STUDY THEME: ADOPTING A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW. 7-30-00
UNIT 2: CONTOURS OF A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW: "WHAT'S RIGHT & WHAT'S WRONG."
PS. 9:7-8; 19:7-11; EZEK. 18:1-4, 19-20: ROM. 2: 14-15.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO PSALM 9.
Now that we have completed 3/4 of the 12 lessons concerning "ADOPTING A
BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW" I pray that you have learned that the Biblical or
Christian Worldview provides the only rational basis for living in a real
world.
Today's question is "What ever happened to right and wrong." Henry Clay
said "I would rather be right than be President. Lincoln said "Let us
have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us to the end,
dare to do our duty as we understand it."
Determining what is right and what is wrong and then doing it is a common
subject in the Bible. The best diagnosis of the human condition is
contained in the first few pages of Genesis. In those pages we learn
where we came from, what our purpose is, and what has gone wrong with the
world.
The Bible teaches that there is a Holy God whose law constitutes a
transcendent, universally valid standard; Our choice simply determines
whether we accept it, or reject it and suffer the consequences of our
choice. Satan is the originator of "The Great Lie"-- that we have the
capacity, like God, to create our own standard of right and wrong.
Today false teachers are teaching we are not responsible for sin.
Preachers are preaching that a God of Love would never prepare a place
like Hell. You and I know that is a lie--there is more said in the
Scripture about Hell than about Heaven.
Many Christians and most unsaved people do not believe that "Jesus is the
way, the truth, and the life; that no one comes to the Father except
through Jesus." Please let me read where we are, and we will then move on
to a study of where we should be.
TEACHER READ 2 PETER 2: 1- 22.
What ever happened to right and wrong? Why should I live by God's moral
standards when they have proven to be unsatisfactory to most of the
world? No man has a right to do as he pleases, except when he pleases to
do right.
1. PLEASE READ PSALM 9: 7-8.
The first question we usually ask when we play a game is "What are the
rules?" We were visiting the Ed and Mary Horton, a missionary family in
Mombosa, Kenya. Three young people who had just descended from Mt.
Kilimanjaro dropped in to visit. They each had planted the flag of their
country on top of the mountain. The English and American Boys and the
German Girl.
The two young men joined Ed and I for a game of 42. Ed explained the
rules. When Ed and I won the first game the Texas boy wanted the rules
changed so the larger dominoes was trumps. When he lost the second game
the rules were changed to low dominos as trumps. God doesn't play that
way. He reigns forever. His standard demands righteousness and He will
execute all decisions necessary to bring compliance to His laws.
David wrote Ps. 9 to praise God for His lordship over the nations. The
Israelites lived in a world that was hostile to God and thus hostile to
His standards and to His people. In Vs. 19 he prayed that God would not
let humans triumph.
We need to learn four truths about God and His standards. First, He rules
forever., He sits on His throne. He always had been and forever will be
sovereign over the universe He created. He is sovereign over all thrones,
rulers, powers, and authorities. God sets nations' borders and determines
their times. Nothing happens apart from His decree. The world may ignore
this truth, but the church should never forget it. We must not get
discouraged when nations--including America--seem to think they can write
their own standards of morality instead of submitting to the One who
reigns over them.
Many people think their lives are in their own hands when in reality Acts
17:28 says "we live and move and have our being" in God. Instead of
boasting about our plans, we should say with James 4:13-15, "If it is the
Lord's will." Even though we have freedom of choice, God ultimately is
Lord and will accomplish His purpose. In the church, far too much despair
exists concerning the world's hostility to God's standards. We Christians
should stand for God's truth and not fret over the world's resistance to
it. God reigns! One day everyone will acknowledge His rule.
The Bible affirms that God will call everyone to give an account of his
or her life. Judgment is coming. Heb. 9:27 says "Man is destined to die
once, and after that to face judgment." This judgment is so certain that
when Daniel in Dan. 7, and John in Rev. 20, saw God's throne in heaven,
from God's perspective court already was in session.
The third truth to remember from Ps. 9: 8 is "God will judge the world in
righteousness." This means that God's judgment of the world will be
according to His perfect moral standards reflected in His character.
People can call "evil good and good evil". In their wickedness they can
throw truth to the ground. Yet on judgment day God will pick up that
standard of righteousness and judge people by it.
The fourth truth to remember is that God will rule the world by His
standard of justice rooted in His nature. He will reward good and will
punish evil. When evil abounds, the world seems unfair. God's rule is
fair, but He will not excuse the world from accountability. He exalts
nations that pursue His standard of righteousness and He eventually will
bring disgrace on every nation that rejects it.
PLEASE TURN TO ROMANS 2.
Someone might ask, "How can God's standards apply to all people? Why
would God judge the world by such a high standard when not everyone has
read the Bible? Many people have not had a chance to hear and to accept
what God requires. How can they know His standards.
2. PLEASE READ ROMANS 2: 14-15.
How can God apply His standards to all people? The answer is that all
people have some knowledge of God's standards. Even people who have not
read he Bible are aware of them. Paul stated "Gentiles, who do not have
the law, do by nature things required by the law." Thus, "They are a law
for themselves, even though they do not have the law." Paul contended
that their behavior showed that the Law's requirements were "written on
their hearts." People with no exposure to God's law instinctively did
what the law demanded. The law is written in their hearts. This is the
Bible's answer to those who claim that God's standards are not relevant
for all people. God's standards are for all people of every generation
and every culture. People may choose to ignore or reject His standards,
but they do so at their own peril.
The word "law" refers to the Mosaic law, which stated for the Jews God's
standard of right and wrong. Yet God also gave and still gives a sense of
right and wrong to all people, whether or not they hear about His moral
standards.
The Bible states that even people who have given themselves to gross sins
know God's righteous decree. Rom. 1:32 says "Those who do such things
deserve death." Such an inward sense of right and wrong has led societies
to establish laws and customs that in terms of outward behavior appear
similar to the Bible's moral laws. People who never attend a church often
live moral lives and outwardly conform to the Bible. Others go to court
assuming that a standard of justice exists to which they can appeal, to
which all parties are accountable.
Why do both non-Christians and Christians revel in the good feeling a
person gets from doing good to others? Conversely, why does society
depend on a sense of shame to discourage wrongdoing? The answer in Romans
2:15 is that people's "consciences ---bearing witness" appeal to "the
law...written on their hearts." For this reason, our thoughts accuse us
when we do wrong or defend us when we do right. Paul thought of the
conscience as performing in the Gentile world roughly the same function
the law performed among the Jews. God has made His standards known to all
people. Thus His standards apply to all people. Rom. 1:18-20 states that
ignorance is no excuse for sin because the world itself reveals the
presence of God.
PLEASE TURN TO PSALM 19.
David extolled the law because obeying it saved people from the dangers
of sinful living and brought the good results of obedience to God. Good
things come as a result of keeping God's standards.
3. PLEASE READ PSALM 19: 7-11.
The first 6 verses of Ps. 19 praise God for His revelation in nature. If
you have visited Epcot and experienced "The Living Seas" exhibit you came
away realizing they were very careful to omit God from every part of the
creation story. They made it sound as if God had nothing to do with any
of this; that nature by itself had the power to create the universe and
the wonders of life on earth.
It's kinda' scary when the grand-kid comes home from school pointing out
that this is what they learned in school. "Scientists can prove all of
the theory of evolution; but no one can know for sure about God." My
biology teacher says ‘people want to believe they are important, so they
invent religion. They invent the idea of God who created them so they
will feel better'." The Psalmist in Ps. 19: 1-6 praises God for His
revelation in nature. In Vs. 7-14 he praises God for His revelation in
the law.
The term "LAW" in Vs. 7 is the comprehensive term for God's revealed
will. David emphasized that it is "perfect." God's will for us is always
perfect. It revives "the soul and restores a person's life."
The phrase "statutes" or "testimony" can refer to God's special decree or
to His covenant requirements. His statutes are "trustworthy" or "sure,"
which literally means that they are "faithful" or "steadfast." We can
lean our weight on God's Word; and it will hold us up. It is reliable.
The effect of trusting His statutes is seen most dramatically in the
lives of "simple" people, who are made wise by God's statutes.
In Vs. 8 the phrase "the precepts of the Lord" refers to general rules of
action that God or human rulers give. Here these are the principles of
conduct in the Scriptures that must be applied to specific life
situations. David wrote that God's precepts are "right," literally
"straight," and that following them gives "joy to the heart."
The path through moral dilemmas would be clearer if we would choose never
to violate God's precepts. Instead, we should look for how they apply to
situations we encounter. Then we will have joy no matter how complicated
life becomes.
The phrase "the commands of the Lord" refers to God's authority to call
us to obedience. God's commands are not meant to be burdensome and
restrictive. On the contrary, they are "radiant." They give light to the
eyes. God's commands expand our vision, enabling us to see more of Him
and of the beauty of trusting Him by keeping His commands. God's Word is
a light for our path, enabling us to see our situations from His
perspective.
In Vs. 9 "The fear of the Lord" illustrates living life in recognition of
the presence and person of God. Prov. 1:7 says "The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of knowledge." Ps. 25:12 says, "When we fear God, He will
instruct us in His way for us." The word "fear" in Ps. 19:9 means
"reverence." Respect for God is the foundation of all life with Him and
of understanding about Him. This kind of fear is "pure" or "clean" and it
endures "forever."
"Ordinances" or "judgments" are God's judicial decisions about various
situations. They re outlined in the law. God called His people to trust
Him by following His ordinances because they are "sure," literally
"truth," and "altogether righteous." God's people can rest securely in
what He has prescribed in His Word."
In Vs. 10 David compared keeping God's standards with the costliest and
the sweetest things. The Hebrew word for "gold" probably denotes pure
gold. Nothing else had more value than refined gold, and yet God's Word
is much more precious. Honey is one of the most delightful foods, but
God's Word is more enjoyable than the best honey.
Vs. 11 answers why God's Word is so precious and desirable. First, by
God's commands His servants are "warned." Who knows how many pitfalls
have been avoided through heeding the Bible's words? Second, "in keeping
them... is great reward"---including a joy-filled life now and continued
life in heaven.
All people need to hear God calling them to "taste and see that the Lord
is good". The old lady was asked, "Suppose you get to heaven and they
won't let you in. What will you do then?" She replied, "I'll just march
around the walls letting all know what a good time I had getting there."
Jesus wants us to experience life to the full and to have the freedom
that comes from knowing and keeping His teachings. Jesus said in Matt.
11: 30 "His commands are not burdensome." They do not restrict our
happiness; they are for our good. We need to heed the Bible's challenge
for us to trust God and to see that His way is best for us.
PLEASE TURN TO EZEKIEL 18.
Ezekiel proclaimed that all people are individually accountable for their
sins. They cannot blame someone else or other factors for their moral
failures. When we sin we usually begin by "blaming others"; then
"circumstances", or "the devil made me do it." Seldom do we admit we are
responsible for our sin. Yet James wrote" if we say we have no sin we
make God a liar."
4. PLEASE READ EZEKIEL 18: 1-4, 19-20.
At the end of the 7th century B.C., the nation of Judah experienced an
earthshaking reversal. The godly king Josiah was killed in battle, and
his religious revival ended. The nation quickly lost its independence,
first to Egypt and then to Babylon. Repeated efforts to overthrow these
foreign overlords ended in disaster and increased woe. In 587 B.C., the
Babylonians razed Jerusalem, tearing the ancient temple of Solomon to the
ground. The inhabitants were exiled, and the region left as a wasteland.
Ezekiel and Jeremiah were contemporary prophets. Jeremiah preached in
Judah in the closing years of its history and after some Jews were taken
as exiles into Babylon. Ezekiel preached to these early exiles in
Babylon. These two prophets heard people saying, "The fathers have eaten
sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge."
This meant that one generation suffers for the sins of the previous
generation. The exiles were claiming that they had been the victims of
the sins of their forefathers. They themselves were not to blame for
being sent into exiles; their fathers were.
Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel quoted this proverb. Ezekiel said that God did
not want to hear it anymore. Two reasons were given in Vs. 4. First, God
said, "All souls are mine." This included the soul of the father and the
soul of the son. Second, He said "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."
To the Hebrew, the "soul" represented the totality of the person or the
life-force within him. Die probably refers to physical and spiritual
death.
Ezekiel gave three illustrations. In Vs. 5-9 He described a righteous
person, who would live. In Vs. 10-13 He mentioned a wicked son of a
righteous father--the son would die for his sins. In Vs, 14-18 he
mentioned a righteous son of a wicked father--the son would live and not
be punished for the sins of he father. Vs. 19 goes back to the people's
question implied in the proverb of Vs. 2. "Why doth not the son bear the
iniquity of he father?" The Lord's answer was, "When the son hath done
that which is lawful and right...he shall surely live."
Vs. 20 repeats the last part of Vs. 4. "The soul that isnneth, it shall
die'. Neither the son nor the father would bear the iniquity of the
other. "The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the
wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."
The people felt they had some basis for their proverb in Vs. 2. For one
thing, the O.T., at times emphasized the corporate nature of sin. Exodus
34:6-7 describes God's mercy for sinners but closes with the sobering
words that He would "by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upn the children and upon the children's children, unto
the third and fourth generation." For another thing, the
prophets---including Jeremiah and Ezekiel--had said that the sins of past
generations would bring down the nation.
Both of these facts were true, but two other factors need to be taken
into consideration with them, First of all, the corporate nature of sin
never denies the guilt of the individual. In essence, Ezekiel's answer
was: "Individually each person is responsible for his or her own guilt of
sin." But we must always be aware that the consequences of sin will
affect others who are innocent of the guilt of that particular sin." The
other factor is that in Ezekiel 8, Ezekiel had condemned the generation
that went into exile for being as evil or worse than their forefathers.
Concerning the use of the "sour grapes" proverb, both Jeremiah and
Ezekiel saw this as a pernicious doctrine, because it inevitably led to a
spirit of fatalism and irresponsibility. This kind of fatalism and
irresponsibility is at work in our own day.
Of course all of us are subject to evil influences, but the Bible teaches
that each of us has enough freedom of choice to be held accountable for
our actions. Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist, wrote a book called
"Whatever Became of Sin? He lamented the demise of the word and the
meaning of sin. One factor Menninger identified in this demise was the
influence of the idea that people who are part of a group have no
responsibility for their actions. He wrote, "If a group of people can be
made to share the responsibility for what would be a sin if an individual
did it, the load of guilt rapidly shifts from the shoulders of all
concerned." Dr. Mennenger called for a return to the concept of personal
responsibility. God holds each person accountable for his or her sins.
Why should people live by God's standards? "God's standards which are
based on His character and reflect who He is, apply to all people. They
are for all humanity, not merely for believers. In other words, they are
a creation ethic, not merely a redemption ethic. God's standard are for
our best. Each individual is accountable to God for his or her moral
choices. No one can pass his or her responsibility on to another. God is
a God of Judgment. All people will be judged for what they have done in
their lives. The fact that human beings are fallen does not change God's
moral standards or the reality that people are accountable to Him for
failing to live up to His moral standards.
NEXT WEEKS' QUESTION IS "HOW CAN I BE DELIVERED FROM MY SPIRITUAL
BONDAGE?" PLEASE READ GALATIANS 3 & 4. A.V. DAUGHERTY 7-30-2000