COMPROMISING GOD'S WORD FOR MAN'S APPROVAL

By Rev. Johnny Lee Clary

I see so many Christians compromising the word of God today in order to gain acceptance from the world. Is this really what Jesus would do? Did Jesus really speak to people and tell them to stop preaching about repentance and sin because it offends people? Did Jesus change his mind about everything God calls sin in order to make the church seem more attractive, appealing, and modern day? Did Jesus tell us to start thinking ‘outside the box’ because we have to change with the times to appeal to the younger crowd? No way! Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35.

Now if what Jesus calls sin, has indeed passed away and it is not sin anymore then that means Jesus is a liar. Do you really want to serve and worship a liar? Neither do I. That’s why I serve and worship Jesus because He is not a liar. He is incapable of lying because He is without sin. As a matter of fact Jesus said “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” John 14:6. Therefore the definition of truth is Jesus. Some say what is called sin in the Bible is an “old fundamentalist way of thinking.” That shows they do not even know God and certainly have no relationship with Jesus when they make an asinine statement like that. Jesus said "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” Matthew 5:17

Now let’s look at what Apostle Paul said. Galatians 1:10 “Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant.” Paul made it clear in the following verses 11-12, that the gospel he preached is not something that came from man but God. “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Paul was saying that he didn’t have to conform to the latest craze, read some book by a guy with a degree in psychology, or see what the latest polls are in order to get what he had. He was saying he got his anointing, his wisdom, and his ministry from being on his knees and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through him.

In Galatians 1:17, Paul says, “I didn’t get my revelation of Christ from the saints in Jerusalem. Instead, I went into Arabia, to the desert, to have Christ revealed to me. I spent precious time there, being emptied of self, hearing and being taught by the Holy Spirit.”

Paul was not some flaky self-ordained charlatan. He was a man with a heart that served people out of love. He was not prideful and arrogant with his eyes fixed upon what the world had to offer, but rather was humble with his eyes fixed on Jesus and the prize offered to him in eternity.

While it is nice to have a big church, when we compromise God’s word in order to build one, we are displeasing God and misleading a lot of people. As a matter of fact we will be held accountable if we don’t preach the truth because the truth is what sets people free. Ezekiel 33:8-9 “Suppose I say to a wicked person, 'You wicked person, you will certainly die,' and you say nothing to warn him to change his ways. That wicked person will die because of his sin, and I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his ways and he doesn't turn from them, then he will die because of his sin. However, you will save yourself.” Jesus said “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

So what if people get offended by the truth! I would rather kick them into heaven than pat them into hell!

When you are focused on being a God-pleaser, you will never be focused on trying to win men’s approval!

Either you will offend God and please the world or you will offend the world and please God!

So what’s more important to you?

©Johnny Lee Clary International Ministries


Rev. Johnny Lee Clary is an ordained elder minister in the Church Of God In Christ, the largest African American denomination in the USA. He is one of the leading advocates for racial unity in the United States and has appeared on countless television and radio shows such as The Billy Graham show, Fox News, Morris Cerullo, Oprah, Morton Downey Jr., Rolanda Watts, Geraldo, Sally Jesse Raphael, Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake, Queen Latifah, Montel Williams, Phil Donahue, A&E Investigative Reports, ABC World News Tonight, Bertrice Berry, The Today Show, A Current Affair, The 700 Club, and Kenneth Copeland's TV show. He has also been a regular guest on TBN's Praise The Lord show and has been featured in America's top newspapers and magazines, including a seven page feature story in Charisma magazine in Feb. 2010, April 1999, Moody Magazine, Guidepost Magazine (Sept. 1998), Kenneth Copeland's Believer's Voice of Victory magazine, as well as appearances on TV programs in Australia, England, Holland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales. He holds the record for the largest crowd ever at Hillsong Brisbane, Australia.