"M" Is For Morality

Who’s to say what's right or wrong?  Where does morality come from?  Who gets to make the rules, to have the final say?  Is it not God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth?  The Lord God, our Creator?  

Psalm 119:89 (NKJ) tells us, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.”

“Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.”  Psalm 50:6 (NKJ)

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.”  Proverbs 12:15 (NKJ)

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”  Proverbs 28:26 (NKJ)

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.”  James 4:12 (NIV).

So many times I’ve heard the following statement set forth as truth: “You can’t legislate morality.”  Really?  It’s true that while passing laws can’t make a person behave in a moral way, good laws do restrain sin.  But someone’s morality is present in every law passed.  Those who write the laws have a motive and reference point of some kind.  The writers of our Constitution in the United States of America all shared a common reference point: the Holy Scriptures. 

The breakdown of the family and morality I see happening in the world and especially in the church troubles me.  It troubles me to see what I believe is a blatant disregard for the Word of God.  I see divorce on the rise.  I see violence increasing.  Even in Christian homes children are abused and mistreated.  Christians re-interpret the Word of God regarding sexual sins and encourage others to follow suit. What has happened to the church and our society?  Those who hold to the truths of God’s Word are often looked down on, scoffed, ridiculed, and called bigots and homophobes.

Right now the Supreme Court is hearing a case on granting rights to “married homosexuals.”  What a vile thing!  Marriage was designed by God, and He alone gets to say what it is.  God tells us that marriage is between one man and one woman; always was, always will be in His eyes, no matter what foolish and destructively ridiculous “laws” are passed.  I heard of one lesbian who stated that the goal of the homosexual community is to eventually do away with the institution of marriage altogether, and the passing of “gay marriage” laws are just steps along the way to their ultimate goal.

If the homosexual activists win this battle at the Supreme Court, what will they push for next?  Legalization of beastiality, pedophilia, incest and polygamy?  Group marriage?  It would be a total breakdown of our society, and that’s what Satan wants.   

It's so distressing to hear of school teachers who tell their students they have to decide if they are “gay” or “straight” in their formative years.  There is pressure from our Sodom and Gomorrah culture to buy into the lie that one is born either to be gay or straight, and that there’s nothing one can do about it.  Professing Christians are adopting that line of thinking.  They exchange the truth of God for a lie, because they don’t think God’s truth is worth holding onto.  (Romans 1:25-28).  They re-interpret God’s Word according to their own feelings and experiences.

Life’s experiences and not seeing those experiences correctly in the light of God’s Word can lead to believing lies that bring self-doubt and wrong self-perception.  Sexual abuse in childhood can open a door to lies.   Evil spirits whisper these lies and are believed even by Christians, either because they are not aware their beliefs are lies, or else do not denounce the lies and hold firmly to what God said in His Word.  The Church has too often failed in godly mentoring, teaching and practicing deliverance and victory over sin, and is instead too often making excuses for it.

And it isn’t just sexual sin that I’m deeply concerned about, although the Word does seem to say that sexual sins are worse.  They reach a deep part of a person, affecting the very psyche.  Corinthians 6:18-20 (NIV) says, “Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”  Can you imagine joining the Holy Spirit to a prostitute or engaging in fornication or a homosexual act?  Of course not.

In I Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul addressed the church at Corinth for tolerating a man who was having sex with his father’s wife.  He instructed them to exercise church discipline and put the man out of the church.  He further writes, “I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.  With such a man do not even eat.”

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJ)

I believe a lack of consistent Bible reading and daily fellowship with God leads to living life by one's emotions and opinions rather than by what God says.  The movies we watch, the books we read, the radio programs  and news we listen to, all shape our feelings and beliefs.  Shouldn't our opinions be shaped by God's thoughts?  One prayer I've prayed throughout my life is this: God, always give me a love for the truth.  Keep me in Your truth."

We must remember also to give mercy and grace to those truly struggling with sin and temptation, and help each other to overcome.  There is no shame in admitting to a trusted fellow believer that we struggle with a certain sin.  It will help us to be healed.  We all struggle with one thing or another.  James 5:16 (NIV) encourages believers, "Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed."  Only the Water of Life gives freedom and deliverance.  God does have the answer in Jesus Christ our Lord.  But we must reverence Him and His Word, and look to Him for the answer instead of our politically-correct culture.

The City set on a hill has let its light grow dim; the church has far too much fallen prey to compromise and liberal thinking.  I pray much for the body of Christ, for those who name His Name to return to the faith once delivered to the saints and hold fast to God’s Word in patient endurance.  

In the midst of all this spiritual malaise, I believe a holy revival is coming to our land that will change the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, everywhere.  The wind of the Holy Spirit will blow and breathe new life into God’s people and many more will come into God’s Kingdom with joy and rejoicing.  Thank you for joining me in prayer to this end.  There is great hope!

Stay faithful, dear reader.

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy