Compromise

TUES., AUG. 18, 1992, 6:35 AM
FARM, STUDY

To some fundamentalists, be they political, economic, religious, or whatever, this term and this concept is anathema. Compromise is weakness. Compromise is not standing up for what is right… or for that to which you are committed. Compromise, therefore, is evil.

What do I, the Holy Spirit, have to say about compromise? Hear again, one of My most frequent assertions… I love diversity. While I love, guide, and support some who hold to absolutes, such as the inerrancy of every word of Holy Scripture, I also encourage others to compromise in order to accomplish what is possible. You are one of these latter.

I have given you a theology of hope and of the need for continued growth… a spiritual purpose for life. It does not fit very well with the basic, but rather undefined, position of your Presbyterian Church (particularly relating to eternal, everlasting life), but I call you to hear Me, as a continuing Presbyterian Christian. This means compromise… even some amount of dishonesty. Just know that you are not the first servant to be called to such an earth life.

I can look at life in the earth, with all of its diversity, and I can envision “perfection”. People would get along with each other… but that would involve mighty compromises. There would be no war and no bloodshed… but how would those who feel injustice and disenfranchisement (whew!) respond. Would their compromise be acceptable to Me? Or do I want certain folk to fight for rights and for what would seem a better life?

I have told you that I allowed the Holocaust as a means of reestablishing Israel… the Jews in their promised land. That was a compromise in that it took many deaths of individuals to enable the true life of a chosen people. Then I knew that this had to be at the “expense” of the Palestinian people, whose “homeland” was taken, as it was from other peoples many years ago. Now there is more spirit of compromise in the Jewish leaders. This shall herald some good… and also some disadvantage.

Thus I have to declare that this realm of the earth is perfect in its imperfection… like unto My perfection as Jesus, by definition rather than by pure conduct. I would not compromise with the Pharisees, nor with Pilate. I could have done this easily, and now there might be no schism between Christians and Jews. And yet you know there are rather stark differences among Christians themselves, so the “ideal perfection” seems afar off.

As Jesus My miracles were a compromise. I did a few that were rather spectacular, which brought some people to believe in Me as the Messiah, the promised One of God. Yet I would not do the political and military miracles that would have established Me as the awaited Messiah. I did not come down from the cross nor heal My own wounds (or did I, later?). I was the suffering servant, which was a kind of compromise Messiah. As I hung on the cross I did not appear to be “wonderful, counselor, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

The New Testament is somewhat of a compromise. There are four Gospels, each of which tell My story, as Jesus, in a different way. Without Matthew (and Luke, somewhat) you would not have My Sermon on the Mount, that challenge to right living with which you must dally compromise. Without John there would be no introduction of Me, the Holy Spirit. And then there is Paul, with the message of grace… and life is some compromise of trying to live in more holy ways and accepting My hold sacrifice as sufficient.