“Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death” (James 1:15).
James 1:15 reveals a clear cycle of sin that oftentimes plays out in the lives of many individuals. The truth is there has been a great moral decline within the church in America over the last several decades. Such a decline has resulted in an embracement of compromise leading to a powerless and often prayerless form of Christianity.
A large percentage of the American church has entered a season where it is challenged when it comes to espousing the basic truths of the Bible as it pertains to life and ministry. I know that many will want to throw up red flags and cry out “legalism” at this point.
Despite that, what I am referring to has everything to do with foundational scriptural principles—principles which have, in many ways, been swept away in the name of freedom, liberty, grace and so forth. It is as if many are afraid to live, preach and teach the Word of God when it comes to areas of purity, holiness, obedience, repentance, conviction, discipleship and more.
I do understand that there is a legalistic approach to living for God many have fallen prey to. This religious lifestyle leads to religious exasperation, which is often void of joy and true freedom. However, much of what we now call legalism in the modern church is really not legalistic at all when we compare it to what the Bible says about following Jesus and being his disciple.
It has been alarming to me over the last several years to see so many people who once burned for truth and a deep commitment to the Lord fall into traps of delusion, which have led to spiritual decline, lukewarmness and coldness of heart. I have witnessed some of God’s warriors fall on their own swords as they have allowed their conscious to become dull as compromise cast a spell over their lives.
Join me this week for this episode titled The Spell of Compromise on my Maintain the Flame podcast where I share about the dangers of compromise and how it can cast a spell over its victims. Be prepared to be challenged and stirred as you listen. {eoa}
Keith Collins is the founder of Generation Impact Ministries and Impact Global Fellowship. He is actively involved in itinerant ministry, teaching and writing. In recent years, Keith served as the president of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry and as the director of FIRE School of Ministry, which were both born out of the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida. His recent book, Samuels Arising: Waking Up to God’s Prophetic Call, is now available on Amazon, and his podcast, titled Maintain the Flame, can be heard on iTunes and at cpnshows.com. You can contact Keith via his websites at keith-collins.org or impactgf.org.
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