Judges 21:25 “In those days Israel
Saw a good lecture the other day on ethics. Two concepts that have been blended, merged and confused in our contemporary culture are “ethics” and “morality”, but they have two quite different and distinctive meanings. Ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos” and is a normative science (the study of norms and standards by which things are measured or evaluated), while morality comes from the Greek word “mores” which is a descriptive science with the task to describe the way that things happen to operate or behave. Ethics are concerned with the imperative (“ought-ness” that expresses the will to influence the behavior of another) while morality is concerned about the indicative (“is-ness” represents the denoted act or state as an objective fact). So ethics (ethos) is concerned with what is “right” and we should be doing, while morality (mores) describes what people actually “do” and what is accepted.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The ethics of a society or culture deals with its underlying foundational philosophy, its concept of values, and its system of understanding of how the world firs together. So there is a philosophic value system that is the ethics of every culture that society embraces. Morality has to do with the customs, habits and normal forms of behavior that are found within a given culture or given society. When the present standards of an ongoing society determines what ought to be, then we are in an exact opposite situation from the biblical ethics from which we are called; called to live by the sanctity of truth as God sets before us in His Holy Word. But we take surveys and polls to find out what people are actually doing, then determine that what people are doing is normal for this point in history. Since a statistical majority act or believe a certain way, then we conclude that it is normal. And if it is normal, then it is therefore acceptable because it is human, it is what we are, and it is determined “good”. This is statistical morality that normalizes present trends and behavioral practices of a society. Then urges the rest of the people to fall in line, participate and echo that which the given society had judged “right” and acceptable, even if the “new” morality is the “old” immorality.
Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
The motto or slogan of statistical morality is “Be what you are”, merging ethics and morality in a fallen world, but we do not determine what is “right” and what is “wrong” on the grounds of what everyone else is doing. My grandma used to ask me: “If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you jump too?” Her point was “indicative” and “imperative” also: bottom line: “don’t do the wrong thing just because the crowd is doing it; know and do the right thing”. Finite and fallible man does not define what is ethical (what we ought to do). The character of God supplies our ultimate (ethos) ethics that is the framework and foundation by which we discern and discover what is “right”, “good” and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. Not living according to what is acceptable, expedient (suitable means to an end), important for peer acceptance or living according to secular principle.
When it comes to statistical morality, God plus none is a majority.
In Christ, Brian
6 comments:
Hi Brian,
So many times with unbelievers they can be stumped when you bring up the topic of morals and where do we get them from. Not many realize that our moral values come from Scripture. This is true for not only North America but all over the world. Every country has rules about theft, murder, adultery and such. It is pretty neat to see a non believer in God realize that our laws are built on the Ten Commandments. :) Just 2 weeks ago my husband was debating with a young man in our youth group over the reality of God. The young man had a good argument behind him until my husband brought up moral belief. It was pretty cool to watch his facial expression when he realized that yes indeed our laws are built on the Ten Commandments. He was stumped and didn't have much to counter with.
Great word! Thanks for sharing. :)
Blessings brother,
<><
It's also the fact that if a person doesn't believe there is a God and that the world came into being by accident and therefore all life did, then what then do we base morality on, us being nothing more than glorified apes? When the chips are down, there is nothing to stop anyone doing what they want to do if they don't believe in God. Of course, I may carefully add, many Atheists are not bad people at all and many do have morals and are decent people just as some Christians can be bad. But you know what I mean!
After reading this, the term "moral majority" takes on an entirely new meaning.
Child of God, Jesus commanded His followers to evangelize the world with the light of gospel truth, because the absence of light is darkness, and that is what we have. Biblical illiteracy and lack of knowledge of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) must be boldly proclaimed in our lost in sin culture and society so that as many as possible come to a "saving" knowledge and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (the Savior of the world). Understand and communicating ethics and morals from a Christian-world perspective is critic to being that light that leads to the foot of the Cross for the converting transformation and regeneration of hearts towards God. May you and your husband keep of the "good" work of being "salt & light" in the free marketplace of idea. Glory be to God! Thank you for writing.
Tim, you sure hit on a topic that can could be discussed for years. The whole evolution verses creation debate boils down to "belief verses unbelief" as the root, not science. The facts lead to intelligent design by a loving Creator God. Glorified apes? My dad always asks: Why didn't apes evolve and develop everything mankind did? Where did ethics that set moral standards come from, but God and found in His Holy Word. Mankind choose whether to take them and align his own mind, will and emotions with them. But the Lord makes it clear that "only God is good" (Luke 18:19) and "all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" by our continued sin" (Isaiah 64:6), so it is totally by the loving grace of God through faith that we are saved, adopted into the family of God, a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, given the indwelling Holy Spirit now and eternal life forever more. "Not bad" Atheist miss it all and you have to wonder if "bad' christian even really had it. Where will we spend eternity is the "Grand Question". Humble adoration to the Lord and purposeful compassion are the keys to loving God and loving our lost neighbor. We cannot see their hearts, but we can fearlessly proclaim the gospel and honestly discuss ethics, morality, creation science, logic, psychology (the study of the soul), based upon salvation through faith alone in Christ alone. But can we feel "good" about not telling the god-rejecting world the gospel truth and letting them go to eternal damnation? How can we? How will we feel when all those that we know are entering the gates of hell say, "but Brian & Tim & other Christians didn't tell me!" You bring out some very thought-provoking questions, and I'm glad that you do. Blessings brother.
UG Pewster, That term "Moral Majority" is a "U.S. political action group composed of conservative, fundamentalist Christians" per the internet. But a wider definition is the 70%-80% of Bible believing individuals that make up the middle majority of voters that would appear at the elections and surprise the candidates. I believe that it is the churches function and duty to be a witness for the Lord Jesus to the world so that the true facts and purposes of God are reveal and clearly seen by all, to make an informed choice for Christ, because there is nothing with a "moral majority" that aligned with the perfect word, will and way of God. In my way of thinking, there appears to be many things "good & right" about that group which follows the ethics from heaven. But its about God's people getting up and getting out to bring the light of truth and life into the darkness of sin and unbelief, which promotions its message of emptiness and death. Let's get the word out to shape and build that "moral majority" for the glory of God. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Post a Comment