Rationalizations We Often Make When Compromising Our Ethics
We persuade ourselves that others are doing it.
That may be true, but we will still give an account to God: "Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment… For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. So, we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:9, 10)
We tell ourselves that no one will know.
Really? "For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths… The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good… My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?… Do not I fill heaven and earth?… Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Proverbs 5:21; 15:3; Jeremiah 16:17; 23:24; Hebrews 4:13
We convince ourselves that no one cares.
God does: "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time… The Lord was grieved… " (Genesis 6:5, 6a)
We rationalize our compromise, treating it as a lesser offense than it really is: "Hey, cutting a few corners here and there is not that serious."
Guess again: "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free… No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." (Proverbs. 19:5; Psalm 101:7)
We talk ourselves into believing we deserve favored treatment that allows us to bend the rules:
"Hey, I was shafted..." "They didn't uphold their end of the bargain." "Because I did all the work on the project, I am the one who should get compensated – not them!"
Jesus sees it differently: "Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously… " (Matthew 5:39b-42 – Message)
QUESTION: Are you committed to uncompromising Biblically-based ethics, whatever the cost?
Minister Calvin Wyatt /email:cixmo@aol.com /calvincosmo30@gmail.com /calvincosmo@facebook.com.
We persuade ourselves that others are doing it.
That may be true, but we will still give an account to God: "Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment… For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. So, we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:9, 10)
We tell ourselves that no one will know.
Really? "For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths… The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good… My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?… Do not I fill heaven and earth?… Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Proverbs 5:21; 15:3; Jeremiah 16:17; 23:24; Hebrews 4:13
We convince ourselves that no one cares.
God does: "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time… The Lord was grieved… " (Genesis 6:5, 6a)
We rationalize our compromise, treating it as a lesser offense than it really is: "Hey, cutting a few corners here and there is not that serious."
Guess again: "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free… No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." (Proverbs. 19:5; Psalm 101:7)
We talk ourselves into believing we deserve favored treatment that allows us to bend the rules:
"Hey, I was shafted..." "They didn't uphold their end of the bargain." "Because I did all the work on the project, I am the one who should get compensated – not them!"
Jesus sees it differently: "Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously… " (Matthew 5:39b-42 – Message)
QUESTION: Are you committed to uncompromising Biblically-based ethics, whatever the cost?
Minister Calvin Wyatt /email:cixmo@aol.com /calvincosmo30@gmail.com /calvincosmo@facebook.com.
EMP0WERMENT
Seven Resolves of Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758)
Jonathan Edwards, perhaps more than any other person, laid the foundation of Christianity in early America. He, along with George Whitefield affected "The Great Awakening," the first of several major revivals in the USA.
1. "Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God… "
Jesus: "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." (John 17:4b)
2. "Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be."
"Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." (Romans 6:13)
3. "Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor… "
"Get rid of all… slander… " (Ephesians 4:31b)
4. "Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same."
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11)
5. "Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it."
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)
6. "Resolved, to strive my utmost every week to be brought… to a higher exercise of grace… "
"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… " (2 Peter 3:18b)
7. "Resolved, never henceforward, until I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's."
"For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord… We belong to the Lord." (Romans 14:7, 8a)
Jonathan Edwards, perhaps more than any other person, laid the foundation of Christianity in early America. He, along with George Whitefield affected "The Great Awakening," the first of several major revivals in the USA.
1. "Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God… "
Jesus: "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." (John 17:4b)
2. "Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be."
"Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." (Romans 6:13)
3. "Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor… "
"Get rid of all… slander… " (Ephesians 4:31b)
4. "Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same."
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11)
5. "Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it."
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)
6. "Resolved, to strive my utmost every week to be brought… to a higher exercise of grace… "
"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… " (2 Peter 3:18b)
7. "Resolved, never henceforward, until I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's."
"For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord… We belong to the Lord." (Romans 14:7, 8a)
A Clarion Call:
If you have not yet received the Lord Jesus into your life, or you once received Him but backslid, make yourself available of this opportunity and pray this prayer: There is no degree of sin the Lord cannot blot out. Do not postpone, for tomorrow may be too late.
Father I come before you as a sinner (Romans 3:23)
I sincerely repent of my sins (Acts 3:19)
I believe that Jesus died and was resurrected to grant me salvation
(John 3:16)
Today, as I receive Him into my heart by faith, grant me grace,
not to go back to my old sinful ways (Proverbs 28:13)
Thank you Lord for saving me.
