The Compromising Church
“But I have a few things against you, because you have those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” ~ Revelation 2:14
It’s possible to stand strong in some areas of our faith while quietly compromising in others. We can love Jesus, attend church, serve in ministry, and still allow things into our lives that slowly pull our hearts away from Him. The danger is that compromise doesn’t always announce itself. Most of the time it shows up as a small decision, a little justification, or something we convince ourselves isn’t really that big of a deal. Before we know it, what once bothered us doesn’t bother us anymore. That’s exactly the kind of danger Jesus was addressing with the church at Pergamos.
The church at Pergamos was doing some things right. They held firmly to the name of Jesus and didn’t deny their faith, even when some believers were being put to death for their faith and witness for Him. Jesus acknowledged their faithfulness, but He also confronted something serious happening within the church. Some were holding to teachings that were leading others into compromise and sin.
Jesus described Pergamos as the place where Satan’s throne was. This was a spiritually hostile environment, yet the believers were still called to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus. Their problem wasn’t that they were surrounded by darkness. Their problem was that some had begun allowing that darkness to influence the way they lived.
In the key verse today, Jesus referred to the teaching of Balaam. In the Old Testament, Balaam was offered a reward by King Balak to curse Israel. God wouldn’t allow him to curse His people, and Balaam ended up speaking blessings instead. However, Balaam later introduced a strategy that caused Israel to stumble. He helped Balak use temptation and compromise to draw God’s people into idolatry and sexual immorality. Rather than defeating them through an outward attack, the enemy used something much more subtle. He placed temptation in front of them and encouraged them to participate.
That’s still one of the enemy’s greatest strategies today. If he can’t get us to openly reject God, he’ll try to get us to gradually compromise our convictions. He doesn’t always tempt us with something that looks obviously wrong. Sometimes it begins with something that seems harmless, something we excuse, or something we tell ourselves we can handle. But when we repeatedly entertain what God has told us to resist, we become more vulnerable to being pulled away from Him.
Causing others to stumble is also a serious matter to Jesus. During His earthly ministry, He gave a strong warning in Mark 9:42: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he was thrown into the sea.”
Our choices don’t just affect us. The way we live, the things we celebrate, the conversations we participate in, and the attitudes we display can influence the people around us. We may think we’re making a personal decision, but someone else may be watching and learning from our example.
There are two important questions we need to ask ourselves. First, am I causing someone else to stumble by the example I’m setting? Second, am I being deceived or slowly lured away from God by temptations I’ve allowed into my own life?
Jesus instructed the church at Pergamos to repent. He called them to turn away from the compromise and return to His truth. He warned that if they refused, He would fight against those who were holding to these false teachings with the sword of His mouth. God’s Word is not something we get to adjust to fit our preferences. It is the truth and standard we measure our life by that exposes deception, corrects our thinking, and shows us how to live.
Jesus also gave a promise to those who overcome. He spoke of hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it. The hidden manna points to God’s provision and the spiritual nourishment found in Him. The promise of a new name reminds us of the personal acceptance and relationship He gives to those who overcome. We don’t have to settle for what the world offers when Jesus has something so much better for us.
Here are 3 truths we can take from the message to the church at Pergamos:
1. Don’t allow small compromises to become a way of life
The enemy doesn’t need us to make one enormous decision against God if he can get us to make a series of little decisions that slowly weaken our convictions. What we repeatedly allow can eventually become what we accept. We need to recognize temptation for what it is and make the decision to stand on God’s Word before compromise takes root.
Practical ways to apply this truth:
- Pay attention to the things you’re allowing into your thoughts, conversations, entertainment, and relationships.
- Ask yourself whether something is drawing you closer to Jesus or making it easier to ignore His instructions.
- Stop making excuses for habits or attitudes you already know aren’t pleasing to God.
- Don’t wait until temptation becomes overwhelming before deciding where you stand. Establish your convictions ahead of time.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area where you’ve become comfortable with something God is asking you to surrender.
How to get started: Choose one area of your life where you’ve been making excuses or lowering your standards. Take it to God in prayer, open His Word, and ask Him to help you take the next step toward obedience. You don’t have to change everything in one afternoon, but you do need to be willing to take the first step as He leads you out of compromise and back into His grace.
2. Be careful that your choices don’t become a stumbling block to others
We sometimes forget that people are watching how we live. Our children, family members, friends, coworkers, and other believers may be influenced by our example more than we realize. We don’t want our choices to encourage someone else to compromise their faith.
Practical ways to apply this:
- Consider what your words and actions communicate to the people closest to you.
- Be careful not to excuse behavior in your own life that you would discourage in someone else.
- Don’t use your Christian freedom as an excuse to participate in something that could harm another person’s faith.
- Be willing to apologize and make things right when your actions have hurt or confused someone.
- Choose to lead with love, kindness, and integrity, even when nobody seems to notice.
How to get started: Think about the people God has placed in your life. Ask yourself, “If someone followed my example this week, would it help them grow closer to Jesus?” Let that question guide one practical change in the way you speak, act, or respond to others.
3. Strengthen your resistance by staying close to God
We can’t expect to resist temptation while continually feeding the very things that make us vulnerable to it. Jesus called the church at Pergamos to repent and return to Him. James 4:7–8 gives us a practical instruction: submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God. Notice that resisting the devil begins with submitting ourselves to God. Our strength doesn’t come from simply trying harder. It comes from staying connected to the One who gives us strength.
Practical ways to apply this:
- Spend time in God’s Word every day. You can’t recognize a counterfeit if you don’t know what is true.
- Memorize Scripture that speaks directly to the areas where you are most tempted.
- Pray before you enter situations where you know you’ll be challenged.
- Ask the Holy Spirit for strength and wisdom instead of relying on your own willpower. He has grace for you to stay on track with the plan and He wants to help you into your best life.
- Remove unnecessary opportunities for temptation. Sometimes the wisest spiritual decision is simply not putting yourself in the situation.
- Stay connected to other believers who encourage you to follow Jesus and will lovingly speak truth when you need it.
How to get started: Begin each day by spending time with the Lord before the demands and distractions of life take over. Read a passage of Scripture, ask the Holy Spirit to help you apply it, and make one intentional decision to obey what you’ve read. Your Bible doesn’t have to be a decorative accessory on the nightstand. Open it and let it guide your life the way God intended!
Jesus wasn’t telling the church at Pergamos to live in fear of the enemy. He was calling them to recognize compromise, repent, and remain faithful to Him. We need to understand that spiritual warfare isn’t just about recognizing what the enemy is doing. It’s also about knowing God’s Word, submitting to His direction, and choosing obedience when temptation comes.
Today I want to encourage you to take an honest look at the areas of your life where compromise may have quietly crept in. Don’t allow the things of this world to become more familiar or appealing than the things of God. You don’t have to give in to every temptation that comes your way, and you don’t have to allow your choices to become a stumbling block for someone else.
Strengthen your heart with God’s Word, draw closer to Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to help you recognize and resist the things that pull you away from His truth. Remember, Jesus didn’t set you free so you could return to the very things He delivered you from. He set you free so you could live for Him! Make your heavenly Father your greatest priority, stand firm in His Word, and let your life be an example that encourages others to follow Jesus. Don’t settle for a compromised faith when you can live a life fully devoted to the One who loves you.
Today’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 2:12–17
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’
Journal:
- Is there an area of my life where I’ve allowed small compromises to become acceptable?
- Are there things I’m participating in that could cause someone else to stumble in their faith?
- What temptations or distractions have I become less sensitive to over time?
- What does submitting myself to God look like in the area where I need the most strength?
- What is one practical change I can make this week to strengthen my walk with Jesus and encourage someone else in their faith?
