Backsliding, Compromise, and Condoning
With the gifts of Christ to the church for perfecting the saints, there is much resistance to being conformed into His image. While one states, "Don't judge me," another states, "Who made you a judge?" The ramblings go on and on rejecting responsibility, accountability, and submission to the Word of God. But just who are those who resist? Who are those who reject the gifts of Christ to the church? Why would a blessing ever be considered anything else but a blessing? Let's go into this a little more and allow some Scripture to answer these very important questions.
I have said many times to many people, "If you ask enough people, you will find someone who will confirm to you what you want to do, but that doesn't make it right." Most people will believe anything they want and more so if they believe the source that it comes from. I think for these reasons we have some Scriptures for us.
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
James 3:1-2 ¶ My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Matthew 23:8-10 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Building people, making disciples of all nations is a part of the great commission, but we must consider these Scriptures that we don't presume on God that we are anything, and beware that we don't succumb to pride thinking we are something when we are not. The nature of the beast so to speak is that people will desire to hear what we have to say, but as teachers we must never feel we should be called "father" or "Rabbi" because these positions belong to the Lord, and yet as teachers we must always be aware that we are as easily susceptible to falling as any other person, if not more so because the devil throws his rotten tomatoes at those whose heads are above the rest and in the front. No one can presume that their ability to learn makes them special or any better than others. One of the biggest problems in churches is the arrogance of some in the pew who think they know more than the pastor and as such deserve a special seat if not the congregation to remove the pastor and replace him with himself. Having some knowledge in an area does not qualify anyone for anything unless the Lord has called and He is training and raising you up for ministry. Sadly there are too many "teachers" who destroy with their underlying bad attitudes as their sin festers like a canker and leavens the whole lump. That was the Achan problem in Joshua 7, and it still goes on today.
Paul describes the danger of being a teacher or a builder in a way that is straight forward, yet it is not seen by very many. Years ago I heard someone say, "Within the seeds of prosperity and victory are also the seeds of defeat and sin." Paul relates this truth this way. 1 Corinthians 3:18 ¶ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. The danger of a teacher is the danger of us all wherein we slowly edge the relationship with Jesus out of the way (Revelation 2:4), but the teacher still sounds like a "good" teacher, however behind the scenes the cancer is growing. The teacher relies on his learning, his knowledge, but there are telltale signs, the occasional lack of Spirit insight that was there before on relatively simple passages, but the prides and wisdom of this world produces a rejection to repent and allow the forgiveness to wash them clean. But why? Because they never did anything that was visibly evil, it was the hidden things, the emails, the attitudes, the cancer of compromise, condoning, and thus a backslidden condition is in existence. This teacher has left his first love, and now the reliance is on his knowledge. But what did Paul say to this? 1 Corinthians 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
From Easton's Dictionary
Carnal
Unconverted men are so called (1Corinthians 3:3). They are represented as of a "carnal mind, which is enmity against God" (Romans 8:6,7). Enjoyments that minister to the wants and desires of man's animal nature are so called (Romans 15:27; 1Corinthians 9:11). The ceremonial of the Mosaic law is spoken of as "carnal, " because it related to things outward, the bodies of men and of animals, and the purification of the flesh (Hebrews 7:16; 9:10). The weapons of Christian warfare are "not carnal", that is, they are not of man's device, nor are wielded by human power (2Corinthians 10:4).
From Strong's
4559 sarkikoV sarkikos sar-kee-kos'
from 4561; TDNT-7:98,1000; adj
AV-carnal 9, fleshly 2; 11
1) fleshly, carnal
1a) having the nature of flesh, i.e. under the control of the animal appetites
1a1) governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God
1a2) having its seat in the animal nature or aroused by the animal nature
1a3) human: with the included idea of depravity
1b) pertaining to the flesh
1b1) to the body: related to birth, linage, etc
As an adjective, a person who is such, sarkikoV , is contrary to the Spirit who guides into all truth, who regenerates and places us into the righteousness of Jesus. The person who walks in the flesh while claiming the presence and power of God is hypocritical and a cancer to themselves and the body as a whole. This person can't hear the voice of the Lord because they are in sin, there are no exceptions and comes into play rather vividly when we think of the teacher who is in sin. The teacher who is backsliding, who is compromising the Word of God, and is condoning evil, this person may seem okay on the surface to most people, but to the Spirit of God and those who listen to the Spirit, those who have ears to hear, that teacher is backsliding despite the words used by him, despite the superficial evidence that he would say supports his integrity. The Spirit of God plays no games and no favorites, that teacher must do one thing and one thing is all the Lord will hear from that teacher, that is the prayer of repentance.
One of the signs of a backslidden person always shows in that person's ability to receive from the Lord, revelation that is from the Holy Spirit. This inability to hear the Spirit of God manifests in ways that are contrary to God's ways. There will be the areas of manipulation, domination, emotional blackmail, and intimidation: these are known as elements of Charismatic Witchcraft. The person begins to do some strange things. Proverbs 17:15 ¶ He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. The lay person must beware that their are wolves who seek to devour them (Matthew 7:15), and as such have a responsibility to themselves and the Lord to KNOW those who labor among them (1Thessalonians 5:12). The key is compromise, condoning sin, and condemning the righteous for obeying God. When these elements of charismatic witchcraft replace the Spirit of God and His will for His church, we have a problem, a serious problem, and the teacher who is teaching must be admonished and accept the correction repenting to the Lord. Holiness has never been replaced for a misapplied usage of the word, agape.
The church must awake from its slumber, its present condition of no morals! The church must set up boundaries once again and have no fellowship with darkness and the unclean things of the world, and to be separate as ordained by the Father (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). 1Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ¶ Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Even on the net where people are still trying to find their way around the Word of God yet understanding that the net is not the church just as the building on the corner is not the church. The church is people and when people are in sin, condoning sin, condemning good, and justifying wickedness, we must take notice and not listen to or fellowship with those of such a mind that is contrary to the Word of God. God is truly an awesome God, yet He has given to man the choice, and we must choose righteousness every time.
What is compromise? According to Webster's, it is the settlement in which each side makes concessions; it is the result of such a settlement, something midway. Proverbs 17:15 ¶ He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. Here we see the word compromise in a metaphorical usage where the settlement is justifying a wicked person, and at the same time condemning the just or righteous person and the right acts of a godly person. God makes no leagues with the devil and neither should we and much less the teacher. As lay people, we are responsible to know those who labor among us, to know the voice of the Lord, to hear what people are saying, and whether they justify wickedness and condemn righteousness. Compromise is an evil that comes from the politically correct realm of the world, but let me remind us who is the god of this politically correct world (2Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2).
The time for the church to be serious about standards, who is in leadership, who is teaching, who is in sin, and who labors among us is now. Those who condone sin calling it love must be seen for what they are, compromisers. Don't listen to the cries of foul and don't judge! Reject the diversionary tactics of satan as he seduces willing and unwilling ones to cry legalism. All these tactics are demonic and inspired as such merely add more reason to separate from those who use or are led as Balaam was led. Sadly the most horrific passage of Scripture to me comes from Jesus Himself. Revelation 2:18-20 ¶ And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Thyatira had no standards and allowed themselves to be seduced because of their great compromises with the truth!
We must stand for righteousness. We must demand righteousness in our churches even at the costs of friendship. We must be what the Lord ordained us two milleniums ago, witnesses for His glory empowered by His Spirit to make disciples of all nations! Love means that I will even dare stand at the gates of hell and snatch you out and trembling in fear should even my garment be blemished (Jude 22-23). Join me and join Jesus as we walk in the Spirit and take back what the devil has stolen, what we have condoned and given back, what we thought was God's Word for truly is God's Word. Yes, let's love with agape love, but don't mistake love for compromise and acceptance of another's justification to sin. Yes, let's have compassion, but let's not condone sin thinking we are doing the right thing. Let's expose the sin! Ephesians 5:8-11 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. The cry that you don't exhibit the fruit of the Spirit is merely a mask of the truth because the fruit of the Spirit is found in all goodness and righteousness and truth! So don't listen to the devil even if he speaks through someone that you thought knew the Word of God!