Question:

"What is Christian ethics?"


Answer:

Christian ethics is well summarized by Colossians 3:1-6:

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

set your hearts on things above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above,

not on earthly things.

For you died,

and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is your life, appears,

then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore,

whatever belongs to your earthly nature:

sexual immorality, impurity, lust,

evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”


While more than just a list of “do’s” and “don’ts,”
the Bible does give us detailed instructions on how we should live.
The Bible is all we need to know about how to live the Christian life.

However,
the Bible does not explicitly cover every situation we will face in our lives.
How then is it sufficient for the all the ethical dilemmas we face? That is where Christian ethics comes in.

Science defines ethics as “a set of moral principles, the study of morality.”

Therefore,
Christian ethics would be the principles derived from the Christian faith by which we act.
While God’s Word may not cover every situation we face throughout our lives,
its principles give us the standards by which we must conduct ourselves in those situations where there are no explicit instructions.

For example,
the Bible does not say anything explicitly about the use of illegal drugs,
yet based on the principles we learn through Scripture, we can know that it is wrong.

For one thing,
the Bible tells us that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should honor God with it (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Knowing what drugs do to our bodies—
the harm they cause to various organs—
we know that by using them we would be destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit.
That is certainly not honoring to God. The Bible also tells us that we are to follow the authorities
that God Himself has put into place (Romans 13:1). Given the illegal nature of the drugs,
by using them we are not submitting to the authorities but are rebelling against them.
Does this mean if illegal drugs were legalized it would be ok? Not without violating the first principle.

By using the principles we find in Scripture,
Christians can determine the ethical course for any given situation.
In some cases it will be simple, like the rules for Christian living we find in Colossians, chapter 3.

In other cases, however, we need to do a little digging.

The best way to do that is to pray over God’s Word.

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer,
and part of His role is teaching us how to live:

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you
of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).

“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.
But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real,
not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him” (1 John 2:27).

So, when we pray over Scripture,
the Spirit will guide us and teach us.
He will show us the principles we need to stand on for any given situation.

While God’s Word does not cover every situation we will face in our lives,
it is all-sufficient for living a Christian life.

For most things,
we can simply see what the Bible says and follow the proper course based on that.
In ethical questions where Scripture does not give explicit instructions,
we need to look for principles that can be applied to the situation. We must pray over His Word,
and open ourselves to His Spirit.

The Spirit will teach us and guide us through the Bible to find the principles on which we need to stand
so we may live as a Christian should.



© Copyright 2002-2011 Got Questions Ministries.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-ethics.html

legal drug can be just as harmful or helpful as those which are illegal

spirits are consumed even in the bible,

so I dont really think the issue of drug use is so clearly instructed upon in the bible

but I do think it gives good foundation for MOST decisions we will face

1Corinthians: 19,20

19, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20, For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Matthew 15:10-14 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." NKJV

I see morality as a principal. You either live the principal or you don't. Lists that allow this or ban that, as morally correct or incorrect can also be faulty, just as our laws sometime are; as that is what they try to do...define and list moral conduct.

Walking in the principal of morality is not Bible or religion specific to me, though all religious teachings support similar moral codes...people with no religious affiliation are not incapable of living in the principal of morality.

About drugs...I don't believe that it is the drug that poses the moral issue, but the behavior that sometimes accompanies the drug. This is totally independent in the nature of the person, the reason they take the drug and the manner in which a person conducts themselves when they are affected by the drug.

Smoking something to unwind at the end of the day does not, in my opinion, lead to moral wrongdoing in itself...however neglecting ones family or responsibility in order to do so is not a good moral decision in my mind.

When someone gets pumped up or chilled out to achieve a level of abandon for a party they intend to get stupid at or to get lucky at, that is quite different, as they are using it to create bad situations full of moral transgressions....which they often later deny responsibility for in the form of, "yeah...I was really out of it."

I also have a comment to make regarding God's instruction to obey the authorities in Romans 13:1. Obviously God had given us a trustworthy authority that he endorsed during that time period. In Romans 13:1, or elsewhere in the Bible, does God say that ALL of our leaders will be appointed by Him. Looking at the examples of our leaders since that time, I am convinced that this statement was indeed specific to that time. I have a hard time believing that Omar Al-Bashir, Kin Jong-Il, Ayatollah Khamenei, Hu Jintao, King Abdullah, Than Shwe, or Robert Mugabe (among way too many others) where God given authorities.

In support of this idea, think of how many disciples among others that we esteem as heroes of morality have been imprisoned and even executed because they defied the authorities on moral grounds…on Godly grounds. I don’t believe that Gandhi, for instance, was going against God in his endeavors…which were contrary to the authorities of many countries. It’s not only my belief that Gandhi had God’s full endorsement, but that he embodied the very essence of moral fiber; two beliefs in which I’ve never heard opposition to.

The Gandhi example also demonstrates my belief that morality is not Bible or religion specific, as Gandhi was not a Christian, did not care much for the Bible when he read it, and while holding Jesus Christ in the highest esteem, could not accept Christ as the only son of God or the Sacrificial Lamb sent to save mankind from sin. Yet, he is acknowledged by Christian, Buddhist, and Atheist alike as the biggest moral example we have had since Biblical days.

Here are a few verses that show biblical instruction for soberness.

"And be not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;"
Eph_5:18,


"But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate,
sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
The aged women likewise,
that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness,
not false accusers, not given to much wine,
teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love their husbands, to love their children,"
Titus 2:1-4

"Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works:
in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Sound speech, that cannot be condemned;
that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed,
having no evil thing to say of you."
Titus 2:6

+ + +

Soberness defined:

so·ber

so·ber [sṓbər]
adj (comparative so·ber·er, superlative so·ber·est)

1. not intoxicated: not under the influence of drugs or alcohol

2. tending not to drink: not in the habit of drinking much alcohol or using drugs

3. serious: serious and thoughtful in demeanor or quality
-a sober face

4. dull: lacking vitality or brightness in appearance
-He always dresses in sober colors.

5. not fanciful or speculative: based on facts and rational thinking rather than on speculation
-a sober assessment of the situation



vti (past and past participle so·bered, present participle so·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular so·bers)
1. Same as sober up
2. become or make somebody serious: to become more serious or thoughtful, or make somebody become so
His expression sobered.



[14th century. Via French < Latin sobrius ]


-so·ber·ly, , adv
-so·ber·ness, , n
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

No, the Bible doesn't give specific instructions on every thing in life. But it does cover life simply:

" ...`You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.' This is the greatest and most important mitzvah (commandment). 39 And a second is similar to it, `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All of the Torah (Law) and the Prophets are dependent on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:38-40) CJB

If you put G-d first in every situation (prayer, applying Scripture, leading of the Holy Spirit) and treat others as you would like to be treated, you can handle anything.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

In Matthew 15:10-20

Christ shows that the defilement they ought to fear, was not from what entered their mouths as food,

but from what came out of their mouths, which showed the wickedness of their hearts.

Nothing will last in the soul but the regenerating graces of the Holy Spirit;
and nothing should be admitted into the church but what is from above; therefore,
whoever is offended by a plain, seasonable declaration of the truth, we should not be troubled at it.

The disciples ask to be better taught as to this matter.

Where a weak head doubts concerning any word of Christ,

an upright heart and a willing mind seek for instruction.

It is the heart that is desperately wicked,
Jer_17:9, for there is no sin in word or deed, which was not first in the heart.

They all come out of the man,
and are fruits of that wickedness which is in the heart, and is wrought there.

When Christ teaches,
he will show men the deceitfulness and wickedness of their own hearts;

he will teach them to humble themselves,

and to seek to be cleansed in the Fountain opened for sin and uncleanness.

+ + +

Defilement

de·file [di fl]
(past and past participle de·filed, present participle de·fil·ing, 3rd person present singular de·files)
vt
1. corrupt something: to corrupt or ruin something (formal)

2. damage reputation: to damage somebody's reputation or good name

3. destroy sanctity of something: to make a holy or sacred thing or place no longer fit for ceremonial use

4. pollute something: to make something dirty or polluted (formal)

5. deprive woman of virginity: to be the first man to have sexual intercourse with a woman, usually outside marriage (archaic)


[14th century. Alteration of French defouler "trample" < fouler "trample under foot"]


-de·file·ment, , n
-de·fil·er, , n
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.