The Dangers of Living an Uncompromised Life

Christians can get into trouble if they begin to live an uncompromised life. A few biblical examples prove that it comes back to haunt them.

Carnal Christians

Christians can get into trouble if they begin to live an uncompromised life. A few biblical examples prove that it can come back to haunt them, so what is an uncompromising lifestyle? A definition of someone who lives an uncompromised life is someone who is not willing to compromise with the truth and make adjustments in differences; someone making no concessions; being inaccessible to flexible bargaining and being unyielding: with an uncompromising attitude. They live without reservation or exception and live only for themselves. Are these what some people call “carnal Christians” just like Lot and Samson was thought to be? Proponents of “carnal Christianity” assert that it is possible to trust in Christ as Savior without necessarily confessing Christ as Lord and while still living in sin like the world. According to advocates of this position, a person is saved if they confess Christ, even if they never live, or even care about a life of obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord. That is a lie. We all have free will.

Still in the Flesh

The Apostle Paul wrote a rebuke to the Corinthian church because they were boasting and bragging about having the better gifts and better teachers. They were bragging that they followed Paul while others followed Apollos (1 Cor 3:2). This is why Paul asks them if they “are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way” (1 Cor 3:3)? They were like the world and beginning to follow man or their chosen mentor or teacher and not Jesus Christ. This is why Paul rebuked them. They were wrongly elevating men rather than God. Being “carnal” has nothing to do with a professing Christian who can still live in sin and be saved. They are taking this text out of context to create pretext, and a false one at that! For a Christian to have no conviction and say they can still live in sin is diametrically opposed to the gospel of repentance and faith (Mark 1:15). We strive to be holy and sin less, yet never being sinless in life, but we don’t tolerate or compromise with sin. We fail and fall, but we get back up. The sinner dives into sin and enjoys the swim.

David’s Example

Some point to King David who committed adultery and then murder, and yet was still called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). Believe the Scripture; David paid dearly for his sins in his life with sons betraying him and stealing his throne, and heartache after heartache like Absalom’s tragic death (2 Sam 18). David was forgiven, but consequences still came. Forgiveness doesn’t mean there won’t be collateral damage that comes as a result of our sins. David had to face the consequences of his sins, even though he repented and his connection to God was restored. And David didn’t continue to sin and continue to commit murder or adultery. He repented of it and stopped. A string of tragic events befell David’s family; the record of lust, murder, rebellion, and exile, added up to a price David probably never dreamed he would have to pay when he first fell into sin.

Lot and Sampson’s Example

Samson and Lot are both in the Hall of Faith (Heb 11), but if you read their accounts in the Old Testament, they might surprise you by the way they conducted their lives! The Apostle Peter says that God “rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked” (2 Pet 2:7). Of course, they paid for their sins, but for Samson, it was the many sins of the flesh that lead to his ultimate death. Regardless of Samson’s carnal, fleshly desires and behavior, God used his death to crush much of the Philistine power at that time. And, poor Lot…he started out well, but came to a sad ending. After Sodom’s destruction, it seemed he lived in fear the rest of his life; a recluse living in a cave. But our God is a forgiving God and Samson and Lot are mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” and by the Apostle Peter.

Sad Endings

We already know of the tragic end of Samson’s life, but Lot’s final years were not much better because near the end of Lot’s life, he apparently lived in a cave because he was afraid of living in Zoar anymore (Gen 19:30). His son-in-law’s stayed behind in Sodom because they thought he was joking when Lot tried to warn them about God’s coming judgment. Very late in Lot’s life, his daughter’s realized that Lot had no heir so they got him drunk (Gen 19:32) and as a result, both of Lot’s daughters had children by him and “The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day” (Gen 19:-37-38). Not only were Lot’s descendants born through sexual immorality, these two boys would end up as the father of two of the worst enemies of the Israelites and practiced one of the most evil of pagan worship. Also, we never hear about Lot again as the Old Testament is silent after we read that he was living in the cave.

Strive to Be Holy

What is the sin that leads to death the Apostle John wrote about? He writes, “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that” (1 John 5:19). We know that if our brother or sister sins, we must go to them, and if that doesn’t work, take another believer or two with you, and if that fails, take it before the church (Matt 18:15-20). The command for the church is, “You be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:16). It doesn’t say “You be perfect,” because that’s not humanly possible.

The Sin Leading to Death

All Christians still fall into sin and will never be sinless in this world, but over time we should be sinning less. The sinner doesn’t just fall into sin; they dive into it and enjoy the swim. We should be sinning less over time. That’s called “sanctification.” We are supposed to be growing in holiness and the knowledge of the Lord, so sometimes God will discipline us as “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Heb 12:6). If discipline fails over time, the besetting or ongoing sin of a serious nature may be the sin that leads to their eventual “premature” death. This “sin that leads to death” is probably different for each person, although adultery is one that you could be stoned for in the Old Testament, and thus, is far more serious in God’s eyes, being the one sin that is against one’s own body (1 Cor 6:16). It is more likely this kind of sin that leads to death; a grievous sin like ongoing, un-repented of adultery destroys families and wrecks lives. When the sin becomes a danger to others and the church, God had every right to intervene and say, “Enough is enough. Come home my child.” God may do this so we don’t do further harm to ourselves and to others, or as a bad witness for Christ.

Conclusion

Forgiveness can be received for all sin (1 John 1:9), but consequences will still, likely follow, but right now, I pray you have put your trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ. As I write this, I pray for those who read this that if they have not come to Christ yet, then they would right now…today. If you don’t, Jesus Christ shout y out of the Kingdom (Matt 7:21-23), so right now as you read this, I plead with you to repent and put your trust in Christ. If you still refuse to do so, with certainty you will face God’s judgment after death (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), whichever event comes first.

Here is some related reading for you: I Have a Besetting Sin. Am I Really Saved? Were Samson and Lot Saved?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Carnal Christian, Living in Sin, Uncompromised Life