God the Father
GOD’S MORALITY IMPLEMENTED – HIS NATURE REVEALED
God the Father
GOD’S MORALITY IMPLEMENTED – HIS NATURE REVEALED
We continue our study of God’s moral standards as they apply to us today, and what the basis of those standards are. For example, we cannot claim power as a basis for morality. We know that might does not make right among nations or individuals.
We also know that something is not moral simply because it works to accomplish a desired end. If this were true, the taking of millions of lives in genocidal slaughter by the Nazis during World War II would have been moral. The holocaust was directed toward a desired end, but it was not moral. If the use of any means to justify a desired end makes that end result moral, the taking of multiplied millions of lives by abortion on demand would be moral. Is it?
Neither is something moral simply because “that is the way things are.” Doing what comes naturally would be perfect if we were living in a perfect world. Since humans became imperfect, sinful, our natural inclination is not a basis for true morality. If it were, how would one explain the burglar alarms, security guards, and locked doors in homes across the land – or the prisons filled with both civil offenders and criminal felons? We all sense that might does not make right and that utilitarianism is not the basis for morality. The fallen world does not provide the arena in which true morality “comes naturally.” We must look elsewhere.
The nature of God is supremely manifested by His holiness. His holiness becomes both the foundation and the guide for our moral lives. His statement in the Old Testament is clear and unmistakable: “Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). This also rings out in the New Testament: “Like the Only One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior” (1 Peter 1:15). We look to God, whose moral perfection is the basis for our morality. In the Bible we find God, who tells us how to be right and to do right because He is right.
How “ought” we to be? God not only tells us specifically how we “ought” to be; He shows us how we may become what we “ought” to be. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, said, “I do not seek my own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). In His conformity to the will of His Father we see the moral excellence of God in Him. Therefore, in our conformity to Christ we cast aside our immorality and let the purity of His life be seen in us. When we, in faith and repentance, “clothe ourselves with Christ” in baptism, we are buried with Him, cleansed, and raised to walk in newness of life (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26, 27). And in that way we become, by His grace through our faith, what God wants us to be (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We see God’s nature implemented and revealed in Scripture. Although the new life in Christ may have many facets the one we are concerned about in this lesson is moral life. How shall we live, morally? The answer seems simple: On a day-by-day basis, we avoid immoral thought and conduct and practice moral behavior. What is moral, and what is immoral? Earlier, we looked at some principles; now, we look at specifics. However, in doing so, we will not exhaust the subject. We will merely point in a “right” direction.
Our God is moral. His holiness is the basis for all moral obligation which is often expressed specifically in the Scriptures. Note the following litany of negative instructions: Do not kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, maim, rape, disrespect or injure parents, lie, be dishonest, engage in prostitution or fornication, commit incest, engage in homosexual conduct, or practice perversion. Now note the following litany of positive instructions: Be merciful, peaceable, generous, loving, straightforward, considerate, wise, pure, patient, gentle, kind, humble, and honorable. These lists are incomplete, but they do point us in the right direction.
Our God is moral. He created us in His image. He desires for us to be moral. He is specific about what morality means. In this lesson we have learned: (1) what it means to have a God who is absolutely holy, (2) how He has given His fallen beings an opportunity to shed our immorality and other sins, and 3. that we are challenged to live moral lives. The psalmist has said: “I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate on all Thy work, And muse on Thy deeds. Thy way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God?” (Psalm 77:11-13).
And now as we note how God’s morality is implemented, we come to how we may relate to Him properly. Someone has said, “God has three dwelling places: heaven, in His universe, and within His people.” We are told that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Again, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20, 21).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (John 3:16-21).
In a previous lesson we learned that “God’s Limitlessness,” emphasized the vastness of God. We considered His omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. If we examined only these cosmic dimensions of God, it would be difficult to understand why He desires to have a relationship with tiny specks in the universe like us.
In another lesson on “God’s Context For Us,” we saw Him as Creator and ourselves as creatures set in His created world. We came to realize that God plays a dramatic role in history and that we are part of that historical drama. Then we noted that the supreme attitude of God is holiness. Therefore, His creation has a moral quality. His history, working itself out in the world through His providential direction, has a moral thrust with a definite telos, or ultimate end. He expects us to participate in the moral march toward that telos. We need His help, encouragement, and love to make this march successfully. Therefore, let us examine God's relationship with us and the divine aid He gives.
In the first place, we find that our God is revelatory. In one important sense, God cannot remain concealed. His very existence results in revelation. Since He is creative by nature, the creation itself reveals its Creator. Our own existence as creature is evidence of creation. “Some years ago I had the thrilling opportunity to stand in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and admire the marvelous frescoes painted on the ceilings. As I stood in virtual awe, I wondered how any person could have accomplished such a work of art, but I did not wonder if someone had! The presence of those paintings was proof positive that someone had painted them. Also, I saw in that stunning display clues of the character of the artist. I realized that the work took a long, long time to complete. Great patience was required – about four and one-half years’ worth. Extraordinary skill was evident. The work showed superb knowledge of perception and proportion. It was obvious that physical stamina was necessary. In short, it was not only a foregone conclusion that the artistry required an artist but also the masterpiece told me certain qualities of the master artist” (Dr. James E. Priest).
So it is with creation. It is a magnificent general revelation of Someone. In the general revelation of the creation we can discern more than the “mere” fact of the Creator’s existence. We can also see something of the “character” of the Creator. For example, this observation was made by David, who already devoutly believed in God: “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). David saw glory in the handiwork of God. Today we are amazed at the immensity of the universe and the precision by which our solar system functions. In fact, we rely on this precise order when we look at our watches and calendars. We know the order of day and night and the coming and going of seasons. Astronomers tell us the location of the planets that will circle our sun and where eclipses will occur on our earth for years in the future. Yes, we know something of the glory, greatness, and orderliness of the Creator by studying His creation.
In another important sense, God is veiled. We see in the creation the fact of the Creator and even certain “traits of character” of the Creator. However, the creation itself does not tell us who that Creator is, just as the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel do not tell us who painted them. We learn that Michelangelo painted them, not because we look at them, but as we read and study the history of Italian art during the High Renaissance period. In like manner, we find out who created the universe, our world, and us as we read and study the Bible, the specific revelation of God. In the Bible we find that He is the grand architect. Neither you nor I could know who the Creator is without the aid of the Scriptures.
This is why we have been careful to utilize the Bible in our discussions about God. We found general revelation (nature) helpful in establishing the fact of a Creator and even some of the attributes of that Creator, but we turned to the Scriptures to identify that Creator as the God of the Bible. We also studied His mighty acts as a revelation of Himself in the history of His people. However, the significance of His involvement in history was grounded in His moral nature. This grand truth comes from the Bible – not from His isolated acts. Therefore, we have a veiled God and a revealed God. He is veiled until He is revealed in nature (creation) and in the Bible and then only to the extent He wills it.
So, we want to note now how He is revealed in His communication. The Bible shows God revealing Himself in a personal way. He spoke to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Nathan, Ezekiel, etc. This communication was to make His will known. He wanted His people to be properly guided. More than historical facts were involved. A rationale for His actions among them and His relationship with them were paramount in His revelation. Therefore, His acts and His words combined to portray a God offering protection, care, guidance, and reconciliation. His will was revealed in that context.
And His will was revealed in His covenant. The covenant, with all of its ramifications, was the masterpiece of God’s concern for His people. That covenant was not discerned by them, through studying nature, analyzing history, or borrowing sections of contemporary law codes from neighboring peoples. It was given by God directly, beginning with the “ten words” – the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.
We also find that He was revealed in His acts and words. God continued His self-revealing process to His people through the ages by His acts and words. His acts revealed Him in His power. His words, giving motives for those acts, were revealed to them. All this was written down so that succeeding generations would benefit. The people were cautioned to adhere closely to what was written.
God’s revelatory acts and words were necessary ingredients in His relationship with His people. If He had not acted, they would not have known His power. If He had not spoken, they would not have known His will. If that salvation history had not been written, they would not have remembered. If they had not remembered, they would have been separated from Him. It is not surprising that one of their great leaders said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my savior, Thou dost save me from violence” (2 Samuel 22:2-3).
We also find God revealed in the prophets and their message. God’s greatest and most complete revelation was yet to come. The prophets of God were a major channel by which His will and plans were revealed. While living, under the Sinai covenant, they spoke of a new covenant – a new covenant that was to come. Jeremiah described this covenant – its origin, its nature, and its beneficial results for those who received it. He wrote: “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt . . . I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more’” (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Among God’s prophets, there was no one comparable to Moses except the One great One who came later. This is spoken of in Deuteronomy 34:10-12. Moses spoke of a prophet to come who would be like him. The people were to heed this prophet explicitly, because he would speak the words of God (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
And, surprisingly, we find that God was revealed in His Son. This prophet was later to be identified as the suffering Messiah, Jesus (Acts 3:17-26), the Righteous One who was put to death (Acts 7:52-53). Before He was crucified, He met with His apostles to eat the Passover meal. During this meal He gave a new meaning to the loaf and the cup. Of the loaf He said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Of the cup He said, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the [new] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19, 20). Through His sacrifice, He became the Mediator of a new and better covenant. He made the first covenant obsolete, while at the same time providing a means of redemption for those who had lived faithfully under the old covenant (Hebrews 8-9, KJV).
This Jesus of Nazareth is the supreme revelation of God. He was identified as the One spoken of by Isaiah the prophet as “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20- 23). Therefore, God’s revelatory relationship with His people reached its greatest height in the person of Jesus, His Son. Paul says,
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him (Ephesians 1:7-9).
