I have been attending church my entire life. I have lived in a Christian home and I strive to have a Christian home now. I have heard hundreds of sermons, read much of the Bible multiple times and even done multiple Bible studies on different topics. Through all this, the one thing that amazes me is the amount of compromise found in Christians today. Sadly, if I am honest, there are areas I have compromised in.
One definition of the word compromise is to accept standards that are lower than desirable.
The Christian life is based off of three things: convictions, standards, and preferences.
- Convictions – something I will die for.
- Standards – something I live my life by.
- Preferences – something I have built on top of my standards that I apply in my life.
Examples of these:
- Conviction – I believe that the King James Bible is the holy, inspired, inerrant Word of God and I will always hold to that even if it means that I lose my life.
- Standard – I believe that drinking alcohol is a sin, so I don’t do it.
- Preference – I don’t go to bars even to hang out because there I will be faced with a greater temptation to drink which I believe is a sin.
I don’t think people compromise in the area of conviction. If it is truly a conviction, than you will never leave that stand that you take on that subject.
People compromise in the area of standards. God gives us a Book full of standards that we should live by. We in turn, compromise those standards to accommodate our lifestyle.
We have compromised our dress standards, our music standards, and our general living standards. We have allowed the world to dictate where our standards should be instead of following the standards that God has already given us.
God’s standards have never changed. The world, over time, has got progressively worse and worse. Christians, over time, have changed their standards to stay the same distance away from the world as they have always been, yet in doing so, they have gotten further away from God.
Christians, don’t examine your life compared to the world! Examine your life compared to God and the Bible, then you will see where you need to increase in your daily living.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Romans 12:1-2
Counted Faithful 
Excellent definitions of convictions, standards, and preferences!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I have heard preaching growing up where preferences where preached as standards and standards preached as convictions. I had to learn where I stood on different subjects and you have to break them down into one of these categories.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful words from Romans 12:1-2
LikeLike