MORALITY - Does it matter how we live?

EXPLORING CHRISTIANITY - MORALITY

THE BIBLE
Can we trust a book written 2000 years ago?

EYEWITNESS
Did the writers of the New Testament get their picture of Jesus right?

GOD - MAN
Is Jesus really God?

RESURRECTION
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

RELIGIONS
With so many religions, why Christianity?

SUFFERING
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?

TRINITY
Understanding the Trinity.

SCIENCE
The complementary nature of Science & Christianity.

FORGIVENESS
What it is and why it matters?

GUIDANCE
How does God guide?

REPENTANCE
What it is and why you can't get to heaven without it.

BORN AGAIN
What does it mean to be converted and born again?

SAVING FAITH
The kind of faith that will get you to heaven

ASSURANCE
Can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?

TRUTH
What is truth and does it matter?

MORALITY
Does it matter how we live? A Christian view of morality.

THE CHURCH
God's vision for his family, the Church. A call to the churches of the new millennium.

PURPOSE
How can I find a great purpose for living?

IDENTITY
Who am I; Finding my true identity as a human being and as a child of God.

SELF-ESTEEM
How can I feel good about my self? The Christian basis for proper sel-esteem.

LIFE AFTER DEATHChristianity's Hope & Challenge.

THE CROSS
Why did Jesus Die? What the Bible says about the Cross.

Grace
The importance of grace in the New Testament.

Does it matter how we live?

There are a number of reasons we could give for why it matters. If the picture given us in the Bible of the character of God, the nature and purpose of human beings, and God's purposes for us in this life and the next is true, then certain things must follow. Our true joy and satisfaction in life will only be found as our lives are lived out in a loving relationship with him. It also means that our usefulness in this life will depend on that relationship. Others who could be blessed and helped along the road to find their own true destiny will only be so helped if we allow God to work in our lives in the way that he wishes to do. One thing is certain: we will pass this way only once. Some believe in reincarnation, that we will have the opportunity to come back in another life and have another shot at it, but the Bible clearly and constantly denies this possiblility - "We die only once and then we are judged" (Hebrews 9:27).

However, the Bible gives an even more pressing reason for facing these issues. The writer of Hebrews spells it out. "The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12, 13). In simple language, we are accountable, and a day of reckoning is coming when God "will show what is hidden in the dark and what is in everyone's heart" (1 Corinthians 4:5). In his written word, the Bible, God has set out clearly what his standards are. If we have the courage to read it thoughtfully, it will sort us out. (It is not surprising that many don't want to read it!)

But we have to make a choice, which goes something like this. If I want to live in a relationship with God, I cannot do so without accepting his values, values that are an expression of his own goodness. Though I come woefully short of his perfection, he offers me forgiveness and total acceptance as his son or daughter. That is his grace given me in Jesus. However, I can't accept that forgiveness and live as I please. Once forgiven, he calls me to live the rest of my life in grateful devotion to him. Though he never promises it will be easy, he offers his help and some tremendous promises along the way. The end result is guaranteed, but the choice is mine.

In the twentieth chapter of Revelation we have a picture of the final judgement when the chips are down and we have to face our Judge. Two books are mentioned - the Book of Life and the book which records the life and deeds of every person. The Book of Life is the record of those who have accepted the gift of eternal life which Jesus purchased for them at infinite cost to himself. They have accepted his forgiveness and chosen to love and serve him. Though they may receive rewards or punishments based on their faithfulness to their Lord, they will not be rejected from his kingdom. They are members of his eternal family and will share in the blessings of that family through all eternity. Those whose names are not in this book will experience the "second death", described here as the "lake of fire", and elsewhere as "everlasting destruction" and being "shut out from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:9). It is not my intention to go into the meaning of these terms here. Whatever they imply, it means that there is no way I could live in such a wonderful and perfect place such as God's future kingdom will be without having experienced the forgiveness and cleansing that is offered me through Jesus.

J. W. Green wrote a poem which drives home in a striking way the fact that one day we must face our day of reckoning:

When the factories of our cities
Will cease from the hum of steel cogs,
And the spade has turned its last furrow of soil
Or cut the last sod in the bogs;
When our banks have raked in their last dollar,
The Clerk has done with his pen,
When the Judge of the earth says: "Close for the night,"
And asks for a balance -
WHAT THEN!

When the last Evensong has been sung,
And the priest has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon,
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Prayer Book lies closed by the altar,
And the seats are all empty of men,
And each one stands facing his record,
And the great Book is opened -

WHAT THEN!

When the actors have played their last drama,
The Comedian has made his last fun;
When the film has flashed its last picture,
And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished,
And gone out in the darkness again,
When the trumpet of ages is sounded,
And eternity starts -

WHAT THEN!

When the bugle call sinks into silence,
And the long marching columns stand still;
When the Captain repeats his last orders,
And they've captured the last fort on the hill;
And the flag has been hauled from the masthead,
And midnight sounds out from Big Ben -
And you and I stand with the guilt of the past,
In the Law Courts of Heaven -

WHAT THEN!

However, if we have put our trust in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, and experienced his grace and transforming presence, then we can face the future with absolute certainty, even with joy and anticipation*.

*I have dealt with the question of how we may be sure of a place in God's eternal kingdom in the booklet Can I Know for Sure That I Am Going to Heaven?

If this is a step that you have not yet taken, and would like to do so, then you may find the following suggested prayer a useful guide.

Dear God: I confess that I have come a long way short of your standards. I acknowledge my sins.

I accept the fact that you loved me enough to come in the person of Jesus and to pay for those sins on the cross.

I am sorry for my sins and as best I know how I repent of them.

I gratefully accept your forgiveness and your gift of eternal life.

Come into my life as my Saviour and Lord. I offer my life to you.

Give me the strength to change where it is necessary and to live worthily of being a member of your family.

I thank you for your great love.

Amen.

If you should make a commitment of your life to God like this, then I suggest you do two things. Begin reading a passage of the New Testament each day. Ask God to teach you as you do and to enable you to live by its teaching. Also, find other Christians you feel at home with and with whom you can share mutual encouragement. You will find that the New Testament has a lot to say about what we can and should do for one another as members of God's family*.

*I emphasise this in the booklet God's Vision for His Family, The Church: A Call to the Churches of the New Millennium.

The greatest gift that we can pass on to the next generation is an example of true goodness that is based on a sure foundation. The New Testament tells us where we can find such a foundation and what true goodness is all about. When our children are brought up in this faith, we can confidently leave them, knowing that the God who planned this mighty universe will surely guide them and that their contribution to humanity will be worthwhile. There is no other way we can face the new millennium with confidence - no other antidote to the violence and false values that are so prevalent in today's world. One thing is certain. The final victory will be God's. This was assured by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

If you wish to explore in some depth the history of the quest for morality and the Bible's teaching on how we should live, then I recommend two excellent books which I have found helpful in putting all this together:

The Moral Quest: Foundations of Christian Ethics,
by Stanley J. Grenz. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.A. 1997.

The Moral Vision of the New Testament,
by Richard B. Hays. Harper, SanFrancisco, 1996.

And don't forget that your best source is the New Testament!