Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 22, 2014
CONQUERING COMPROMISE
(ROMANS 12:1-3)
1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship.
2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will
is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but
rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance
with the measure of faith God has given you.
Introduction: The title of today’s sermon is “Conquering Compromise.” Wait a second! One
dictionary definition of “compromise” is this: “An agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is
reached by each side making concessions” (for the noun). For the verb it is this: “Settle a dispute
by mutual concession.” Aren’t we Christians supposed to reasonable, open-minded, evenhanded, congenial, and solution-oriented? Aren’t we against stubbornness, hard-headedness, inflexibility, and self-centeredness? The answers are “Yes” and “Yes” again.
But I am not using the term “compromise” as a workable, humble, agreeable, give-andtake perspective that brings health and healing wherever possible. When it comes to personal
relationships, you and I need to constantly negotiate, cooperate, and concede to others, as we
would like them to treat us in the same way. These quotes say it all: “Compromise, if not the
spice of life, is its solidity. It is what makes nations great and marriages happy.” “Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.”
Compromise/Negotiate/Cooperate with others  Yes. But when it comes to compromising values, Biblical principles, and personal commitments  No. Here are some negative
quotes:
- "I'm interested in why people compromise when they shouldn't. We've all got
ideals, but given the right circumstances, we'll forget about them and put them
behind us." David Lloyd
- "The West in general should stand up more for its own values. It is not always
worthwhile to compromise." Imre Kertesz
- "If you don't make up your mind, your unmade mind will unmake you." E. Stanley Jones
- "Do not compromise yourself and put your goodness in the same impermanent
category as whatever circumstance is happening." Steve Maraboli
- "Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that
which is about us." P.T. Forsyth
- "Compromise means to go just a little bit below what you know is right. It may
be just a little bit, but it's the little foxes that spoil the vine." Joyce Meyer
- "Principles are a set of values that have to be adapted to circumstances but not
compromised away." George Packer
- "It is hard to talk about a middle ground for something that is a fundamental
right." Teri Reynolds
- "My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are easy; you
don't make them because they are cheap; you don't make them because they're
popular; you make them because they're right." Theodore Hesburgh
- "Soldiers, when committed to a task, can't compromise. It's unrelenting devotion
to the standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the
task go until it's been done." John Keegan
- "Because of lack of fortitude and faithfulness on the part of God's people, God's
Word has many times been allowed to be bent, to conform to the surrounding,
passing, changing culture of that moment rather than to stand as the authoritative Word of God judging the form of the world spirit and the surrounding culture of that moment." Francis Schaeffer
- "Satan knows that he can undermine the structure of the church by slyly removing just one fundamental doctrine at a time. He frequently loosens a large foundation gradually, chiseling it away bit by bit. That is why tolerance for the sake
of peace may be dangerous. One step by giving in will lead to a next step, and
will not God visit us with blindness if we deliberately darken the truth He has
graciously entrusted to us. How shall we justify ourselves if we permit even a
little of the truth to be laid aside? Is that ours to do? When peace is injurious to
the truth, peace must give way. Peace with God is of greater value than peace
with men." Abraham Kuyper
It is so easy for us, for anyone, to cut corners, to compromise our values. This can happen in
any facet of life, but it shows up so clearly in sports and entertainment. Taking professional
baseball as an example, what do you think of when you hear of Barry Bonds? He is known as
the poster boy for using illegal steroids. Others including Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, A-Rod, Jose Canseco, and so many more, have brought shame to baseball, not just because they cheated, but because of their reprehensible denials and pitiful excuses.
Do you remember who won the Boston Marathon in 1980? Rosie Ruiz. The marathon is a
grueling event, with one of the biggest “playing fields” in all of sports, covering 26.2 miles of
ground, leaving lots of opportunities for “cutting corners.” Ruiz is probably the most famous
marathon cheat of all time. Ruiz “won” the Boston Marathon in a then record time of 2:31:56,
but it was later discovered that she had simply registered for the race and then jumped out of the
crowd close to the finish line. To this very day, she still denies cheating – even amidst incontrovertible evidence.
Let’s see how Romans 12:1-3 can help keep us from “cutting corners” – compromising.
I. A Holy Offering (12:1)
12:1 – “Therefore” indicates that an inference is being drawn from the prior context, which here
probably includes all of Romans 1-11. Romans is the most solidly jam-packed book of theology
in all of Holy Scripture. The point is here that good/healthy doctrine leads to good/healthy practice.
“Urge” (parakaleō) emphasizes that the following information, with commands, is urgent. Paul is writing to encourage his Roman Christian readers, but he also wants them to feel in
their hearts how absolutely vital these words really are. While there is a sense of urgency, there
is also a sense of care, concern, and camaraderie, as is indicated by the term
“brothers” (adelphos). This is a generic term that includes all in the Christian family, “brothers
and sisters.”
“In view of God’s mercy” is so important, since the divine initiative is brought out as the
necessary foundation for Christian lifestyle. In fact, the word “mercy” (oiktirmos) is plural in
the Greek text emphasizing the manifold, abundant “mercies” of God.
“Offer” (paristēmi) was literally a term for the offering of a religious sacrifice. Along
with “bodies” (sōma), which involves the whole person, the point is that one’s relationship with
God is an integral part of the believer’s life, not a merely half-hearted and occasional endeavor.
“Spiritual act of worship” may also be translated as “reasonable service” or “intelligent
worship.” Our adoration/dedication to God is the most spiritually rational thing that we can do.
Trusting/Following Him is the most rational, the most logical, approach to life for us. This relationship is also vital (“living”), uniquely special (“holy”), and the best of all (“perfect”).
 It is clear from this verse and so many others in Holy Scripture that we are to focus on God’s
mercy and grace, His awesome holiness, rather than getting wrapped us with our own agenda.
He, and He alone, is ideally our true center of attention.
II. Conformation Vs. Transformation (12:2)
12:2 – Two commands now fill out the meaning of the command (“offer”) in verse 1. The first is
negative (something to be avoided), and the second is positive.
J. B. Phillips gives an excellent translation for the NIV’s “Do not conform any longer to
the pattern of this world” in this way  “Don’t let the world press you into its mold.” In other
words, Christians are not to allow themselves to get seduced by and sucked into a worldly perspective and practice that which is opposed to God’s will and ways.
“World” (kosmos) may refer to the universe, the physical earth, mankind, human existence, or an evil system in rebellion against God and His ways. The context determines the
meaning. Obviously, the last, highly negative connotation of kosmos makes the most sense here.
The “world” basically says: “Do your own thing;” “I’m lookin’ out for #1;” “god is within you;”
“You have the potential to do anything.” In other words, it’s all about ME, ME, ME. This even
shows up in religious contexts (especially a self-centered religion like Buddhism that basically
ignores the one, true God).
Positively, believers are to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The passive verb “be transformed” indicates that God is the One doing the transforming, not us. It is
the Holy Spirit who renews us and keeps us from being drawn into and corrupted by the evil system of unbelief around us. This is why it is so important for us to soak up Biblical truth and fellowship with other believers on a regular basis. In fact, the verbs “conform” and “be transformed” are in the Greek present tense, which indicates an ongoing, continual practice.
What is the difference, if any, between “conform” (suschēmatizō) and “be transformed” (metamorphoō)? These terms are roughly synonymous in that one’s inner being and
external lifestyle are affected. However, I think that “conform” refers to external influence that
can bring internal change, while “be transformed” refers to an internal perspective that brings
outer changes. In other words, God works from the inside out, while the world seeks to pull us
away from Him by working outside in.
 A frog will adapt to its surroundings, even if it is being cooked in a kettle on the stove. As the
water keeps warming up, the frog simply adjusts, rather than attempting to jump out. Eventually,
he is cooked completely and dies. We are not to compromise with ungodly worldliness, no matter how alluring it may seem.
Years ago when I was with a mega-church in southern California, this really stood out to me.
Every Saturday night we had top Christian bands play to a typically packed audience. (People
would at times wait for hours to get in to see a popular music group.) I still remember the opening act who was solo female musician. She had one album out, but it wasn’t too popular since
she was a new artist. She had an acoustic guitar and sang her heart out for Jesus. Her passionate
music and spiritual focus were so inspiring. But a few years later she was so messed up with all
sorts of crud and compromise. Why? Because she couldn’t handle her “success” and popularity.
When she was struggling, she depended on God so fervently. But when she became a “Music
Idol,” her spiritual values were tainted with vainglory.
III. Wrong Vs. Right Thinking (12:3) – “A life that is wrapped up in itself makes a very small package.”
12:3 – “For” (gar) indicates a reason for the preceding commands and one ahead in this verse,
revolving around the term “grace” (charis). Again, the emphasis is upon God’s undeserved initiative, action, and blessing in our lives. The only reason that Paul even had any apostolic authority was because of our Lord’s amazing grace.
It is human nature for us to “think more highly” of ourselves than we really ought to. A
vital part of a spiritually transformed life is to “think of yourself with sober judgment.” A self
-centered, arrogant attitude is contrary to the “faith” (pistis) that God measures out to each one
of His children.
To “have sober judgment” (sōphroneō) may also be translated as to “be of sound
mind,” and relates to being sensible and having good mental health. According to God’s Word,
an egocentric selfishness is opposed to good mental health. We are all limited, finite beings who
need God’s intervention to deliver us from a self-centered perspective that is actually harmful for
us and those around us. It is so easy for us to think that the world revolves around us. May we
be more like salt. When you put salt on popcorn or in oatmeal or whatever, do you exclaim:
“Oh, what delicious salt”? No. The function of salt is to draw attention to that which is salted.
Conclusion: Cutting corners, compromising, can eventually lead to all-out self-absorption, even
leaving God out of the picture completely. Take heed to this closing illustration: “In 1717 when
France’s Louis XIV died, his body lay in a golden coffin. He had called himself the “Sun King,”
and his court was the most magnificent in Europe. To dramatize his greatness, he had given orders that during his funeral the cathedral would be only dimly lighted with only a special candle
set above the coffin. As thousands waited in hushed silence, Bishop Massilon began to speak.
Then slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle, saying, “Only God is great!” [Taken
from Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, p. 635.]
To avoid the Big C, Compromise, we need to fervently hold on to two other C’s  the
Cross of Christ. It is His grace and mercy that brings transformation (not worldly conformity).
Focused on the cross and empty tomb,
Pastor Steve Waterman