing it.

Pastor Randy Hooper wrote this recently: “Most people, even the unbeliever, will not compromise his belief for ten dollars. But how about ten thousand dollars or ten million? A person is not any more noble because they, in a sense, charge more for their defection and cowardice than others.”

Exactly. Most people have a price. Oh, they may hold out if a small reward is offered. But when the cost gets too high or that thing that is so highly valued becomes available if they but compromise (just a little…) then most who call themselves Christians will cave.

So what is your price? What is mine? Will we compromise?

This is when it is helpful to take an honest and hard look at ourselves. What is our idol? What is more important to us than God? Hopefully nothing but this is a tough one. Sometimes we don’t even realize that something is more important to us until we examine our hearts. And this is our weak spot. This idol is what Satan will use to tempt us to compromise.

And so we pray for protection. We pray that God would enable us to keep Himself number ONE in our hearts, over and above all other things and people.

Others around us may compromise. But may we stand strong until the end!

And let’s not forget: We can only do this through the strength of the Holy Spirit. And this, through prayer and the Word of God.

Alone, we are like little lambs in the wilderness—prey for false teachers and incredibly susceptible to idol-bowing.

May we be people who are both unwilling to compromise, as well as people who refuse to fill our minds with the fodder of compromised teachers as we travel in these very strange times in these last days.

 

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You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

2 Timothy 2:1-6