'COMPROMISE, COMPLICITY, AND COLLUSION' - A GUEST POST FROM "A FELLOW CRUSADER FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE"

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:

I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then, because thou art lukewarm, 

and neither cold nor hot,

I will spue thee out of my mouth."

(Revelation 3:15-16)

The following article, written in June, 2015, was forwarded to me by its author who is a good friend of this blog, with full permission to reproduce it here if I thought it appropriate - which I most certainly do! It is a very thought-provoking piece, and I hope and pray that its message will resonate with readers. (No prizes for guessing which TV channel is referred to in the text!)

Compromise, Complicity, and Collusion

Something that's compromising makes one vulnerable to being embarrassed or incriminated in some way.

Complicity refers to the act of helping someone else behave inappropriately or illegally.

When you collude with someone, it is for the purpose of getting or doing something that is illegal or harmful; it is to act in unison or agreement, often in secret, towards a deceitful or illegal purpose. One is then guilty of collusion.

We compromise the Word of God when we fail to accept the Word. See 2 Timothy 4:3-4. We also compromise when we place our own desires and the desires of others before the Word of God. See Acts 5:4

As true believers in Him, we must accept His Word as absolute and inerrant truth - 2 Timothy 3:16. We must obey His Word fully - John 14:15, 1 John 5:3, and 2 John 1:6. We must acknowledge that His Word is not to be compromised for any reason or for anyone - Deuteronomy 17:11, Proverbs 24:7, and Revelation 3:15.

It follows on, therefore, that we certainly must not collude with, or be complicit in, the sins of others.

Years ago, The Lord spoke to my spirit and said, " I will brook no compromise".

I was involved in much false teaching until The Lord, in His grace and mercy, brought me out. This all started with compromise, when I did not pay any attention to His instruction in Matthew 24:4. From there, it was a downward slope.

I have also been been at the receiving end of abuse, and have seen others abused. In my work as a Care Support Worker, I have provided support to those who have been abused; the effects on them are very distressing to witness.

False teaching and abuse often go together, I have found, though not necessarily.

At a training course at my workplace earlier this week we learnt about the various types of abuse and were taught to recognise the signs of each type and to provide examples. Sadly, I found the latter part of this exercise all too easy to answer.

One of the examples I gave was of a residential home, where some of the staff verbally and physically abused residents, whilst others, though not taking part in the abuse themselves, were nevertheless guilty of abuse because they sat by and said and did nothing while defenceless people were cruelly mocked and abused on an ongoing basis.

Even one instance of abuse where someone says or does nothing is bad enough; the one just sitting by is equally culpable as the perpetrator of the abuse. In other words, they are not only complicit, they also collude.

I reiterate; we must not collude with, or be complicit in, the sins of others. One of these sins is maltreatment, e.g. verbal abuse and controlling and / or manipulative behaviour. These are not just seen only in cultish Christian groups and churches!

Two examples immediately come to my mind. One is a certain Christian TV channel which gives a platform to many false teachers and prophets, mostly of the WoF variety.

Those of us who have lovingly shared our concerns have been verbally abused, maliciously accused, and had our characters maligned, especially by a certain person on this channel, both on live programmes and on Facebook. I speak as one of these.

A number of Godly men and sound Bible teachers left the channel in protest due to the WoF false teachers and prophets and others being given air time, but not before having tried to explain their reasons for this to the channel concerned. They were not willing to compromise with such gross error. If they had remained on the channel, they would not only have been guilty of compromise, but also of complicity and collusion. They had no alternative but to leave.

Since then, this channel has gone from bad to worse. I therefore ask, can we, or should we, have anything to do with it? That includes watching it.

For me, the answer is "no". I cannot, and will not, watch it. Surely, if we do that, we betray those who so boldly stand for the truth of His Word. Friends, that is disloyalty.

The other example is a Christian business I know. One of the owners of this business behaves in a way that is most unbecoming a Christian. They are rude to people, disappproving, critical, and cruel. They have, on several occasions I know of, reduced people to tears, and driven others away - literally. People I know, or have met, have been told to leave the premises (told, note, not asked or requested!) and then not to return as they are not welcome. Yet others are cut off,  summarily dismissed, or ignored; this person has turned their back on them, and in common parlance, "blanked" them.

Believers have witnessed this person's behaviour on a number of occasions, but have said nothing. Mind you, the said person is somewhat intimidating; you cross them at your peril! To my shame, I have witnessed this person's behaviour, but have also said and done nothing. I am equally guilty, therefore, of complicity and collusion.

But now, enough is enough. I am voting with my feet! I will not be returning to those premises whilst this person's behaviour continues thus.

If they were to contact me to ask me why I have not been back there, I will ask The Lord to give me the courage and wisdom to answer them, citing the examples of their behaviour I have given.

I therefore ask again; can we, or should we, have anything to do with premises managed by a person such as this? I think you know what my answer would be.

Please feel free to tell me if you disagree with these assertions. I welcome your input, whether you agree or disagree.

In Him, with sadness and concern,

"A Fellow Crusader For Truth And Justice"

(Name and email address supplied. This comes from a trusted source who, as the recipient of the disgraceful kind of responses mentioned in the text, has understandably requested that the above appears under this nom de plume).

"Come out of her, my people,

that ye be not partakers of her sins,

and that ye receive not of her plagues."

(Revelation 18:4)