Biblical Essays
CHRISTIAN ETHICS – A CLOSER LOOK
Ethics is concerned with character and conduct. It is concerned with evaluation of conduct, determining if such conduct is right or wrong measured by certain standards. Ethics, therefore, is interested in the standards, or norms, which regulate our judgments and guide our actions.
Christian ethics is the science of morals conditioned by Christianity, having its foundation in the revelation of God through Christ (2 Tim. 3:14-17). Moral philosophy and Christian ethics are both rational; they both appear to the mind or reason of man (Is. 1:18; Rom. 12:2). However, there is a great difference: The speculative thinker finds his facts in the moral world at large, while the Christian discovers his facts in scripture and more particular the New Testament (Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:21; Luke 1:4; John 20:30-31).
The Christian religion has two main elements: dogmatics and ethics; or, doctrine (2 John 9), and morals (Gal. 5:19-21). Christian dogmatics, or doctrine (1 Tim. 6:3-5), supplies the Christian with life principles and standards. Christian ethics or morals, keeps Christian dogmatics or doctrine from becoming mere ritualism, legalism, or profitless speculation (Rom. 6:17-18).
Today, we need a closer look at Christian ethics, because we are in a period in which ethics has been severed from positive foundations. The world is in a crisis of ethics. Religious sanctions have been discarded, and in many places replaced by lack of obligation to any fixed standard of social behavior. Most of the world has moved from an ethical position based upon relative absolutes to a position of absolute relatives. In such a social society, modern man seldom seeks more than social approval, and sometimes only individual approval, for his answers. For instance, solving marriage problems based on social approval; preparing income tax returns based on individual approval. As a result, the value of human life and the worth and dignity of the individual, has sunk to depths not realized since the dark ages. A few examples: barbarism in Nazi concentration camps; slave labor camps under Soviet totalitarianism; scientific frenzy and devotion to weapons of wholesale destruction beginning at Hiroshima and continuing with refinements until now; racial intolerance to the point of violence; terrorism; etc.; etc. For the first time since the Christian era, relative, subjective ethics looms as the approved procedure for society, and the results are drastically clear. Man, left alone, will work out his own destruction (Judg. 17:6).
Obviously, biblical, historical, Christian ethics was departed from in bringing these conditions into society. Therefore, logic, reason, and necessity prompt us to return quickly to the lofty standards of Christian ethics. This can be done only as we move from the social world of relative truth and realize there is absolute truth divinely given to man for his well-being: the Bible. Only as we set out minds and hearts to the task of living this truth and practicing this doctrine of ethical living will we be able to avoid disaster.
Christian ethics recognizes the biblical view of sin. To the ancient Greeks, sin was simply a defect, or shortcoming – a missing of the mark. To others, sin is “a transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). In other words, to a Christian, sin is the violation of a divinely revealed way of life given for our good – specific, definite; usually resulting from a choice of self in preference to God; or rebellion against God.
Christian ethics recognizes man’s responsibility before God. He is capable of either choosing (Josh. 24:14-15) or rejecting the good as revealed in Christ, God’s Son. But in rejecting the good, he also knows that “evil communications corrupt good morals” (Matt. 7:26-29).
