Recently, my wife, Nancy, and I were in New York City for ministry with a Chinese church. The pastors took us to dinner in a Chinese restaurant. When dinner was finished, someone opened a fortune cookie that read, “Compromise is always wrong if it means sacrificing a principle.” (Reading this fortune cookie was not done because anyone believed in fortune cookies. It was just good fun.) However, as it was read aloud, I thought to myself, “Is this actually true?” You might ask yourself the same question.
Think about this. At times, compromising may be just the opposite of sacrificing a biblical principle. Compromise can mean that you are extending grace to someone, at the expense of what your sense of religion says. Galatians 2:21 (NKJV) says, “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
What may need to be sacrificed are any thoughts of self-righteousness and selfishness. You may have to refuse to demand what is yours or what you deserve. Sacrificing what we deserve, denying self-righteousness, and blessing others with grace were good enough for Christ on the cross… and He is God! Grace ought to be a principle we should honor always. Now, go have a cookie and think about it. I know the cookie will taste good. I also know there is nothing that tastes any better than giving the grace of God to someone who needs it badly. Reflect on this.