Weakened through compromise?

This CoffeeBreak starts ugly. The US government estimates that around 20,000 young women and girls are brought into our country every year to be used by men for sex! Authorities estimate that about 100,000 juveniles are involved in prostitution in the United States right now! Craigslist (an online classified ad service) is a prime site for selling sex. Men haul young girls around the country from one airport hotel to another, from one truck stop parking lot to another, selling them for sex with 12-20 men a day. And my question is - where is the Church?

A tragic fact is that many Christians are incapable of raising their voice because they are participants in the darkness, consumers of pornography, leading double lives. In public they appear upright and God-fearing, but their computer screen is often full of sexually explicit images and their minds are corrupt by fantasies about sexual adventures. Some are silenced by guilt, others are no longer even able to see the evil in what is being done, robbed of discernment because their minds are twisted by sin’s deceit. Where there is compromise, there is weakness.

Integrity gives strength. Refusing sin, battling temptation with the power of the Spirit and conviction, allows us to speak up. Many years ago, before the internet brought pornography to our living rooms, a merchant of sex set up shop in the town where I was serving as a young pastor on a church staff. I had no qualms about taking issue with the establishment, even in public. I had no fear of being exposed as a hypocrite, no need to accommodate my own sins and failures, with muted messages of protest. I was able to call the videos and magazines for what they were - destructive and enslaving, filthy and abusive - because I had integrity, was faithful to my wife in thought and deed, and enjoyed the freedom provided by holiness. I was not a slave to sin, but a servant empowered by my relationship with Christ.

Holiness is abandoned by many Christians leaving them weak, double-minded, and without discernment. Some think that the cool disciples can do anything because they know the grace of Christ Jesus removes the penalty of their sin. To commit to a holy life that "abstains from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22, KJV) is considered by some as a sign of spiritual immaturity or as an expression of legalistic religiosity. After all, it is reasoned, are we not free in Christ from the rules about food, drink and sex? From the rules of men? Yes! Free to indulge our every desire? No! This ancient error has crept into lives of disciples from the beginning.

In the first chapters of his letter to the Romans, Paul celebrates the amazing grace of Christ that removes the penalties of sin. His voice reaches a crescendo as he preaches "For if by the one man’s offense death reigned ... much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17, NKJV) In other words, Adam brought death to us all. Christ brings life!  "Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more." (Romans 5:20, NKJV) That's the wonder of God's grace. The worst are not beyond its reach.  

But, some reason that if grace flourished in the presence of sin to conquer it, then the logical response would be to ‘sin all the more!’ Right?

The Scripture refutes that as the inspired Paul goes on to write: "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2, NLT) "When he (Jesus) died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:10-11, NLT)

Holiness that comes from a close walk with God where even secret sin is challenged and conquered by the Cross lends great strength of conviction. It allows us to love those who are slaves of greed or lust without fear or loathing. Holiness centered in Christ gives a beauty and wholeness to life. Here’s the word from the Word. Let this be a personal call this day. "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:34, KJV)

__________

Take time to be holy

Speak oft with thy Lord

Abide in Him always

And feed on His Word

Make friends with God's children

Help those who are weak

Forgetting in nothing

His Blessing to seek

Take time to be holy

The world rushes on

Spend much time in secret

With Jesus alone

By looking to Jesus

Like Him thou shalt be

Thy friends in thy conduct

His Likeness shall see

Take Time To Be Holy

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George Coles Stebbins | William Dunn Longstaff