Ethics

Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)



Eternity-Inspiration for Friday 13th February 1998


Ethics

(Psa 24:1-5 NKJV) The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
These verses are telling us that:

1. God owns the world.
2. God establishes its order.
3. Access to God is limited because God is holy.
4. Those who have ethical integrity will have access to God.
5. He will bless those with lives of integrity who worship Him alone.


God is Sovereign, the world is His and He gives His blessings in accordance with His moral order. The Bible, while acknowledging Satan's control of "this present evil age", still sees the universe as a moral universe with God absolutely and sovereignly in charge of it. This is even more so since the resurrection as God's power has begun to triumph through the cross.

Both Testaments agree that ethical integrity is essential for true blessing. Jesus, in the Sermon On The Mount said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." The Christian should be someone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness and who ponders how to live righteously in the modern world. Grace is not licence. Going back to an earlier devotion we are saved by faith - for good works. Ethical zeal does not save us but it is a very essential part of living the way God intends us to live and doing the good works He has prepared beforehand for us to do.

Perhaps it is because I tend to hold positions of responsibility, but I feel that the ethical dimension of Christianity is underplayed and that Christians are not being equipped by their churches to tackle modern issues. Instead we are caught up in singing and worship and gifts of the Spirit and other good things and the "Thou shalt nots.." are left out as old-fashioned and negative. Yet I for one need to be reminded of right and wrong and encouraged to live a godly life. Yes, there is still plenty of legalism about and sexual sin is still taught against. But there is a lot more to ethics than sex. Basic honesty, not diddling the tax man, not lying, not making false promises (swearing deceitfully), not worshipping idols of any sort, having "clean hands and a pure heart". We need to have absolutely honest lives in every aspect. As I said yesterday we don't change by trying to fix ourselves. We change by looking at God. As we see God in His holiness and love Him in His justice we will become holy and just. We become like that which we love. A Christian who fudges ethically does not know God well at all. You cannot "walk in the darkness" and really know God. Its impossible. However once we start having integrity and taking hold of the Truth we find fellowship and forgiveness. The apostle John puts it well when he says...

(1 John 1:5-10 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. {6} If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. {7} But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. {8} If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. {9} If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. {10} If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus You are the light and in You there is no darkness at all. In us Lord there is great darkness, there are lies, dishonesty, jealousy, envy, pride, worldliness, compromise, sexual sin, and wrong desires of every nature. We will not lie, we will not deny our sin, we bring it to you for forgiveness that we may be cleansed of our sin by Your blood and live upright and ethical lives in the light. O Lord please renew us to godliness and truth for Your name's sake. Amen.

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John Edmiston ([email protected])
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