“ ... Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” 1 Corinthians 5 : 6
Apostle Paul corrected the behavior of the church in Corinth who let fornication enter the church. Some people in the church was left to live that lifestyle. One of the causes was because there was no clear teaching and they diverted from what the Lord had set for them and from what Apostles had taught them.
Jesus also corrected the church in Thyatira because they compromised as Christians and there was a decline in morality and spirituality; all their work became vain because of their compromises.
The sin of compromising is disliked by the Lord for two reasons. First, this sin deviates from the truth of God’s Word: His Word is being preached carelessly – people add to and cut out verses to gain justification over their sin. This is what it means by deceiving spirit. Second, this sin deviates from the holiness God desires for His children. Some instances include: adultery is considered as normal, having dirty thoughts and disregarding the impact it may have for their children.
Jesus says that compromising is the trick of the devil. Things that seem simple and normal for the world, when they are being practiced or when the church neglects it, it will destroy every good thing of the church. The impact is that the church would be no different than the sinful world. Sin is like a yeast that leavens the whole lump. Reputation, image, and spiritual influence that were obtained with great efforts will go in vain because they have been taken over by sin.
What we must do if the sin of compromising enters our lives is to repent. Often times when we sin, God does not correct us harshly, but He corrects us with gentleness and gives us time to realize and repent. Don’t try to justify yourself before the Lord. When the Holy Spirit says it is wrong, ask for forgiveness immediately and do not do it again. The second thing we must do is to hold fast to the true teaching. One of the characteristics of false teaching is justifying an unholy life before the Lord. False teaching will push people to no longer ask the Holy Spirit what is right or wrong, instead they standardize their own holiness.
The third thing we must to is to do as Jesus did and do it until we meet Him. 1 John 2:6, “ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” And the fourth is that we must always read, meditate and do the Word of God, as well as building an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit through prayer, praise and worship. Only through intimacy, our spiritual ears will be sensitive to His voice. The more we are sensitive to His voice, the more we can discern what is not from God.
Remember, the Lord Jesus has made us conquerors. We were graced with the ability to make an impact in this world for His glory. Don’t let sin destroy that impact, but keep living holy and be faithful until the end and see that the crown and power over nations will be rewarded to us. Amen
Source : Article from GBI Gatot Subroto Jakarta