HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div

Ninth  I fear little compromises for the way they dishonour God

Listen to what Paul says right after he declares God as sovereign–Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Notice verse 14, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”  God is working out His plan, and anytime we start complaining, grumbling or arguing, we are attacking the character of God.  God is sovereign, and that means God controls all things.  So when we complain, we attack God’s control–His sovereign design.

When we talk about others inappropriately, when we gossip or slander, when we second-guess people or assign motives, we are acting as if we have the mind of God, acting as if we know people’s hearts, arrogantly asserting our omniscience as if we’re all-knowing.  Therefore, like Satan, we are declaring, “I will be like the Most High.”

The little compromises, or as my mother calls them, the acceptable sins, like worry, frustration, discontent, pride, selfishness, lack of self-control, impatience, irritability, anger, slander, gossip, envy, jealousy, judgmentalism and worldliness are all attacks on God’s character.  Therefore, like Daniel, I take those sins seriously.  Do you have a conviction about the way you speak?  If you don’t’ stand for something, you will fall for anything.  Finally . . .