John 18:28-32

John 18:28-32
English Standard Version (ESV)

  If you're a religious leader whose laws don't allow you to put someone to death and so you've gone outside of the system and are busy convincing the civil leaders to put him to death, only you can't meet with them because you're worried about being defiled before one of the holiest days of the year, you're doing something wrong.
  Now, the Jewish leaders often don't get a fair shake.  It's a tough spot they're in, trying to determine if Jesus really is the Messiah or not.  I don't envy them.  But they clearly compromise their integrity little by little.  I'm sure they barely notice at first, but it's a slippery slope -- before long, they're asking Pilate to meet with them outside the headquarters so they can use the Roman killing machine to have Jesus put to death.  At some point, surely they looked around and realized how far they were from where they wanted to be.  At some point, surely there was a voice inside telling them that this isn't what they thought it would be.
  It's easy for you and I to compromise as well.  Little by little, we can make small choices that don't seem momentus at the time, but compounded over years or decades, and soon we're a long way from where we imagined we would be. 
  So please, surround yourself with companions along the way, brothers and sisters in Christ whom have permission to speak truth into your life, be it encouragement in difficult times or to confront you when you've begun to lose your way.  It's never easy to hear these words, but it is vital.  Small words of correction now can save us from much larger problems later.