INTRODUCTION
I think every Christian would agree that ethics is in crisis
in our day, not only in the world, out there among unbelievers, but also in the
church. Unbelievers go in a million directions trying to figure out the
difference between right and wrong. Even well-meaning Christians are all over
the map when it comes to ethical and moral living. I've met some Christians who
seem to have very few moral convictions at all and I've met other Christians
who seem to have simple answers to every ethical question. I guess the older I
get, the more I'm convinced that one of our greatest needs today is a way to
understand how Scriptures apply to our lives -- how we should think, act and
feel; A way to make biblical decisions.
This series on Making Biblical Decisions is
the first in our course on Christian Ethics. In this series, we will focus on
the process the Bible teaches us to follow as we make decisions about all sorts
of things in our lives. We have called this first lesson "Ethics in
Scripture." We will introduce this series first by establishing a biblical
definition of Christian ethics, then by examining the biblical threefold
criteria of good works, and finally by suggesting the basic contours of a
biblical, threefold process for making ethical decisions. Let's begin by
defining the concept of Christian ethics
DEFINITION
Nearly all peoples in all places have ethical systems.
Different religions, cultures, societies and individuals vary in the ways they
determine what is ethical, and they often come to radically different
conclusions regarding which behaviors and ideas should be endorsed and which
should be censured. The field of study that investigates these different systems
and their conclusions is generally called ethics.
In general terms, ethics is the study of moral right and
wrong, the study of what is good and what is evil. This definition will suffice
as a basic orientation toward ethics, but in these lessons, we are not as
interested in the broad study of ethics as we are in the particularly Christian
or biblical view of ethics. So, we will work with a definition that is a bit
narrower than the study of moral right and wrong. We will define Christian
ethics as: Theology, viewed as a means of determining which human persons, acts
and attitudes receive God's blessing and which do not.
In order to understand the significance of our outlook on
Christian ethics, we will look at three aspects of this definition. First, we
will notice how it draws attention to God and his blessings. Second, we will
see the breadth of issues that are included in Christian ethics. And third, we
will take note of how Christian ethics goes beyond mere actions. Consider first
how our definition focuses on ethics as a matter of God and his blessings.
God and Blessings
Unlike many other ethical systems, our definition focuses on
God and his blessing rather than on terms like good or evil, or right or wrong.
Those things that receive Gods blessing are good and right, whereas those
things that do not receive his blessing are wrong and evil. But what are some
of the implications of focusing on God and his blessing in this way?
By focusing on God and his blessing in this way, we mean to
say two things: first, God's nature is the standard of morality; and second,
God's actions demonstrate the standard of morality. Let's look at these two
ideas in a bit more detail.
Divine Nature
First, we affirm that God himself is the ultimate standard
of right and wrong, of good and evil. In saying this, we deny that ultimate
morality is a standard outside of God, to which even he must comply if he is to
be considered good. Instead, we insist that God is not accountable to any
standard outside himself, and that everything that accords with his character
is good and right, while everything that does not is evil and wrong.
Consider these ideas in light of John' s teaching in 1 John
chapter 1 verses 5 through 7:
God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. If we
say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not do
what is true. If we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son purifies us from
all sin.(1John1:5-7)
This metaphor of God as light is primarily a moral
evaluation. Darkness is equated with sin and lies, and light with truth and
purity from sin. It is a picture of God as perfectly free from sin in his very
nature. And it is a description of sin as that which is foreign to the nature
of God.
In light of this passage and others like it, we are
obligated to see God's nature as the standard and model of goodness and
rightness. And for the same reasons, we are compelled to condemn as sinful,
evil and wrong those things that oppose his nature.
Divine Actions
The second thing we mean to say by focusing on God and his
blessing is that God's actions demonstrate the standard of morality. One of the
chief ways God shows his approval for what is right and good is by bestowing
blessings. Similarly, he shows his hatred for what is wrong and evil by
withholding blessings and pouring out curses. We see this principle in action
innumerable times through the Bible.
For example, in explaining the terms of his covenant to
Israel in Leviticus 26 verse 3, God offered to bestow tremendous blessings on
them upon the condition that they "walk in [his] statutes and keep [his]
commandments." But beginning in verse 14 of the same chapter, he
threatened horrible curses on them if they did not obey his every word. Listen
to the way he introduced these curses in Leviticus chapter 26 verses 14 through
16:
If you do not listen to me and do not do all of these
commandments, if you despise my statutes, and if your soul hates my judgments
so as not to do all my commandments, and to break my covenant, I will do this
to you: I will appoint terror over you, consumption and fever destroying your
eyes and causing your soul to pass away. (Leviticus 26:14-16)
The curses in this chapter run on for many, many verses,
each more terrible than the last. But the point is that God threatens these
curses against those who refuse to obey his commandments and despise his
covenant relationship. Nowhere in this passage does God proclaim that to
disobey him is evil or bad or wrong. Nevertheless, this is the only conclusion
we can draw based on the awful judgments he threatens against those who turn
against him.
As we search Scripture for the ways God has revealed the
standards of good and evil, we find that many times the Bible communicates
right and wrong by recording God's reactions rather than by explicitly labeling
things good or evil. When we pay attention to God's blessings and curses, we
find that the ethical aspect of many texts becomes clearer.
In addition to focusing on God and his blessings, our
definition of Christian ethics highlights the breadth of the subject of ethics.
As we use the term, ethics it is not just a branch of theology; it is an
essential aspect of all theology and all Christian living.
Breadth of Issues
In the past, Ethics was seen as a subsection of theology
that dealt with practical moral issues. Christian ethics was normally taught as
if it were just one of many theological disciplines. In this older model, much
of theology could be done with little to no concern for ethics. As a result,
teachers of ethics frequently dealt only with very small portions of theology
and life.
By contrast, our definition stresses that Christian ethics
touches every dimension of the Christian life. Ethics is:
theology viewed as a means of determining what is good and
evil
In one way or another, every theological discipline and
subject deals with God's blessings on good and curses against evil. Every
discipline of theology obligates us to believe certain facts, to do certain things
and to feel certain emotions. And because it is right to believe, do and feel
these things, and wrong not to, all theology involves the study of right and
wrong. All theology involves ethics.
Now beyond this, Christian ethics touches on every area of
life. Theology itself is not restricted to a small area of life. In the third
chapter of my book The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, I defined
"theology" as "the application of the Word of God to all of
life". In other words, theology is not just reflection on God and his
Word. Rather, it is reflection that carries through to application. Nothing,
stands outside God's moral standards.
Consider this approach to ethics and theology in light of 2
Timothy chapter 3 verses 16 and 17.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching,
for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, in order that the
man of God may be fully qualified, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy
3:16-17)
Teaching, rebuking, correcting and training summarize the
ways that we apply Scripture to our lives. We might paraphrase this verse as
saying: All Scripture is useful for theology, which prepares the man of God to
do what is morally right in every part of his life. Simply put, Christian
ethics touches on every area of life.
Depth of Issues
In addition to focusing on the breadth of the subject of
ethics, our definition addresses not only behavior, as is common in many
ethical systems, but also the attitudes and natures of individual persons. Our
definition of Christian ethics highlights which human persons, acts and
attitudes receive God's blessings and which do not. God's moral standards hold
us accountable in our actions, in the thoughts and inclinations of our heart
and in our very natures.
Now we can say with certainty that the Bible emphasizes good
behavior. And it is generally obvious to most people that actions can properly
be considered right or wrong. So that we will not spend much time explaining
the reason for including behavior in this definition. But we must also remember
that Scripture views attitudes as morally right or wrong. Many well-meaning
believers think that our attitudes and emotions are amoral, that is that they
are neither good nor evil. But Scripture demonstrates time and again that our feelings
may be confirmed as morally right or denounced as morally wrong. Because the
bible teaches Christians to conform every aspect of their lives and being to
God's moral standards, Christians' ethics must address not only behavior, but
also emotions, orientations, predilections, inclinations, preferences,
thoughts, imaginations, beliefs, and our very natures.
For example, in Matthew chapter 5 verse 22, Jesus taught
that:
Everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to
the judgment. (Matthew 5:22)
And in Matthew chapter 5 verse 28 he added that:
Everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)
In both these examples, Jesus condemned as sinful the
emotions and attitudes of the heart, whether or not they eventually motivated
the person to action. In fact, he taught that these attitudes actually violate
the same commandments that forbid the sinful actions.
And consider his description of the human heart in Mark 7
verses 21 through 23:
For from within, from the heart of men, come evil thoughts,
sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil intentions,
deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils
come from inside. (Mark 7:21-23)
Not only are evil attitudes morally wrong in and of
themselves, but they are also the root of evil actions.
Following Scripture, we will also speak of morally good and
evil persons. And evil behavior flows from an evil heart, an evil heart flows
from an evil nature. For this reason, if we are to please God, it is not enough
that our actions and attitudes be morally good. We must also be intrinsically
good persons; we must have good natures.
Scripture addresses this aspect of our being in Romans
chapter 8 verses 5 through 9 where Paul wrote:
Those who exist in accordance with flesh set their minds on
the things of the flesh; but those who exist in accordance with the Spirit on
the things of the Spirit… The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. It is
not submitted to God's law, indeed it cannot be … But you are not in the flesh
but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. (Romans 8:5-9)
In short, all unbelievers "exist in accordance with the
flesh"; their natures are evil, and therefore their actions and attitudes
are also evil. Paul identified the fallen nature as being the source of a mind
that is hostile to God and that does not and cannot submit to God's law.In distinction
from unbelievers, believers are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. And when he wrote
of those who live in accordance with the Spirit, he referred to the new natures
believers have because the Holy Spirit indwells them. This means that believers
have an antidote for the fallen nature, and possess the ability to conform to
God's standard of ethics.
So, when we speak of Christian ethics as "Theology,
viewed as a means of determining which human persons, acts and attitudes
receive God's blessing and which do not," we mean at least three things.
First, God himself is the standard of ethics. He alone is the rule by which all
right and wrong are measured. Second, all theology, even all of life, has
ethical dimensions. Third, God's moral standards hold us accountable in our
actions, in the thoughts and inclinations of our heart, and in our very
natures.
Now that we have defined what we mean when we speak of
Christian ethics, we should turn our attention to the biblical threefold
criteria for that which is ethically good.
THREEFOLD CRITERIA
One very helpful way of examining the Bible's teaching on
this complex issue is to look at the way the Westminster Confession of Faith
defines the good works of unbelievers. Listen to chapter 16 paragraph 7 where
the Westminster Confession of Faith makes some important distinctions
concerning the good works performed by unbelievers.
Works done by unregenerate men… may be things which God
commands, and of good use both to themselves and others; yet, because they
proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner,
according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God; they are therefore
sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God.
From the outset, we see here that the Westminster Confession
rightly admits that there is a sense in which unbelievers do things that God
commands. More than this, it also acknowledges that unbelievers' actions can
produce good and beneficial results for themselves and for others. In other
words, in one sense unbelievers can do things that resemble our definition of
ethical living, actions that bring about the blessing of God. On this matter,
Scripture agrees. For example, in Matthew chapter 7 verses 9 through 11, the
Lord spoke these words:
Is there some man among you who, if his son asks for bread,
will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
Therefore, if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
(Matthew 7:9-11)
It is very common for people in general to do some things
that are externally good, such as loving and providing for their children. In
fact, it would be extremely difficult to point to a person who never once did
anything that outwardly resembled the works that God approves, or who never
once held an attitude akin to those that inspire God's blessings. So, there is
a superficial sense in which even unbelievers may do things that God commands
and benefit from them.
Nevertheless, the Westminster Confession of Faith rightly
does not let the matter rest at this point. Instead, it points out that the
apparently virtuous actions that unbelievers perform are not what they appear
to be. Notice what the confession says: these actions are sinful; they cannot
please God or make someone worthy of grace from God.
Even though we can applaud unbelievers when they outwardly
conform to God's commands, we have to remember that they are not truly
virtuous. They are not good enough to please God, or to earn the blessing of
salvation. But, why is this? How can actions that outwardly conform to God's
commands still be sinful?
As we will see, obedience to God's commands must be done
with the proper motive. Second, it must be done according to the proper
standard, according to the manner prescribed in Scripture. And third, it must
be done with the proper goal in mind, namely to glorify God. In short, unless a
work is done with the right motive, in conformity to the right standard, and
for the right goal, it is not a work that God will reward with blessings. In
the first place, let's take a closer look at the proper motive.
Proper Motive
Unless a work is done with the right motive, it is not a
work that God will reward with blessings. First, it must proceed from a heart
that is purified by faith. Second, actions must flow out of Christian love.
Faith
In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith,
"Works [that]… proceed not from an heart purified by faith… [are] sinful,
and cannot please God." This criterion of the right motive is closely
associated with the way our definition of Christian ethics focuses on good
persons with good natures. As we have already said, only believers, who are
indwelled by the Holy Spirit, can do works that God rewards with blessings.
One reason for this is that only believers have hearts that
are purified by faith. Here the Confession is speaking of God-given, saving
faith that remains and grows within believers. It is the means of purification
through which believers receive new and good natures. And it properly motivates
believers to do good works. As James wrote in chapter 2 verses 14 through 20:
What profit is there … if someone says he has faith but he
does not have works? Can that faith save him? … If faith has no works, it is
dead… Are you willing to recognize … that faith without works is useless?
(James 2:14-20)
The kind of faith that purifies the heart, the kind of faith
that saves, is the kind of faith that motivates good works. This is the faith
possessed by believers, and only by believers.
Listen to the way the author of Hebrews makes this point in
Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6:
Without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one
who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of
those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Unless our attempts to seek God's blessings are founded on
faith, we cannot please God, and therefore cannot be rewarded by him. In other
words, without faith as one of our motives, we cannot do good works.
Paul's statement of this doctrine is perhaps the clearest
and most succinct in all of Scripture. In Romans chapter 14 verse 23, he wrote:
Everything that is not from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)
Actions must flow out of saving faith if God is to be
pleased with them as good works.
In addition to the necessity of saving faith, the Scripture
also stresses the theme of proper motive when it focuses so much on Christian
love.
Love
Consider that in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 Paul taught that
our works are useless if they are not motivated by love. In verses 1 through 3
he wrote:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not
have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have prophecy,
and if I know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as
to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all
my possessions, and if I give up my body to be burned, but I do not have love,
I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
Works, and even spiritual gifts, that produce beneficial
results merit no reward if they are not motivated by love. And as we have
already seen, things that do not merit reward are not good in God's eyes.
We see this concern also in the way that Jesus summarized
God's revelation in Scripture in Matthew chapter 22 verses 37 through 40:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the greatest and most
important commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as
yourself." On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.
(Matthew 22:37-40)
To reject God's law is to reject him as he offers himself to
us in covenant relationship. And to disobey his law is to sin. Here Jesus
teaches us that the Law itself, and the rest of the Old Testament as well,
require above all else that we love the Lord and our neighbors.
Love is an aspect of every law God requires us to obey, so
that if we do not act in love, no work we do can conform to his standard. And
what makes God's standard even harder to meet is that our love must be for both
God and neighbor. Unbelievers do not love God they are hostile to him. And as a
result, they can never be motivated by love for God. In other words, they can
never have the right motive. And because of this, they can never do anything
that God considers, in an ultimate sense, to be good.
Proper Standard
Besides pointing out that good works must flow from the
right motives, the Westminster Confession of Faith also states that good works
must conform to the right standard. Listen to the words of chapter 16 paragraph
7 again:
Works done by unregenerate men … may be things which God
commands, and of good use both to themselves and others; yet, because they …
are [not] done in a right manner, according to the Word … they are therefore
sinful.
Here the Confession emphasizes that in order for works to be
good, they must be done according to the standard of the Word of God, that is,
God's revelation.
To introduce our approach to the right standard we will
touch on three matters: first, commands of Scripture, second, all of Scripture,
and third, general revelation, creation itself.
Commands
In the first place all the commands of Scripture are
designed to guide us. Listen to how John summarized this idea in 1 John chapter
3 verse 4:
Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, and sin is
lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)
Notice what John did not say: He did not simply teach that
everyone who commits lawlessness commits sin, as if lawlessness were just one
of many kinds of sin. Instead he said that everyone who sins is guilty of
lawlessness, meaning that all sin entails lawlessness. All sin violates God's
Law. John's words here are categorical and put the importance of the proper
standard in the strongest terms possible. But today we must realize that even
many Christians think it is possible that some violations of God's law are not
sinful. Certain commands of God may be ignored. Well, the apostle James
addressed this issue in chapter 2 verses 9 and 10 of his letter:
If you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law
as disobedient. For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has
become guilty of breaking all the points. (James 2:9-10)
Clearly some violations of the Law are sinful, such as
showing favoritism, which James mentioned. But James then went on to say that
to violate any particular stipulation of the Law was to violate every
stipulation of the Law. Because the Law is a unified whole that reflects God's
character and nature, to transgress any part of it is in some senses to
transgress every part of it, and to sin against God himself. Therefore, if any
violations of the Law are sinful, all violations of the Law are sinful.
Now, we will look into this matter more deeply in future
lessons, but from the outset we must make a firm distinction here between the
law of God and its application. From a biblical perspective, every law is still
binding on followers of Christ. But the process of application is complex, so
complex that obedience in one situation may look very different from obedience
in another situation.
Now, we should emphasize that we are not advocating
relativism. It is not true that the Bible means different things to different
people, and that all these meanings are equally valid. On the contrary, the
Bible means what God says it means, what its original authors intended it to
mean. God's Word is our binding norm, and we cannot vary from it. Therefore, we
are justified in saying that all good works must conform to the standard of
biblical law
.
All Scripture
In the second place, the proper standard requires submission
to the whole bible. The Westminster Confession of Faith does not just say that
God's Law is a criterion of all good works, but that God's Word as a whole is a
criterion of good works. That is to say, good works must be done according to
the teaching of all revelation, especially Scripture, even according to those
portions that are not formally part of the law. Consider, for example, that
even the Law itself appeals to other portions of Scripture as the basis for its
commands.
For instance, in the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath commandment
appeals to the account of creation as the basis of its authority. In Exodus
chapter 20 verses 9 through 11 we read:
You shall labor and do all your work for six days, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God… For in six days the Lord made
the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day he rested… For this reason
the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:9-11)
At this point the Ten Commandments themselves establish
their binding moral authority on the moral implications of the creation
account.
Jesus did something similar when he defended the disciples'
so-called Sabbath breaking on the basis of David's behavior. Listen to the way
he responded to the Pharisees in Matthew chapter 12 verses 3 through 4:
Have you never read what David did when he was in need and
hungry, along with those who were with him, how he entered the house of God …
and ate the consecrated bread, which only the priests are allowed to eat, and
also gave some to those who were with him? (Matthew 12:3-4)
Jesus approved of David's actions, and drew a moral
application from them. And he did this even though the account of this event
was not part of the legal code. So we see that in the Bible, not only is the
Law treated as the standard for good works, but so are the other portions. But
this should not seem strange to us. After all, earlier in this lesson we read 2
Timothy chapter 3 verses 16 and 17.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching,
for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, in order that the
man of God may be fully qualified, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy
3:16-17)
Paul did not limit the moral aspects of Scripture to those
portions that contain commandments and legal codes. Rather, he insisted that all
Scripture was useful for ethical training, that all Scripture places moral
demands on us. Therefore, our actions must conform to the standards of all
Scripture if they are to be morally good.
General Revelation
But we have also hinted that God's Word is even broader than
Scripture. In a very important sense, God's revelation in the creation itself
is part of his Word, so that God's revelation given through creation, which is
commonly called "General Revelation," is also part of the standard for
good works. One of the clearest places we find this idea in Scripture is Romans
chapter 1 verse 20. There Paul wrote:
Since the world's creation, [God's] invisible attributes,
his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood
through the things that have been made, so that [men] are without excuse.
(Romans 1:20)
Paul then went on to argue that despite what men know about
God's moral standards through general revelation, they prefer to sin.
But the point is this: Men's actions are condemned because
they violate the standards revealed by God's general revelation. Or to put it
in the terms we have been using, general revelation is part of God's Word, and
part of the criterion to which good works must conform. So, to recap what we
have said, Scripture teaches that good works must conform to God's Word as it
is revealed in the Law, in all of Scripture, and in creation.
Proper Goal
Besides needing to be properly motivated and to conform to
the standard of God's Word, all good works must have the right end or goal.
Now, good works may have any number of immediate goals. For instance, when
parents earn money to pay for food, shelter, clothing, their immediate goal is
to support themselves and their families. This is a good and admirable goal.
But in our study of ethics, we are more interested in the ultimate goal of the
works that people do.
If our works are to please God, immediate goals like caring
for our families, obeying our parents, keeping the Sabbath, and the like, must
be part of a bigger picture. We must do these things because, at our core, we
want to glorify God by living in a way that pleases him. Scripture teaches us
in many different ways that God's glory is to be a central, foundational goal
in our lives. It does this both by specific examples and in general principles.
One such example appears in Paul's instructions about eating meat sold in the
marketplace. Paul allowed that both eating and abstaining could be good things
to do, as long as God's glory was respected. He wrote these words in 1
Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31:
Whether you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything
for God's glory. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Paul understood that some immediate goals might make it good
to eat, while different immediate goals might make it good to abstain from
eating. His point was that there ought to be another principle overriding these
immediate goals, namely a concern for God's glory, and that unless this
ultimate goal were in sight, neither eating nor abstaining could be considered
good.
Peter made a similar point when he instructed his readers
concerning the use of spiritual gifts. Listen to his words in 1 Peter chapter 4
verse 11:
If someone speaks, it is to be as the Word of God; if
someone ministers, it is to be from the strength that God supplies; in order
that in all things God may be glorified. (1 Peter 4:11)
Peter's immediate point was that all gifts and ministries in
the church must be done for the ultimate goal of God's glory. But the
overriding principle Peter was applying was that everything in the Christian
life should be done in a way that honors God and brings him glory.
Other statements in Scripture make this general principle
more explicit. One place we see it stated rather plainly is Romans chapter 11
verse 36, where Paul wrote these words about God:
All things are from him and through him and to him. Glory to
him forever! (Romans 11:36)
Here Paul expressed great joy at the fact that everything is
"to him," meaning, among other things, that everything is to be done
for God's sake, having his glory and honor as its ultimate goal. Paul then
emphasized this point by exclaiming, "Glory to him forever!"
In fact, this verse suggests that God is ultimately
glorified in everything that exists, whether by creating it, sustaining it,
governing it, empowering it, or receiving it as service in his honor. It should
be no surprise, then, that he approves of works intended to bring him glory,
and that he condemns works that disregard or oppose his glory. God rewards and
approves only those works that have his glory as their ultimate goal.
Now that we have established a biblical definition of
Christian ethics and examined the threefold scriptural criteria for good works,
we should apply these ideas by laying out the threefold process by which
Christians should make ethical decisions.
THREEFOLD PROCESS
Throughout these lessons we will examine the practical steps
that we should take when making ethical decisions time and again. At this
point, however, we are in a position to sketch the basic contours of the
approach that we will explain more fully in later lessons.
To introduce our approach we will touch on three matters:
first, three tendencies of different Christian groups; second, three
perspectives on ethical decision making; and third, the interdependence of
these perspectives. Consider first the tendencies that different Christian
groups have as they make ethical decisions.
Tendencies
There are many different ways that believers try to make
ethical choices in life, but they tend to fall into three main categories. Some
emphasize our Christian conscience and the leading of the Holy Spirit,
insisting that actions are good if they accord with these internal indicators.
Others emphasize Scripture, insisting that actions are good if they obey the
dictates of Scripture, but bad if they do not. Still others emphasize the
outcome of actions, insisting that actions are good if they produce good
consequences, but bad if they produce bad consequences.
As we have seen, the Bible defines good works as those that
are done with the right motive, by the right standard, and for the right goal.
And in fact, these three criteria for good works correspond to the emphases we
have just mentioned.
Those who emphasize conscience and the leading of the Holy
Spirit are primarily concerned with the right motive. We might say that they
look first at the fact that good works can only be done by good persons. When
it comes to ethical judgments, they tend to ask questions like: What is my
attitude? Do I have the maturity to make the right decision? Do I have the
spiritual capacity to apply God's Word to the situation?
Then there are those who make ethical decisions by focusing
on the right standard. These people emphasize the dictates of Scripture. When
faced with an ethical issue, their first question tends to be: What does God's
Word say?
Finally, those who think mainly of the consequences of their
actions are chiefly interested in the right goal. They focus on the situation
itself, asking questions like: What is the problem? What issues are involved?
What outcomes will result from the possible solutions to this problem?
With these three general directions that Christians take in
making their decisions, it will help to realize that these directions actually
represent three essential perspectives for all ethical decision making.
Perspectives
Throughout these lessons we will speak of ethical judgments
or decisions in this way:
Ethical judgment involves the application of God's Word to a
situation by a person.
This definition ties together many things we have already
stated: We mention "God's Word" because divine revelation is the
standard or norm by which we must measure all judgments. The term
"situation" reminds us of the problem, the goal, and the consequences
of the solutions we are to consider. And we mention "a person" to
stress the importance of a person's nature, motive and conscience in
determining right courses of action. So, in effect we are suggesting that moral
decisions can be made properly only when all three directions are taken on any
given issue.
It often seems counterintuitive to many believers that we
place relatively equal emphasis on all three of these factors. After all, in
most conservative Christian circles, we cherish the Scriptures as our only
infallible rule of faith and practice. In this sense, we value the teaching of
Scripture above every other consideration we may make. Yet, it helps to see
that if we are biblical in our approach to ethics, if we follow the Scriptures
as our only infallible rule, then we will see that the Bible itself teaches us
to consider not only God's Word, but also the situation and the person as well
when we view the whole process of ethical inquiry.
Ethics must be approached in at least three different ways
or from three different perspectives. Ethics should be done from the
perspective of God's Word, from the perspective of the situation, and from the
perspective of the person. And biblically, the insights of all of these
perspectives are valuable. Therefore, the best approach is to do ethics from
all three perspectives, and to let the insights from each perspective inform
and influence the insights from the others.
We will speak of three perspectives or approaches toward
every ethical judgment: the situational perspective, the normative perspective
and the existential perspective. We will return to these perspectives many
times in these lessons, but at this point we should look at the basic idea of
each outlook.
Situational
When our ethical inquiries turn to the problems themselves,
or to the consequences of actions, or to goals, we are doing ethics from the
situational perspective. This approach may be called "teleological"
because it focuses on the end or the result of actions. Approaching ethics from
the situational perspective involves noting the relations of means to ends in
God's economy, asking questions like: What are the best means of achieving
God's purposes? It also includes appeals to moral behavior based on the prior
example of God, Jesus, and other morally good characters in Scripture, such as
in the popular slogan, "What would Jesus do?" Scripture itself
frequently adopts this perspective, and encourages us to do the same, when it
instructs us on ethical topics by appealing to God's sovereign, providential
control of his creation. This is particularly evident when it does so by referring
to the events of redemption, or by pointing to God, Jesus and others as models
for our behavior. For example, in Romans chapter 6 verses 2 through 4, Paul
argued that our death to sin and our burial with Christ took place in order
that a specific end might be accomplished, namely that we might live morally
apart from sin:
We died to sin; how will we still live in it? … We have been
buried together with [Christ] … in order that as Christ was raised from the
dead … so we also might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:2-4)
In so doing, he did not focus on the commandments of God or
on the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and consciences, but on the
facts of the situation, including the events of redemption and the ends for
which we were saved. Paul also closed Romans chapter 6 with a situational
perspective on ethics. He wrote these words in Romans chapter 6 verses 20
through 22:
When you were slaves of sin … what benefit did you have then
from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the result of those things is
death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your
benefit, leading to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:20-22)
Paul encouraged his readers to live holy, moral lives, and
to abstain from the sins they once committed. Paul argued that by living holy
lives, they would obtain eternal life. Here, he also argued on the basis of
consequences, but this time, he focused on the reward that would be given in
response to godly living. Peter also presented situational arguments for moral
behavior. Listen to the way he argued in 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 21 and 22:
Christ suffered for you, leaving an example for you, in
order that you might follow in his footsteps. (1 Peter 2:21-22)
Here Peter encouraged believers to be willing to suffer for
the sake of righteousness, and he did so not by quoting Scripture or speaking
of the inward leading of the Holy Spirit, but by appealing to the facts of
redemptive history, and specifically to the example of Jesus' suffering on the
cross.
Normative
Perhaps the most intuitive perspective for Christians is
what we call the normative perspective. Normative refers to the fact that God's
Word is the norm or standard for ethics. We are doing ethics from the normative
perspective when we look to the Bible to tell us what to do. For example, in
restoring proper worship to Israel, King Josiah instructed his people to keep
the Passover. In 2 Kings chapter 23 verse 21, he commanded them:
Observe the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written
in this book of the covenant. (2 Kings 23:21)
His argument was not that redemptive history or the facts of
their situation bound them to this obligation, or that God inwardly directed
them to keep the Passover, but that Scripture itself directed them to celebrate
this memorial. His appeal was to the words of the Law that God had delivered to
his people through Moses. The Apostle John also adopted the normative
perspective when he appealed to God's commandment as the basis for belief and
behavior in 1 John chapter 3 verse 23:
This is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ, and love one another. (1 John 3:23)
Again, God's Word was the basis for behavior. God commanded
that people behave and believe in a certain way, and his authority alone
obligated all people to conform to this moral standard.
Having now looked at the situational and normative
perspectives, let's take a look at ethics viewed from the perspective of the
person, which we will call the existential perspective.
Existential
When we approach ethics by asking questions that are
specific to the people involved, we are doing ethics from an existential
perspective. By "existential" we don't mean to associate this
perspective with the particular philosophy of the existentialists. Rather, we
mean that this perspective views ethics through the lens of the individual
person's experience. The existential perspective focuses on the self in
confrontation and interaction with God. When we approach ethics from this perspective,
we do not degrade God's authority or exalt our own sensibilities as our
ultimate standard of right and wrong. Rather, we ask questions like: How must I
change if I am to be holy? And we pay attention to influences like the inward
leading of the Holy Spirit and sanctified personal conscience.
So we see, then, that Scripture affirms our consciences and
the leading of the Holy Spirit as valid means to determine what is right and
wrong. Along with the situational and the normative perspectives, the existential
perspective is a necessary tool for us as we seek to make ethical judgments.
Scripture contains many examples of this approach to ethics, such as in 1 John
chapter 3 verse 21, where the apostle wrote:
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have assurance
before God. (1 John 3:21)
His point was that as redeemed people, our hearts are in
tune with God's character, and if God's love abides within us, we will be able
to intuit what is right and what is wrong. God moves within his people to bring
them inward conviction of right and wrong. And when we acknowledge this aspect
in doing ethics, we are using the existential perspective.
We find the same kind of thinking in Paul's writings. For
instance, in Galatians chapter 5, Paul associated the flesh with our sinful
nature, and listed many immoral deeds that the flesh motivates us to commit. He
also explained that the Holy Spirit works in us to produce morally good things,
such as love, joy and peace. In this context, he explained that believers can
perform good deeds by obeying the inward leading of the Holy Spirit.
Listen to his teaching in Galatians chapter 5 verse 16:
Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desire of
the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
One legitimate way for believers to make ethical judgments
is to heed the Spirit's inner prompting. And when we do this, we are viewing
right and wrong from the existential perspective. In Romans chapter 14 verses
5, 14 and 23, Paul placed so much emphasis on the existential perspective that
he insisted that to violate our consciences was sin, even though our
consciences are not perfect.
Each person must be fully assured in his own mind… I know
and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But to
the one who thinks it to be unclean, to him it is unclean… The one who doubts
is condemned if he eats, because it is not from faith. (Romans 14:5, 14, 23)
Paul was talking about food sacrificed to idols, and
explaining that it was good for Christians to eat this food, so long as in
their minds they did not think of it as an act of pagan worship. But if their
consciences would not allow them to eat in this manner, it would be sin for
them to eat this food.
Interestingly, in the context of this chapter, Paul argued
that if the matter were viewed from simply the normative and situational
perspectives, most believers would be inclined to eat this food. But he
insisted that believers also consider the insights of the existential
perspective, and that they not eat unless they could reach the same conclusions
from all three perspectives. Now that we have introduced the situational,
normative and existential perspectives in ethics, we should spend some time
looking at the way these three perspectives interact with and depend on one
another. The three different perspectives from which we may approach ethics are
not separate constituent parts. Rather, each perspective is the whole of
ethics, viewed from one angle or another.
I have to admit that at first, this can be a little
confusing. After all, it would appear that some of the examples we have already
given in this lesson only employ one perspective at a time. But in reality, all
of our examples involve all three perspectives. We have simply chosen examples
where one perspective is displayed most prominently in order to highlight the
differences among the three. The truth of the matter is that no perspective
should ever function in isolation from the others.
Interdependence
In the first place, consider what is involved in the
situational perspective. The situation entails all the relevant facts of the
ethical questions we are considering, including the persons involved in the
matter and God's Word, which is the standard by which the matter is to be evaluated.
If it were not for persons, there would be no one to do ethical inquiry, and if
it were not for God's revelation, nothing would be known about the facts in the
first place. In other words, even when we evaluate ethical questions from the
situational perspective, our investigations must always include personal and
normative considerations. It is safe to say that unless we see the situation in
light of God's Word, and unless we recognize how the situation bears on us as
persons, we have not rightly understood the situation.
The same is true when we speak of the normative perspective.
If we cannot apply the words of Scripture to our situations and selves, we
really have not understood Scripture. Consider the man who says, "I know
what 'You shall not steal' means. But I don't know how that applies to me or to
my embezzling funds from my employer." This person certainly does not have
an adequate concept of the words 'You shall not steal.' He claims to understand
the normative requirements, but his failure to be able to comprehend a
situational context to which these apply demonstrate that, in reality, he has
little clue what the Bible requires.
And, of course, the same can be said about the existential
perspective. We cannot rightly understand the self unless we see it in the
context of its situation and rightly interpret it by the Word of God. Our
consciences must be informed by Scripture if we are to intuit rightly. And we
must also know the facts of a situation before our conscience can rightly point
out our responsibilities.
So then, each perspective necessitates consideration of the
others. If we perfectly apply any perspective, it will show us all the same
insights that we can gain from the other two. The problem is that we are not
perfect human beings with perfect insight. For this reason, we usually don't
see existential and situational issues very clearly when we approach matters
from an exclusively normative viewpoint. And we typically don't understand
normative and existential issues well if we only adopt the situational
perspective. And of course, it is also true that if we only look at existential
aspects of ethical questions, we rarely come to right conclusions regarding
normative and situational issues.
If we were able to think about ethics perfectly, all three
perspectives would always render exactly the same conclusions and insights. But
since we are not perfect, we must take advantage of all three perspectives so
that we have all the information possible about ethical problems. By using all
three perspectives, we can provide ourselves with checks and balances to the
insights of any single perspective.
CONCLUSION
In this lesson we have introduced the subject of Christian
ethics by defining it as the whole of theology viewed from its ethical aspects.
We have also explained the Bible's threefold criteria for good works. Finally,
we have suggested a biblical model for making ethical decisions that takes into
account the benefits of emphasizing and balancing the normative, situational,
and existential perspectives. Making biblical decision in the modern world can
be extremely challenging. We constantly feel ourselves pulled by a variety of
influences, many of which do not recognize God's authority and do not care for
His goodness. But as Christians we must affirm God's goodness and we must
pursue it in our ethical decisions. And one very helpful way to do this is
through the use of the normative, situational and existential perspectives on
ethics. As we incorporate these perspectives into our thinking, we prepare
ourselves to evaluate complex ethical problems and to make wise, biblical
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