By Rick Sibert                                                                                                                                   March 2008  

Not that I care much about television, but one of the casualties of the months-long Hollywood writers strike was the cancellation of the entire 2008 season of the Fox drama, 24. Yep, sorry, friends but Jack Bauer will not be returning to the small screen to save the planet this year.

For the uninitiated, Jack Bauer is the uber-intense, retired Army special ops officer who now works for the government as a counter terrorism agent.  Actually, that’s a pretty lame description….

….He’s really the baddest man on the planet, bar none.

Bauer’s fervor is for his country, and he will do anything to protect her and keep her safe - even torture his own brother (who admittedly was evil), or sacrifice his life by flying a plane loaded with a nuclear bomb into the Mojave Desert to spare the city of Los Angeles.

So where does this devotion and dedication come from?  And can we learn anything from Jack Bauer?

Bob Cochran, the show’s executive producer, recently commented about what sets Bauer apart from most of the rest of the human race:

“The notion that was on our minds was, Here's a guy who, although he's flawed and makes mistakes, he's uncompromising."

In season one, that character trait of Jack’s is set in the very first episode, as he orders his assistant to check out a suspicious superior: "Nina," he says, "you can look the other way once, and it's no big deal. Except it makes it easier for you to compromise the next time, and pretty soon that's all you're doing is compromising, because you think that's how things are done."

What makes Jack Bauer different (and why in the land of make believe he is always the only one who can save mankind) is that he is steadfast and uncompromising.  His focus and his purpose never waver.

In my opinion I have long believed that compromise is the root cause of what is destroying the Christian community.  In most cases we have so married ourselves to the world that we increasingly can’t tell the biblical from the unbiblical and we are in fact indistinguishable from the world.   

How does compromise manifest itself?

It manifests itself in the language that comes out of our mouths.

It manifests itself in the way we gossip, the jokes we laugh at.

It manifests itself in the movies and television shows we allow our eyes to see or the ungodly music we listen to.

Compromise.

We compromise when we look at certain photos on the internet.

We compromise when we linger on that female co-worker (You know the excuse, “I’m only looking….”)

We compromise when we are less than truthful.

We compromise when we don’t open our Bibles on a regular basis to be filled and empowered.

This isn’t legalism – it’s sanctification.  It’s a personal choice by someone who names the name of Jesus not to respond to the prodding of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that same Spirit who took up residence within you when you first believed, and who wants to conform you into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29)

So what are the effects of continual compromising?  Let’s again look back at Jack Bauer’s statement, and see if we can grab some more Biblical truth out of it:  He said you could look the other way once and it was “no big deal.”  That’s where we differ.  Because actually it all starts there.  With that first look.  With that first compromise.  When we plow ahead and do something when the Holy Spirit has told us not to, it just makes it that much easier the next time.

And the next time.

And the next time.

And pretty soon, you can’t remember why you weren’t supposed to be “looking the other way” because you think “that’s the way things are.”  Sin has deceived you and your conscience has been seared (I Timothy 4:2).  Sin’s tentacles are now so deeply embedded in you that you can’t tell right from wrong, and pretty soon you don’t care.  That is the effect of compromise – a life unfulfilled.

As I stated, I believe compromise is at the root of what is destroying the church.  It is why you see extra-marital affairs rampant.  It is why you see a divorce rate that is no different from the unchurched world.  It is why we have pastors addicted to pornography.  It is why you see teenage rebellion.  And so on.  And so on.

Do you know God demands nothing less than unequivocal obedience?  We can’t be excuse-makers in the body of Christ.   We can’t pick and choose the things we will obey while at the same time trying to live a sanctified life.

And why?  Why would God demand obedience from us?  Is He a tyrant?  A no-fun slave driver?  No – God demands holiness because He knows that when we stand for righteousness that it is for our own good and our lives will be blessed and fulfilled and we will be true ambassadors for Him.  You see, our lives are not our own.  We’ve been bought with a price (I Cor 6:20).  Everything we do affects the rest of the body in the spiritual realm. (Read Eph. 4-6)

I speak from experience.  I lived in the world for twenty-five years before I was graciously saved.  I think I rivaled the Apostle Paul as the “chief among sinners” –in other words, I had a lot of “baggage” that took me a long time to rid myself of.  And I still struggle at times and need to call out to the Lord to strengthen me.  So I can tell you from experience that when I am taking a stand against sin in my life I am liberated!  And I am empowered and strengthened the next time that trial comes to take a stand again.

And who gets the ultimate glory?  Our Creator and Redeemer does!

To quote John Piper, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”  And how are we most satisfied in Him?  By saying, “No compromise!”  “No surrender!”  And living a life that is Holy and pleasing to Him.

Editor’s Note:  Eternal Perspective is a monthly feature of Calvary Chapel Columbus and the commentary of Pastor Rick Sibert, focusing on living a Godly life in the midst of an ungodly world.