DETERMINING RIGHT FROM WRONG

 DETERMINING RIGHT FROM WRONG

How do we determine right from wrong?

Is it a feeling that we get?  Is it something that others teach us? 

Sometimes telling right from wrong is obvious.  Other times, it can be more difficult to decipher.  As Christians, it is important for us to have a source for determining right from wrong.  One that never changes, is always available, and that we can have complete faith in.

FOLLOWING OUR HEARTS

As we contemplate the best way to determine right from wrong, one of the things we will hear people say is that they just, “Listen to their hearts.” 

But is that what God wants us to do?  Simply follow our gut?

Consider the following scripture:

“There is a way which seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death.” – Proverbs 14:12.

Satan is the master of deception.  Sometimes he will try to tempt us into doing things that we know are wrong.  Other times he will be much more subtle in his approach. 

Maybe there is something that we start doing because we believe it is the right thing to do and something changes.  When this happens, it is easy to get confused about what to do if we do not have an absolute source for determining right from wrong.  One that never changes, and that we can have complete faith in.

Without a “true north” to function as our moral compass, it would be difficult to always make the right decision.  This begs the question, “If we cannot always trust our own feelings to determine right from wrong, how are we supposed to know what is right?”

There are only two answers:

The Bible,

The Holy Spirit.

We will look at each of these in more detail and then the lesson will be yours. 

THE BIBLE

“All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

This scripture is great news!  It tells us that God inspired every word of the Bible.  Not some of the words, all of them!

God gave us His Word, in writing, so that we can decipher right from wrong.  In the above scripture, Paul lists four things that we are to use the Bible for:

For teaching, 

To rebuke,

For correction,

For training in righteousness.

There is no other source for determining right from wrong that is inspired directly by God that we can have complete faith in.

Not social media,

Not the 24-hour news networks,

Not our friends,

Not our family,

Not even our own thoughts!

That is why it is so important for us to know what the Bible says on all matters! 

Paul wrote to Timothy:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15. 

The same holds true for us.  If we do not study to understand the Bible, how can we be expected to apply it correctly when we are faced with a big decision or moral dilemma?

Therefore, we must study the Bible regularly, just as Jesus did when He was on earth. Only then, can we correctly apply the wisdom of the Bible to the situations that we encounter in our own lives.

THE HOLY SPIRIT 

At times in our lives, we may encounter questions or have to make a decision that we cannot answer from scripture alone.   It is in these times that the Holy Spirit can guide us.   If the Bible teaches us “What” we are to do, the Holy Spirit lets us feel it.   The two will always agree.   They will never contradict one another.   John wrote about this in his first epistle:

“By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist.” – 1 John 4:2.

God sent the Holy Spirit to help us.   We receive the Holy Spirit when we are baptized, just as Jesus did.   The Holy Spirit helps us through feelings, not words.  When used in conjunction with the inspired words of the Bible, we have all that we need to properly determine right from wrong.

CONCLUSION

We are blessed to have the Bible and Holy Spirit to allow us to determine right from wrong. 

The two are always in agreement and never change. 

Because both the Bible and the Holy Spirit come directly from God, we can trust that they will always align, and that we can use them both as our “true north,” or moral compass.  There is no other source that comes directly from God for us to use.

The more time we spend in God’s word, the better we will become at determining right from wrong. Not according to the world’s definitions, but more importantly, according to the will of God! 

We will end today’s lesson by revisiting Paul’s second letter to Timothy. It reminds us that we must devote ourselves to being in God’s word so that we can properly interpret it and apply it to our lives.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15.