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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