Romans 1:18-22, Romans 2:1-16, Numbers 32:23, 1 John 1:8, Hebrews 2:1-4
Summary: One of the major arguments (proofs) for the existence of God is based upon moral standards, defined as the concept of right and wrong, good and evil, ethics and emotions that are in our consciences and have guided civilizations throughout history.
The job of a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ is not only to share the Gospel but also to make all non-believers uncomfortable in their assumptions. As mentioned in a previous sermon, uncomfortable atheists and skeptics use what they consider to be a surefire weapon guaranteed to confound and silence Christians and anyone who claims to believe in God. That weapon is none other than mockery and ridicule founded on the scientific principle known as condescension.
Ask yourself this question in regard to these weapons of profound intellect: Why claim to possess reason as a prime weapon for the rebuttal of belief in God if all you can do in the end is resort to a playground tactic?
For the Christian who is ready and able to both share and defend their faith (1 Peter 3:5), the Sovereign LORD has provided His Word (Acts 17:11; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) as a weapon. He has also provided us proof of His existence with the obvious design and precision of the universe, the principles of cause and effect, and the existence of common standards of morality found in all civilizations, whether primitive or advanced.
In this current age, the world has decided to refer to the principle of “anything goes” as it pertains to our collective behaviors and attitudes toward others. We need to turn from such foolishness and give the precise definition of this word and, more importantly, how it relates to God’s existence in terms of what He expects from us as part of His creation.
Webster’s Online 1828 Dictionary defines “Moral” as “Relating to the practice, manners, conduct of people as social beings in relation to each other, and with reference to right and wrong. The word ‘moral’ is applicable to actions that are good or evil, virtuous or vicious, and has reference to the Law of God as the standard by which their character is to be determined.”
If this definition sounds biblically based, it is because Noah Webster was both a scholar and a Christian. He used the Scriptures as a guide for defining and applying appropriate words found within the English language.
Regardless of what you might have read in books, heard in classrooms, and watched on varied media platforms, our nation was founded on the Bible and Judeo-Christian standards of what was proper and appropriate for a functioning society.
Morals and ethics are not the product of one nation or of a collective group of minds that imposed types of behavior upon us that they see as satisfactory. There is no way in the present condition of humanity, with its excesses of deviancy and self-centeredness, that a standard of absolute morality can arise, flourish, and effectively govern both conscience and community. Morals and ethics have to originate from a Source that is above the confinements of the known universe and our finite, corrupt minds. That Source is God Almighty, who will not allow any type of chaotic and relativistic thinking to be part of His Moral, Holy, and Righteous character.
Scripture teaches that there IS an absolute standard of right and wrong that is written on the heart of every human being. People might try to deny or suppress it, and their actions might contradict it, but their reactions reveal that they know it.
The apostle Paul presented this argument in the opening chapters of the letter to the Romans. We are without excuse, as creation and our conscience confront us with the obvious evidence.
The ridiculous idea of “well, that may be right for you but not for me,” or relativistic thinking, where preference is raised above reality when it comes to basic morality and societal structure, is false. We do NOT determine right and wrong; we discover right and wrong. If human beings determined right and wrong, then anyone would be “right” in asserting that horrendous events such as the Holocaust, human trafficking, pedophilia, murder, sexual assault, or any other obvious evil is not really wrong. It would be a matter of opinion without worrying about any consequences. Because of the Moral Law, we all know that these acts are wrong and evil by the conviction of our consciences.
The Moral Law itself MUST originate from a higher source than us because it is a prescription that is on the hearts of everyone. Since prescriptions always have prescribers – they don’t come out of nothing – the Moral Law Prescriber (God) must exist. This Moral Law is GOD’S standard of rightness, and it helps us adjudicate between the differing moral opinions we might have. Without God’s standards, we are left with nothing but opinion. The Moral Law is the final standard by which everything is measured. The Moral Law is God’s very nature. He does not make up rules on a whim, nor is He capricious in His nature. The standard of righteousness is God Himself – infinite justice and infinite love.
Yet, when faced with this, many do not stop to think of the reverence, care, and concern God has for us in the fact of creation and the establishment of moral absolutes He gives to all of us. His free offer of salvation, grace, mercy, love, peace, and spending eternity with Him has comforted those who come to Him in faith. But it has also angered, outraged, and stung the consciences of those who know better but inwardly seethe with rage and hatred toward Him. For some people, you can present the Scriptures and the proofs that have been given here, yet they will not believe and have no intention of doing so.
The Scriptures tell us that the hearts of people will grow more evil, wicked, deviant, cruel, malevolent, and hateful toward God. In the Tribulation, many will blaspheme Him even when the full wrath of His judgment described in 2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Timothy 3, and the book of Revelation is poured out.
This message might be the final call for you to repent of your own wickedness and rebellion toward God and surrender your life to the grace, love, and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ TODAY (2 Corinthians 6:2). You have no legitimate excuse or reason to reject Him. Swallow your pride. It’s not worth it in terms of eternity. Come to Jesus today and let Him make you into a new creation. He’s good at that.