COSTLY COMPROMISE
03-08-02

In ancient Greece, the politically crafty philosopher Aristippus had learned to get along in court by flattering the tyrant Denys. Aristippus looked down his nose at some of his less prosperous fellow philosophers and wise men who would not stoop that low. One day he saw his colleague Diogenes washing some vegetables and he said to him disdainfully: "If you would only learn to flatter King Denys you would not have to be washing lentils."

Diogenes looked up slowly and in the same tone replied, "And you, if you had only learned to live on lentils, would not have to flatter King Denys."

Much of life involves trade-offs and compromises. In our family one of us really enjoys Chinese food and the other really enjoys steak. Each of us will compromise in order to maintain a good relationship. Occasionally, my wife will go with me to have Chinese food or I will go with her to have steaks. These types of compromises have no real long-term significance. It really does not matter in the eternal scheme of things whether we ate Chinese food or steaks. However, there are some things which do have eternal significance and which there can never be compromise.

One thing that we must never compromise is our integrity. Integrity, also known as our character, has been described as “what we are when no one is looking.” Having integrity demands one to be honest, moral, and virtuous at all times and in all places. Aristippus was willing to compromise his integrity for wealth and prestige. On the surface he may have appeared to be of good character, but in reality he was greedy and self-serving. Recently, in our own country, we have read and heard about high-level executives of a major corporation who may have dishonestly used their position to accumulate wealth. Not only have these individuals’ reputations been tarnished, but also, if the allegations are true their integrity has been lost also. What company would hire or do business with them? Someone once said, “Character builds slowly, but it can be torn down with incredible swiftness.” and “Character is easier kept than recovered.”

Another thing we must never compromise is our relationship with Christ. The New Testament reveals many who compromised their faith for the things of this life: prestige, wealth, power, etc. Diotrophes compromised his relationship with Christ for power. A man in the church at Corinth compromised his relationship with Christ for sensual pleasure. Judas Iscariot compromised his faith for thirty pieces of silver. Today, there are religious leaders and “self-proclaimed Christians” who have compromised their relationship with Christ by condoning such sinful practices as homosexuality, abortion, the use of beverage alcohol, and countless other things which violate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why would such individuals place their souls in danger over such sinful practices? It may be for wealth, a church that stands for nothing will tolerate and accept anything. Obviously, this results in more members and thus a larger contribution. Another reason may be prestige, for many, the idea of “pastoring” a large congregation holds great allurement. Compromising the doctrine of Jesus Christ, can offer opportunities to have these things, but they come at a price. Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:36-38 NKJV)

Just as Diogenes was apparently aware of the compromise of Aristippus, so is the all-knowing God aware of individuals who have compromised their integrity or relationship with Jesus Christ. He will hold responsible those who compromise is such matters. James Russell Lowell once said, “Compromise makes a good umbrella, but a poor roof; it is a temporary expedient . . .” However, the consequences may be eternal.