Compromise Makes No Sense

Elijah's call from Mt. Carmel is a blistery word of preaching against the scourge of compromise.  "How long will you hesitate (halt) between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, serve Him.  If Baal, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)


What a statement!  What a challenge!  What a rebuke!

The idea of "halting between two opinions" is really a figure of speech.  We might say it like this, "How long are you going to sit on the fence of commitment?  Get in or get out.  If you want to live for the world, go live for the world.  If you want to live for God, come serve Him.  But get off the fence.  Be a pagan or be a believer.  You can't be both but you must be one or the other.  Make a decision."

Elijah is essentially saying that full-blown idolatry makes more sense than halfhearted faith.

Think about it logically.  The claims of God through His Word are either true or they are not.  If they are true, their truthfulness merits a response.  If they are false, their falsehood merits a response.  The one thing that makes no sense in the face of Biblical claims is a spiritual yawn.

If God's claims are true...if He loved you, saw you in your depraved state, sent His Son into the world to die in your place, raised Him from the dead, and offered you salvation on the basis of grace...He deserves a response of total commitment and complete surrender.

If that's all a lie, you owe it to yourself to walk away.  Live your life and enjoy this earthly existence.

For example, for some professing believers God is only worthy of attending church 3-4 times per year.  Elijah's comments mean that God is either worthy of ALL or He's worthy of NONE.  Either serve Him faithfully, or don't waste those other 3-4 Sundays either.  Give those Sundays to Baal as well.

Into a world of divided loyalties and weak-kneed commitment, Elijah's call rings truer than ever.  How long are the Lord's people going to live with a foot in the world and a foot in the church.  Get off the fence.  Get in or get out.

The words sound harsh and cutting.  And they are indeed confrontational.  But keep in mind: these words don't come from the administration building at Emmanuel Baptist Church.  They emanate from the top of Mt. Carmel from the inspired lips of the prophet of God.

And the decision for which his challenge calls is the only one that makes any sense.

Questions / Assignments for the Day:

1.  Pray and ask the Lord, "Are there areas of my life where I am not as committed as I ought to be?  Prayer?  Bible study?  Witnessing?  Giving?  Service?"

2.  Read 2 Corinthians 13:5.  Ask yourself (and maybe write some things down), "What evidence is there that I am really in the faith?"