Chapter 5 - Justification by Faith

The Danger of Being a  Compromiser

Galatians 2: 11-14

Compromise.  That is supposed to be the way to go, isn't it?  Compromising.  Finding the middle ground.  Not wanted 'my way or the highway' all the time. And in this troubled times right now, more compromise is needed instead of one side pushing for their way and the other side saying "you need to be more open to the opinions of others as long as you agree with me."  Even our minister listed this on our prayer request list: "need for peace in our nation--between races, between police and civilians, between Republicans and Democrats.  We are a very divided nation." 

Thus...this was an interesting chapter to read last night.

The focus for me was not really on compromise, though.  At least not the way I usually think of it.

Here are my take-aways:

Sincerity, not pretense, is what God requires.

Ok...I know that.  We hear so often about Christians who show up on Sundays and act like they are godly people, but as soon as the Sabbath ends, they are back to their own ways of acting, talking, and doing business.  We do need to be sincere about our faith, which includes living it, not just acting like we are Christians on Sunday in church.

People can give many reasons that seem logical for the things they say and do, but if their behavior is not in line with God's Word, it is wrong.

This passage brought to mind some things that I haven't understood for a while, and I could be subjecting myself for criticism from many of my friends and family members.  But some things are written in the Bible and should be followed.  The Ten Commandments for one.  "Thou shalt not steal."  I don't understand the justification of looting businesses and stealing televisions from Target and money from ATM's during the protests that have occurred during the last couple of weeks.  I understand the need for peaceful protests and the outrage at what has been happening in our county with the black population, but stealing is not right.  There is no justification for that.    I don't see the justification in damaging the property of others either.    Neither of those actions are in line with God's word.  Both of those are just wrong.

Hypocrisy is something unbelievers in every era have accused Christians of, and it causes many people to be resistant to Christianity.  It is vitally important that we live our lives in front of people according to what we say we believe and not compromise to gain their approval.

I hope I have not been a hypocrite too many times.  I know that I have been on a few occasions, but I try to live my life according to the commandments and the teachings of the Bible.  There were several years where I was floundering in the 80s and 90s especially, and I regret some of the my thoughts and actions during that time.  But I try.

Be a God-pleaser, not a people-pleaser.

I like to think I am a God pleaser. But when I think about the last half of this statement, I know that too often I try to please people.  I care too much about what people think of me. I want to be liked.  I don't like to be made fun of.  I don't like to be laughed at.  I don't like to be mocked.  I also compare myself too much with others, and while I know that is wrong,  and even though I have gotten better about it, I still do too much of it in my mind.  This is definitely something to work on.

I am still not sure about the title of this section and the idea of compromise.    Maybe it is a compromise between what God wants us to do and what people expect of us and how different they are, so we are caught and try to compromise?