CHRISTIAN BASIS FOR ETHICAL

DECISIONS
CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS FOR
ETHICS
 Looking Beyond Humanity
• It is wise to conclude that since we
cannot look to any man or group of
people for standards of morality, we
should look above ourselves
• The way is clear – we must look to God
• God is the Foundation for Christian Ethics
God: The Source of Christian Ethics
• If we are able to understand God and His nature,
we will have a clear basis for all types of
morality.
• Biblical Christian ethics is grounded in the
character of God.
• Christian morality is founded on the conviction
that an absolute moral order exists outside of us,
which is somehow inscribed into our very being.
• It is a morality flowing from the nature of the
Creator through His highest creation - Man
 Christian Ethics is Based on God’s
Revelation
• God’s Commands are revealed to us
through two forms of revelation
• General Revelation
• Special Revelation
 General Revelation
• General revelation refers to the general truths
that can be known about God through nature.
• It is the knowledge of God, and of right and
wrong, that can be obtained through nature.
• This general revelation of God’s existence and
basic morality is known by everyone
• A working definition of general revelation would
be “the revelation of God to all people, at all
times, and in all places that proves that God
exists and that He is intelligent, powerful, and
transcendent.”
 General Revelation
• In regard to general revelation, Psalm 19:1-4 declares,
• “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies
proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they
pour forth speech; night after night they display
knowledge. There is no speech or language where their
voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the
earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
• According to this passage, God’s existence and power
can be clearly seen through observing the universe.
• The order, intricacy, and wonder of creation speak to the
existence of a powerful and glorious Creator.
 General Revelation
• Romans 1:18-20
• 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because
that which may be known of God is manifest in
them; for God hath showed it unto them.
• 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of
the world are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
 General Revelation - Some Definitions
• Bruce Demarest and Gordon Lewis:
• ‘[T]he disclosure of God in nature, in providential
history, and in the moral law within the heart,
whereby all persons at all times and places gain a
rudimentary understanding of the Creator and
His moral demands.’
• Demarest adds:
• ‘General revelation, mediated through nature,
conscience, and the providential ordering of
history, traditionally has been understood as a
universal witness to God’s existence and
character.’
 General Revelation - Some Definitions
• Diehi’s definition:
• ‘General revelation is a revelation of God
through his works of creation and providence
in a natural, continuous, universal, indirect
and non-propositional mode.’
 Our Common Moral Heritage:
Moral Law is Universal
• Christian ethics, in one sense, is simply an expansion of a
moral order that is generally revealed to everyone.
• “[T]here is a basic pattern of similarity among [ethical
codes]. Such things as murder, lying, adultery, cowardice,
for example, are almost always condemned. Calvin D.
Linton
• Creeds of human civilizations testify to God’s general
revelation
• The similarities within the codes of diverse cultures
indicate a common moral heritage for all mankind which
materialism or naturalism cannot explain.
 Christian Ethics is based on God’s
Special Revelation
The Scriptures
• Our most commonly shared form of special
revelation is the Bible.
• God supernaturally gifted the writers of
Scripture to accurately record His message
through each author's personality and style.
• The Word of God is living and active Hebrews
4:12
• The word of God is Inspired, profitable, and
sufficient 2 Timothy 3:16-17
 Special Revelation
• The more specific truths that can be known
about God through the supernatural.
• Special Revelation found in Scripture; the written
infallible word of God
• God’s special revelation is not subject to human
scrutiny; it is what God says He wants
• God’s special revelation is timeless and is not
mutable by changes in human socialization
• God’s special revelation transcends whatever
interpretations of reality humans come up with
 Special Revelation
• How God has chosen to reveal Himself
through miraculous means and through His
Word.
• God appeared in physical form many times
Gen. 3:8; 18:1; Exodus 3:1-4, 34:5-7
• God spoke to people through dreams -
Gen 28:12; 37:5, 1 Kings 3:5; Daniel 2
• God spoke also through visions Genesis
15:1; Ezekiel 8:3-4; Daniel 7:2; 2
Corinthians 12:1-7
 Why is Special Revelation Necessary?
• For three major reasons God must make himself
known by His own initiative:
• 1 – God is transcendent whereas humans are
finite and limited
• 2 – God has a Personal Nature that is the
Standard for His creation
• 3 – Humanity is fallen and therefore lack the
spontaneous ability to know God and his will
• Conclusion: If God does not reveal Himself in
special ways, we can very easily miss Him
Jesus Christ – God’s Ultimate Revelation
• Hebrews 1:1-3 Summarizes it best,
• “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the
prophets at many times and in various ways, but in
these last days he has spoken to us by his Son … The
Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact
representation of his being.”
• God became a human being, in the Person of Jesus
Christ, to identify with us, to set an example for us, to
teach us, to reveal Himself to us …[Phil 2:5-11].
• Jesus Christ is the ultimate “special revelation” from
God
 Jesus: God’s Ultimate Revelation
• He who has seen Me has seen the Father
• Old Testament if full of Images of Jesus – 4th person
in the fire
• Jacob’s ladder
• Serpent in the wilderness
• Rock, Manna
• New Testament
• Full manifestation of Love
• Manifestation of power
• Manifestation of Wisdom
 Some Characteristics of Christian Ethics
It is based on Unchanging Principles (Absolute)

• Absolutes originate from the unchanging nature of God

• Malachi 3:6 6 For I am the LORD, I change not;
therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
• Absolutes originate from the eternality of God’s word
• Matthew 24:33-35.33 So likewise ye, when ye shall
see all these things, know that it is near, even at the
doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall
not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not
pass away.
 Christian Ethics is based on God’s Will
• Right is what God says is right: He is above all men
and also above the collective views of humankind
• Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
• Father, if it be Thy will, let this cup pass from
Me, nevertheless, not My will but Thine
• This is the solution to the problem of defining what
is right and wrong
• Life began from God so it is logical to look for what
is right or wrong from Him
 Christian Ethics is Prescriptive
• It is based on What Should be
• The initial foundation for Christian ethics - Exodus 20:1-10
• And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,…

• Galatians 5:22-25- 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, …. against such there is no law… 25 If we
live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
• Today I place before you life and death, but choose life
• As for me and My house, we will serve the Lord
• Flee youthful lusts but follow after purity …
 Christian Ethics Is Duty-centered
• The value of an act is determined not necessarily by its
consequence [the end does not justify the means]
• The means itself must be right even if the expected results
were not attained
• Right or wrong in contained within the act itself
• E.g. The fact that not many youth by their own strength
may not be able to abstain from pre-marital sex does not
make a campaign for abstinence is not right
• Rules determine the result
• Rule is the basis of the act
• Rule is good regardless of the result
• Result is always calculated within the rules
• E.g. If you tried saving a drowning man and you fail
 Conclusion
• Christian ethics is founded on the premise
that there is One higher than all of us who
alone decides what is right and wrong; and
we all must live according to what He
decides.
• We must use our power of choice to do
what He expects of us: This is non-
negotiable