The Consequences of an Uncompromising Life, Part 2

When all is said and done, beloved, the best we can say to you is this, don't compromise, and let God take your life and do with it as He pleases. And may it be 10 times greater than the life of anyone in this world. Welcome to Grace to You with John MacArthur.

I'm your host, Phil Johnson. Defying the Holy Roman Emperor and facing the threat of excommunication for refusing to compromise biblical truth, one man helped change the world. Martin Luther boldly proclaimed, my conscience is captive to the word of God. And his powerful example, his courageous stand for the truth, was the spark that lit the fires of the Protestant Reformation. Now, you may never have been tested as profoundly as Martin Luther, but if you're a Christian, what you believe will be put to the test. And the question is, how can you face those trials and the persecution that may come with unflinching integrity? John MacArthur helps you with that in his study from Daniel here on Grace to You, titled An Uncompromising Life. Now here's John with the lesson. Have you ever heard it said, every man has his price? I'm sure you have. Your price is the point at which you sell out your claimed conviction, the point at which you abandon your moral standard for some personal gain. Daniel wouldn't compromise.

Neither would Mishael, Azariah, or Hananiah. And what were the results of their uncompromising life? Let's go back and look at them. And we said there were some things that come out as characteristics and consequences of an uncompromising life. First of all, when you live a life that doesn't compromise, that doesn't fall prey to the lifestyle of the world, that doesn't sell out at any price, you will find, number one, an unashamed boldness, an unashamed boldness. Secondly, we saw last time that an uncompromising life not only has an unashamed boldness, but secondly, an uncommon standard, an uncommon standard. And thirdly, we shared last time that it results in an unearthly protection, an unearthly protection. That's not all. There's more.

Number four, an uncompromising life results in an unhindered persistence, an unhindered persistence. Verse 10, And the prince of the eunuch said unto Daniel, I fear, my lord, the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your age? Then shall you make me endanger my head with the king. In essence, the prince of the eunuch says, Daniel, I like you a lot.

You're a terrific guy. And I'm fond of the other three friends of yours. But I'll tell you, Daniel, I'm afraid of the king. If I don't feed you the king's food, you know what'll happen? You'll come out at the end of this three years and you'll be pecked and pale and washed out and weak. And the king will look at him and say, what's the deal here?

And it'll cost me my head. Capital punishment. So behind the scene lurks the phantom of Nebuchadnezzar, you see. I think it's interesting that Ashpenaz at least takes the time to give Daniel the reason which shows me that he really did have compassion. He wasn't just barking out orders without any substance. He gives him a reason. He tells him his thinking. As much as he likes Daniel and has compassion, he will not lose his head over this.

So things immediately went into neutral. Daniel got turned down on his refusal to eat the king's food. Ashpenaz said, Daniel, I can't honor your request.

The king will chop off my head. Well, Daniel, in his wonderful way, gently, without rebellion, without being cantankerous or pushy, just found another alternative, verse 11. Then said Daniel to Melzar. Now Melzar may be a proper name.

However, in the Hebrew, it has a definite article with it translated the. He said to the Melzar, which indicates that rather than a proper name, it is probably a word to be translated steward. Now Ashpenaz was the prince of the eunuchs. He was over all of these young men in the courts and he appointed certain stewards to guard certain given ones. And apparently this guy, the Melzar, was given to guard these men. And here is this unhindered persistence of Daniel. If he can't get an answer that he wants from Ashpenaz, he goes to a lower court, which is interesting. He goes to a guy who would have no personal fear of the king because he wasn't really related to the king. His boss was Ashpenaz. And apparently Ashpenaz was a nice enough guy that he wouldn't chop off his head.

So Daniel goes to the next guy whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. This is an undaunted spirit. Now listen, I want to point out something here. An uncompromising spirit never gives up.

I want to show you a distinction. There are some people who say, well, you know, I know what was really right to do, but I tried to do it and it just didn't work out and this is the only alternative I had. Well, you know, I wanted to do what was right, but I was over there with those folks and they were doing that and it was really all that I could do.

I just had to go along. You know, an uncompromising spirit will never be rebuffed from principle when the first door is closed. I really got the biggest kick out of an article I read this week of a lady who went to the police and asked to be put in jail and so they locked her in jail. And they locked her in jail for a period extending past her wedding date. And they wanted to know why and she said this, I am going to marry a man I shouldn't marry, but every time I see the guy, he's irresistible, so just lock me up till after the wedding. Now, that's persistence. She wouldn't compromise even though she had to put herself in jail to restrict her feelings. But you know what some people do? Some people will superficially exhaust a few resources, then they'll turn to the evil thing and say, well, I gave it my best try, it just didn't work out.

No. An uncompromising character never gives up, never gives up, never gives up, never gives up, never gives in. You know the Apostle Paul on the way to Jerusalem? He keeps going to Jerusalem and every once in a while somebody comes along and says, Paul, you know what's going to happen to you when you get to Jerusalem?

You're going to get in a lot of trouble. And the prophet Agabus comes by and says, Paul, let me have your belt, takes his belt and ties his hands up. He says, Paul, that's what's going to happen to you when you get to Jerusalem. And as he goes along, he finally says in Acts 20, everywhere, in every city, people keep telling me I'm going to get in trouble when I get to Jerusalem.

But none of these things, what? Move me. Because I don't count my life dear to myself.

I just want to finish the ministry Christ has given me. When the option closed over here, he went over here. When it closed here, he went over here. He was not looking for an out. He was truly looking for an out. He was not looking for an out. He was truly an uncompromising man. And Daniel was that way. Just because the door was shut at Aspenas, he wasn't done. He had an unhindered persistence. People, true character will do that. It just keeps punching and punching and punching until it finally finds the hole.

Because it will not compromise. Now what have we learned? Uncompromising character issues in an unashamed boldness, an uncommon standard, and unearthly protection, and unhindered persistence. Now here's the key. Five, an unblemished faith, an unblemished faith.

This is great. An unblemished faith. You know, Daniel really believed that God would make this possible.

Where did he get that confidence? You know what I believe? I believe there's a basic spiritual principle. Sin, listen now, sin brings doubt. Purity brings confidence. When a person is living a holy life, I think there's almost a sense of invincibility about that life. You just believe God will deliver. And so Daniel had an unblemished faith, a sense of being invincible.

You can operate in any trial. You can stand in any trouble or vicissitude. You can be in the midst of any danger. And when your heart is pure, you know there is nothing to fear. For if God be for us, Romans 8, who shall stand against us, right?

Isaiah 43, 2, I love this. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle thee.

Why? For I will be with thee. When a heart is pure and a life is pure, there is an invincibility that results in this kind of unblemished faith.

He really was confident. And so he said, I'm willing to risk my neck. Verse 12, test your servants, he says to the Melzar. Test us. I beseech you for ten days.

Let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. And then let our countenances be looked upon before thee and the countenance of the youths that eat of the portion of the king's food. And as thou seest, deal with thy servants. They say, now this is a high-risk operation. If Daniel is really serious about this, he's putting his neck on the line.

That's right. But as I said, there is a tremendous confident faith that comes to an uncompromising spirit. When you really believe, you can charge into the very pit of hell with a sense of confidence that God is going to honor your faith. Daniel was a man of faith that sprang from a pure heart. Even though he had been through a terrible disaster, even though some no doubt had felt that God had abandoned Judah, many questioned like the prophet Abakkuk, Daniel believed God would stand true to his pure heart. Now, let's face it, folks. Listen. Ten days of vegetables as over against ten days of the king's food wouldn't prove anything.

Physiologically, it isn't going to make that big of a difference. Daniel was banking on divine intervention. And I personally believe, and this is just MacArthur talking in the white spaces, all right, but I personally believe God gave him this revelation. I think God gave him this test. And I think God said, I'll honor this. I think he got this from the Lord because of his tremendous confidence in it and because the way the Lord responded to it. Unblemished faith. He was willing to risk his neck.

He says, I'll walk out on the end of the plank. I'll take my stand that God will honor my uncompromising spirit. If I don't eat defiled food, if I eat that which is pure, I believe God will honor me.

That's an unblemished faith. Do you really believe that? Do you believe that if you live an absolutely uncompromising life, no matter who gets angry at you for taking such a firm stand, no matter who gets upset at you because you will not compromise, no matter how many people are offended for your lack of love, quote, if you take your stand, God will honor it. Do you believe that? Do you believe that if you take your stand against sin and evil, God will fill your life with joy and happiness? Do you believe if you take your stand with honesty, God will fill your life with all those things you need for sustenance and support? Well, if you really believe it, then you won't compromise.

You'll take God at his word. So, an unblemished faith. That unblemished faith threw them into point six, an unusual test, an unusual test. So, Melzar consented to them in this matter and tested them for 10 days.

Now, let me tell you something. All commitment is tested. James 1, the trial of your faith. All of our faith is to be tested.

It's only proven when it's tested. We can say, I want to live an uncompromising life, and you'll be ready to believe that God will test it. He'll test it. But Daniel said here, I'm willing to stake my faith on God's word, and immediately came the test. All commitment is tested. And so, he tested them for 10 days. Verse 15.

This is great. At the end of the 10 days, their countenance appeared fairer and fatter in flesh. And fatter there doesn't mean fat with fatty stuff, you know, like big jowls or something. Fat was the sign of health, vigor, a shining face as it were.

They looked better than all the rest of the youths who ate the portion of the king's food. Now, folks, I just have to tell you, this is the divine intervention of God. In 10 days, the physiology isn't going to take that great an effect.

I don't know. It may have had some effect. I don't know what they were feeding the people who ate the king's food. But I believe this is God's intervention.

And verse 16. At the end of the 10 days, what happened? Melzar took away the portion of their food and the wine they should drink and gave them vegetables for the rest of the three years. You don't have to prove anything to him. In fact, if I read the story right, it may be that Melzar ate the king's food for the next three years. I don't know how else he pulled it off. It was a fair exchange for him.

He could care less about the vegetables in the water. It was a good deal. And so what happens? God honored their uncompromising spirits. They had won the battle.

They avoided the lifestyle that the Chaldeans wanted to impose upon them. So they passed the unusual test. Now listen. An uncompromising stand on the Word of God leads to an unashamed boldness, an uncommon standard, an unearthly protection, an unhindered persistence, an unblemished faith, an unusual test. Are you ready for this? An unmeasurable blessing. An unmeasurable blessing.

And we're just going to see this quickly. Verse 17. As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.

And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Where did this come from? As for these four youths, watch it. God, what? Gave them. God blessed their uncompromising hearts. God poured out blessing.

It's a tremendous thing, people, to realize this. But here brings together the two wonderful truths of God's sovereign blessing and man's total commitment. God blessed sovereignly when they were totally committed to live an uncompromising life. From their viewpoint, the whole thing depended on their own commitment. From God's viewpoint, the whole thing was entirely in His hands.

You can't have one without the other. And God gave them, and it just sums up various words, knowledge and skill in learning and wisdom. God gave them all they needed to know for the knowledge and the wisdom that could be applied as they lived in that society. Babylon was the center of knowledge.

Advanced science, libraries of great, great scope. Great scholars lived there. In fact, they were leading the world in those things. God gave them knowledge of that. God gave them knowledge truly of the application of the divine Word of God to the situation.

God gave them wisdom. And beyond that, to one of the four, and here's where we separate this one out, Daniel, it says, had understanding in all visions and dreams. Here was a guy who could read visions and dreams.

Visions are when you're awake and dreams are when you're asleep, and both were a means of revelation from God. Here was a man with the gift of a seer or a prophet. Daniel had a revelatory gift. Daniel was to be the very vehicle of God's divine revelation. And this verse is the setup for the rest of the prophecy of Daniel.

He is to be the one to receive God's Word. And so God blessed them immeasurably in knowledge and learning and wisdom. Further, verse 18, at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, that would be three years of training, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king conversed with them, and the them embodies all these young men that had been deported in 606. The second group hasn't even come yet till 597. The final group till 586. So these young men have been groomed in the meantime, and Nebuchadnezzar converses with them. This is the oral exam, see. This is the final test to see how well they've done. They are personally examined by the king and his assistants. And among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Isn't that great? Those four were summa cum laude. They graduated the top of the class, and they had never defiled themselves.

They had never compromised one with. You can live in this world an uncompromising life, do you know that? You can live an uncompromising life in this world that is so pure and so righteous and so right and so full of character that even the world itself has to acknowledge your character and the quality of your life. The verdict, the end of verse 19, therefore stood they before the king.

What does that mean? To stand before the king? The idea of waiting to take the king's message and deliver it, waiting to do the king's bidding, waiting in obedience to his command. And so it said, these four stood before the king. The king's personal four young men. Imagine at the age of 17 or 18, being in the royal court, standing alongside the king in a foreign nation, a nation with which you would never compromise a conviction, and yet God lifted you up to that very place.

Later on, Daniel, without ever compromising, rules in that area as prime minister for 70 years. Can be done, people. Let God lift you up. You live an uncompromising life. Just how gifted were these young men by God? Verse 20 says, in all matters, I love that, in all matters of wisdom and understanding, all of them that the king inquired, he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. Now that's something, isn't it?

Now they had something going for them. God. You know, it's amazing, but you as a Christian who have the revelation of God in the indwelling spirit are 10 times smarter than the smartest person in this country who doesn't know God. 10 times, you're infinitely smarter because you know the truth, the real truth.

Oh, they were blessed in every matter of wisdom and understanding 10 times beyond anybody else. Listen, beloved, let God lift you up. Let another man come to you, force you to compromise, threaten your life, and you stay. And don't let anybody intimidate you. Don't let anybody make you back down. Don't let anybody cause you to water down what you know to be the absolute inviolable truth of God. You hold those convictions, hold them with love, hold them with the same gentleness and the same graciousness and the same warmth that Daniel did, but never compromising. And God will honor your character and lift you up to a place of blessing and lift you up to a place of blessing that will set you head and shoulders above those who are esteemed as the best in your nation and your realm. That's the message. What a great word, unmeasurable blessing.

Can I add an eighth, a final, an unlimited influence? Oh, this is great. Verse 21, and Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus, 70 years, 70 years. And you know something? When I see Ezra chapter 1 and all the people going back to Jerusalem, you know who's behind that? Daniel. When I see the wise men coming from the east, I have to see lurking in the shadows, Daniel. God gave him influence, influence that led, I believe, to the decree of Cyrus to send the people back to their land, influence that led to the rebuilding of the wall with Nehemiah, influence that led to the reestablishing of the nation of Israel, influence that led the wise men to come to crown the king who was born in Bethlehem. He is behind the scenes of the history of the Messiah as well as the Messiah's people. He has an unlimited influence for he it is who brings homage to the king who is the king of kings and Lord of lords who reigns forever. Daniel has unlimited influence because Daniel has penned in his prophecy the history of the world till the reign of Christ.

Unlimited influence. Listen, the blessedness of an uncompromising life, an unashamed boldness that calls us to an uncommon standard that depends on an unearthly protection as we set forth an unblemished faith, we face the unusual tests with an unhindered persistence, and we find in response that God brings an unmeasurable blessing, an unlimited influence. When all is said and done, beloved, the best we can say to you is this, don't compromise and let God take your life and do with it as he pleases.

And may it be 10 times greater than the life of anyone in this world. Let's pray. Confirm in our hearts this is your truth and may we live it, Father. Make us loving and gentle as our Lord was and meek and caring and sympathetic, but oh so firm when it comes to the matter of conviction that in a gentle way we are absolutely uncompromising, that we may know your great blessing and the hand of power in our lives that can turn men from darkness to light. So we pray for your glory in Christ's name.

Amen. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University and Seminary, showing you how God blesses a life of integrity. John's current study on grace to you, an uncompromising life. Well, John, it's clear what a life without compromise looked like from the beginning.

A life without compromise looked like for Daniel in the midst of ancient Babylon, but I'm wondering what does refusing to compromise on God's word look like today in our time in our culture? You know, the Bible makes a very simple statement, come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing. You know, in this kind of cultural Christianity that wants to be cool and in all these churches that want to be as close to the culture as they possibly can and look like the world and sound like the world and act like the world and think like the world, there's really no separation. Separation is a desperately difficult battle in the life of people who are in those churches, where they've imported the culture, imported the culture's attitudes, imported the culture's fashions, imported the culture's style, imported the culture's music, imported essentially an ungodly worldview and then tried to baptize it with some Bible verses and some messages from Scripture. And I just think you create a situation where you're inviting the world in and then you really can't expect people to separate themselves from it. There are pastors so engulfed in the world, so engulfed in the world, that they themselves can't find a way to separate from it. Hey, the world is in the lap of the evil one. The system of this world, the culture of this world, belongs to Satan. Trying to make a truce with it, trying to be at peace with it, trying to impart to people part of it, trying to make some elements of it to be cool and part of worship, part of Christian experience, playing with fire, playing with fire. We need to be distinct people in every way.

Yes we do, and friend, to help you live that distinct powerful life. I recommend you get the new study guide that is based on John's current series from the book of Daniel. It takes an in-depth look at the principles John is covering and shows you how to honor Christ no matter what comes your way. To order the study guide titled An Uncompromising Life, contact us today. Call us at 800-55-GRACE or go to gty.org. This book would be a perfect resource to work through with a new Christian, with questions at the end of each chapter to reinforce what you're learning and to encourage practical discussions. The title again to ask for An Uncompromising Life, the study guide.

The price is $8.50 and remember shipping is free. To order the new study guide An Uncompromising Life, call 800-55-GRACE or you can order online at gty.org. And friend, as you benefit from the teaching you hear on Grace To You, know that you can help others benefit too, in your community, throughout the United States and beyond. We are listener supported, so thank you for expressing your support as the Lord leads. You can mail your tax-deductible gift to Grace To You, Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412. Or call us at 800-55-GRACE or donate at our website, gty.org. And thank you for mentioning this station's call letters anytime you get in touch. That is more important than you may realize. Now for John MacArthur and the entire Grace To You staff, I'm Phil Johnson, encouraging you to watch Grace To You television this Sunday, check your local listings for Channel and Times, and be here Monday for another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth, one verse at a time, on Grace To You.