A waterfall of opinion in a socially connected world constantly bathes our human conscience. One common attribute of discernment is that God has placed an expectation on humanity. It is expected to tell the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. God expects us to sort things out, make good decisions, and support good causes. We have also been given the Good News that our imperfections with discernment were left upon Christ’s cross. But what exactly are humanity’s responsibilities in this world? Does God expect us to tell the difference between what is sin and what is good?
Whether you agree with this premise or not, our daily lives are filled with society’s poor decisions. People have opinions about what is right and wrong, but opinions don’t make something morally good or bad. People still choose sin over God’s Truth. Opinions, like who we vote for, are subjective and are not universal truths applicable to everyone. Opinions are formed through experiences, education, and family. On a lesser scale, there are news media and social media. Our world today considers morality more of a concept. Our world often believes that anything can be morally right if it supports its cause. In other words, the justification for sinful behavior is often based on one’s beliefs and desired outcomes.
If we are to accept universal moral truths, then there must also be universal standards that can be applied. But concepts such as these require reasoning and common sense. Truth implies that standards were once established as a foundation for society. In a materialistic world without God, saying something is evil by nature means that it is evil everywhere, all the time. The Bible goes to great lengths to make known to us that our God is good. Here are just a few examples Psalm 136:1, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 119:68, and Psalm 135:3:
(Nahum 1:7)1NIV New International Version Translations – “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,”
But what then is evil if God is what is good? Is there a moral standard for this? Evil should be defined as hurting others who have been made in the image of God. When we destroy life (created by God), when we destroy our environment (created by God), we are making a direct assault on God’s Creation. Evil is an offense against God’s perfect and Holy character. When humanity sees God, sees His spectacular creation, and then decides something else is better, we found evil. Even Jesus confirms God’s goodness:
(Mark 10:18) – “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”
Evil, therefore, is that which is contrary to the will of God. Evil is counter to God’s Holiness. Evil is wickedness, an attempt to cause unnecessary harm and deceit. Objects are not evil. A rock, a cloud, or water are not evil by nature. They are things. People are held to a different standard by God. Pain and suffering caused to save a life are not evil. When pain and suffering are present for simple cruelty, unkindness, selfishness, greed, or just callousness disregard for God’s Creation, we are at the threshold of God’s displeasure, we found the gates of hell.
Our world is witness to events that require taking sides. The war in Ukraine, the fentanyl drug crisis in our cities, trafficking, the theft of innocence for our young children, and the crime that is rampant in our streets all require more than opinions on morality. Have you ever questioned why convicted felons serve year after year in our Senate and Congress2 https://www.answers.com/Q/How_many_US_senators_and_congressmen_are_convicted_felons? Good Christians as well as godless people elect them over and over. Yet, where will Godly people go for their standards? How do Godly people discern God’s Truth? Who is right, who is wrong?
Society must be willing to demonstrate its discernment by upholding a universal set of moral standards. This is exactly what our founding fathers believed in, sinful as they were. Without moral standards, there would be little hope for our new nation to prosper without those standards based upon Godly values. Here are a few ideas to ponder.
Avoid Denying Reality
As Solomon stated in Ecclesiastes 11:3, “If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.” This often requires a back-to-basics view of the world. Death may be inevitable, but murder is always wrong. Why do people try to rationalize reality! How many sexes are there? Is a fetus a living human? Is social justice without repentance and accountability of any value at all? God placed a conscience (a moral sense) into every individual as part of Natural Law. God also established “first principles” such as law, government, education, politics, and economics, all to be discovered by “common sense.” Where will you search for reality?
The Means do not Justify the End!
It is wrong to assume that any means to accomplish a human belief is morally correct. A poor woman, pregnant with an unwanted child, is not better off to abort the life of the unborn child. Her economic well-being is not the means to the end God is interested in. What does God want? He wants to see a society that honors the widows and orphans and feeds and clothes the poor. He wants to see the unborn child raised to honor God and serve the world. (see Lostpine’s Study: Does the End Justify the Means?)
(James 1:27) – “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James, Jesus’s brother, knew very well that we would always have a world of needy people around us. God simply asks us to take care of them, not dilute their faith, not move them to worldly goals, but to move them closer to God Himself. This is the end God wants!
Get Good at Untwisting the Facts
The secret of a liar’s trade is in their ability to twist any fact into any outcome. Any fact that does not agree with their goals is manipulated into the reality they are trying to impose. Things are often taken out of context, or worse yet, attached to other things taken out of context. When the truth is twisted in such a misleading way that you feel afraid, vulnerable, attacked, hated, or incompetent, there is a good chance that there has been some “twisting” going on. In a world where “cancel culture” reigns supreme, it just means it is time to search harder for the facts! The Apostle Paul lays it out as clear as anyone:
(Romans 1:18-22) – “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Withholding Information is Just as Wrong as Giving Bad Information
Those who withhold relevant information are just using a creative form of lying to you. That is exactly what censorship means, a lie. (see Lostpine’s Study: Censorship and Freedom of Speech-What does the Bible Say) Blocking access to dissent is a direct affront to God’s Truth. Our world lies to gain power and wealth, but it also lies for the simple pleasure of spreading disinformation. Sincerity is useless. In the end, you will start believing in the bad information. Remember that words are the weapon of evil too, and they know how to use them effectively. The Word of God withholds no Truth from humanity!
(Proverbs 6:16-19) – “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
Avoiding Responsibility is a Powerful Clue
Evil people do not have a moral compass. They do as they please and they will never feel responsible for the pain they cause. If they sense that some sort of blame will be directed toward them, expect them to redirect to new topics or new information. Apologizing is considered a virtue of the weak by evil people.
(Proverbs 28:13) – “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
Only Christ was perfect. That is why we need Him! There is nothing better to purge the soul than an old fashion apology. By now, we should all know that one of the key attributes of God’s Truth is Humility!
Hypocrisy is Always a Cover for Sin
One rich man purchases a liberal newspaper, another tries to purchase a social media site. Any case study of these events would be perfect to teach hypocrisy in action. When hypocrisy is present, sin is present. Jesus made that very clear:
(Matthew 23:13) – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”
Hypocrisy always represents sinful bias. First, look for it. Next, take an unbiased review of both sides. That is all that God is asking us to do. Avoid selfishness, be honest with those around us. When this becomes too much for society to tolerate, let’s hope it never becomes too much for God to tolerate!
Where does this leave you? Do you know what standards lead to a Christ-like life? There is only one, it is called the Bible. Without bathing one’s mind in the curative wisdom of God’s Word, humanity has no hope. And what are we doing as a society? We separated our government from God. Removed God from our schools. Accepted virtually every sinful nature of mankind as the “new normal.” Our society now demands allegiance to the world’s wisdom. The simple truth is that there is no hope for us unless God is part of our life.
(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.”
What did our Founding Fathers think a moral society needed to survive?
“Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.” – John Adams
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams
“I have carefully examined the evidence of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity, I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor. I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man.” – Alexander Hamilton
“The only thing that is more expensive than education is ignorance.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Only virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.” – George Washington
Contemplations
- Why do you think our society (world) struggles with the concepts of what is good and what is evil?
- Ideas to Explore: Sin is fun. We have removed God from the world. We have the wrong leaders. People are too busy to worry about such details.
- Where or what is your basis for your morality?
- Ideas to Explore: Family, education, church, media, Bible, etc. How do you validate it?
- Why do we elect immoral leaders?
- Ideas to Explore: We fall for their lies. Don’t spend enough time researching their history.
- What are the actions of a society that is trying to move its morality toward that which God teaches?
- Ideas to Explore: What are the signs that you see if any of our world is getting better. What do you think it will take?
- 1NIV New International Version Translations
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