What is Right? What is Wrong?

As I was typing this to share, what flooded my mind is the philosophies that are internationally believed concerning  right and wrong.  Sayings like 'If it makes you happy, then it is right for you' and common thinking that truth is illusive, is a blatant reflection of what the world's view on this subject. The world has aggressively sought to remove God from society, much to our demise.  What I am about to share is just touching the tip of the iceberg, but it is a start non-the-less.

1.       What God says is right is right, and what God says is wrong is wrong.  The Bible is God’s written word. This is so whether we like it or not; whether we believe it or not.

      John 14:6, "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." 

      Isaiah 44: 6-8 & 24:

⁶ “This is what the LORD says—
   Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
   apart from me there is no God.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
   Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
   and what is yet to come—
   yes, let them foretell what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
   Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
   No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” 

      I like this verse, because God Himself speaks out a challenge to bring another who can be put in equal to or greater than Him.  God also says He does not know of any who is equal to or greater than Him.

      Here are some facts about right and wrong, that is based on what God says in His word (the Bible):

1.  What is right is the truth.  God’s word is truth. John 17:17 says: Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.  Here Jesus was praying concerning His disciples just before He died, and He says that God's word is truth.
2. What is wrong is lies. The Father of lies is the Devil/Satan.  John 8:44 says: "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Jesus was addressing the Pharisees in this scripture, and clearly states that lies, which comes from the devil, means that there is no truth present in the devil.
3.   Lies distort and go against truth. Romans 1:25- "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." and  John 8:44.
4.  Doing what is wrong is sinful/old nature. Colossians 3:5-10- "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^{[a] 7} You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" 
5.   Doing what is wrong is disobedience to God.  1 Samuel 15: 22&23- "But Samuel replied:    “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
      as much as in obeying the LORD?
   To obey is better than sacrifice,
      and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
   ²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
      and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
   Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
      he has rejected you as king.”
   
6. Doing what is right is righteous living and obedience. Deut. 11:22- "If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him." and 6:25- "And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”
7.  The truth is reality.  Isaiah 44:19- "No one stops to think,
      no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
   “Half of it I used for fuel;
      I even baked bread over its coals,
      I roasted meat and I ate.
   Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
      Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”                                                                           Colossians 2:17-"These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."  Believing lies leads to insanity and stupidity and death.

 Society preaches the opposite.  They say ‘there is no absolute truth’ ‘there is no God’ ‘as long as you are happy’  Mankind cannot be the one to determine what is right and wrong, truth or lie, because we are born sinners, and have lost contact with the source of truth which is God.  Isaiah 44: 9-20 continues to say that mankind has become insane and deluded because he makes images with his own hands and bows down to it asking it to save him.  Mankind has come up with some outrageous lies, why? Because they don’t want to face the truth, and they want to do as they please.  They don’t want to answer to God. 

There are some actions of mankind that are neither right nor wrong.  Like the colour dress you buy.  God looks at our heart, so it is the motives and desires He sees in our heart that leads Him to correct us, and act how He acts towards us. 

We have to stop excusing people and ourselves from their standard of living.  We all can choose how we want to live, yes, but there is a right way and wrong way to live. We are either living one way or the other.  If you think even a little bit otherwise, then you be the one that God dares to bring evidence before Him that He is lying or not who He declares to be.  God is not afraid to stand beside what you think of Him, or you trying to size Him up.  Trust me, you will fail, and He will bring you to your knees if you still refuse to acknowledge Him.

God’s truth and declaration about Himself, and His truth about mankind does not change depending on which denomination or religion you are with.  He is who He is.  His truth remains the same.

The truth does not change depending on whether we agree with God or believe Him or not.

So, is your idea of how to determine right from wrong same as what God is saying?  I challenge you to ask God to search your heart and show you what is there.  Remember, we can be deceived by our own hearts; for a heart that is hurting, that is broken from wrong done against you, cannot rightly decide if what you believe is right or wrong.  God must come and reveal this to you.  He is doing that right now, so open your heart.

Reasons Christ Came

There are different reasons in the Bible as to why Jesus came and why He died.  They are linked closely together.  In my reading of the Bible, the main ones are:

1.       The love of God. John 3:16

2.       To testify to the truth. John 18:37

3.       Give abundant life. John 10:10

4.       To die instead of us. John 10:17 & 18

When I was small, and hearing about God and Jesus, before I knew that God the Father and God the Son are one, I use to think that God did not like us and that only Jesus loved us because He died.  Funny!

John 3: 16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, love the world (us).  We can receive the full blessings of God because God love us a lot. Jesus Christ, God the Son, left heaven, and came to earth because God loves us.

John 18: 37 says ““You are a king, then!” said Pilate.  Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  Jesus was answering Pilate here.  The fact that Jesus came to testify to the truth, means the truth was (still is) under attack, and lies were (still is) being promoted as the truth.  The Jews were not living according to the truth about who they are and what God expected of them.  In fact they were so lied to, they could not even recognize the truth in Christ.  All of mankind did not know who man is or who God is and what He desires to accomplish, although we all are without excuse as 'the heavens declare the wonders of God'- Psalms 19:1.  The devil does not want us to know the truth.  Real truth is reality and comes from God.  The truth about God, mankind, the devil, is empowering to know and the devil will fight to stop us from embracing that truth.

John 10:10 says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus was referring to His sheep.  He came so we have life abundantly.  The life that we get from Christ is never ending, and over flowing.  Is your life like that?

John 10:17 & 18 says “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

We were born sinners.  Sin/evil entered into this world through Adam and Eve’s sin.  We were condemned to death.  We were separated from God.  We hide from God, because we were/are guilty.  We came to the place of finding ways to get God out of the picture so we don’t have to face Him.  Those who believed in Christ got life, redemption. 

This Easter season, let us consider even deeper what Jesus came on this earth to accomplish for us.  Allow the truth of His life on earth to move us to gaze on the face of God, and allow Him to change us. Amen!