Motive Determines Direction
I Corinthians 10:31
Over the years I have observed numerous
preachers and churches gradually move away from the bold, forthright
declaration of the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ which
they once zealously proclaimed. They do not usually deny the doctrines of
Christ openly. Instead,they pretend to zealously
defend the truth, even though they know they have departed from it. They begin
by toning down their message, filing off the rough edges of God's truth which
offend men. Next, they make allowances for heresy, excusing the freewillism of
one, the legalism of another, and the pentecostalism
of another. Gradually disassociating themselves from proven, faithful men, they
align themselves with less dogmatic, more acceptable men who have learned how
to get along with apostate religionists and climb the ladder of denominational
success. Why? What causes men to compromise principles they know to be right
and doctrines they know to be true? What causes a man to willfully alter his
message and his methods as a preacher? These are questions I have asked myself
a thousand times. But I keep coming up with the same answer: A MAN'S MOTIVE
ALWAYS DETERMINES THE DIRECTION OF HIS MINISTRY! Compromise in doctrine is the
result of compromise in principle. A change of direction in a man's ministry
(doctrinally) is the result of a change in motive. If a man's motive is
personal ambition after success, recognition, etc., he will do whatever he has
to do to get what he wants. For example, if a man wants to be president of the
THE ONLY THING THAT WILL PRESERVE US FROM
COMPROMISE IS HAVING FOR OUR SOLITARY MOTIVE IN ALL THINGS THE GLORY OF GOD.
May God preserve us from every other motive, that we
may together serve his interests (not our own) in this world, for Christ's
sake.
Don Fortner