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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.
Showing posts with label values. Show all posts
Showing posts with label values. Show all posts

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Do Biblical Values Conflict With Morals Of Today?

 True morality is timeless and absolute morals exist; moral relativism is a false narrative that is believed. Morals are not by consensus but dictated by a sovereign Judge, who is the moral center of the universe. What was wrong morally in the time of Jesus still holds today. Christians believe that most contemporary values have become corrupt and people have grown numb or oblivious to them, even ignoring them and “accepting” them to the point of co-existence or live and let live.

We are living in a similar time to Israel in the day of the Judges: “Each man did what was right in his own eyes, for there was no king,” (cf. Judges 17:6; 21:25). Also, New Age values are popular with youth: “If it feels good, how can it be so wrong? or Postmodern values or truth: “That may be true for you, but not for me.”

But what is misunderstood is that we are no longer under the Mosaic Law’s ceremonial or governmental requirements, to obey them. For instance, stoning people for blasphemy, adultery, or breaking the Sabbath. But that doesn’t mean we ought to sanction them as the norm of behavior. Jesus summed up the whole duty of man to God and man as loving God with all our soul and our neighbor as ourselves (cf. Mark 12:30–31).

Ethics is defined as our duty to God and man: “This is the whole duty of man: is to fear God and do His commandments” (cf. Eccl. 12:13). Jesus in the Great Commission (cf. Matt. 28:20) told us to do all He commanded. Certain values do change and Christians are aware of this, but that doesn’t preclude the existence of absolute moral principles.

The awareness of morals and values have evolved such as the evils of slavery and child labor. To the believer, morality is when the motive, means, and end are just and pure in God’s eyes who sees good and evil (cf. Prov. 15:3). ‘The LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts,” (cf. 1 Chron. 28:29). But it was Christ who gave women dignity and the concept of human rights and freedom, contrary to contemporary values of Rome. . In sum, we do live in an era of moral paralysis; we’ve become hard of hearing to moral values; decay has set in!  Soli Deo Gloria!