One of man’s most outstanding gifts is reason, intelligence. No other creature has this capability. Some can be trained, but they lack initiative.
This ability makes us vulnerable because we can make wrong decisions. We need directives. We need help. By our very nature, every decision is couched with moral consequences. From this, there is no escape. I insist, my friend, that we are moral creatures all the time.
Therefore, we need help. Where do you turn when you need help? To the social environment? Do you get your directives from the way people around you answer your questions? Where do you go?
To make proper decisions we need an inflexible standard. We have it, the Holy Bible. You see, the Bible never changes. The Bible is the same. I have essentially the same Bible my grandfather had.
The problem is many people do not know what the Bible says. They don’t read it. If they do know, they often choose to ignore it, or they choose to reinterpret it to find approval for their conduct, which in reality flies into the face of the Bible’s words.
So I wish to talk with you about HOW TO MAKE ETHICAL DECISIONS, from the apostle Paul’s counsel in I Corinthians 10:23-33:
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
26 For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:
29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?
30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all [men] in all [things], not seeking mine own profit, but the [profit] of many, that they may be saved.
There can be no doubt that Paul lays down several sound BASES to show us How to Make Ethical Decisions.
The first is:
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
The meaning of expedient is “suitable,” “feasible.” That is why I chose the word convenience. Convenience is the first basis of making Ethical Decisions. The apostle implies that just because something is lawful does not mean it is appropriate, expedient, or convenient. And of course, lawful does not mean morally right. Some actions are legally right but not morally right. For example, the government runs hard liquor stores all across the country, but that does not make drinking alcohol right.
Well, I have another question. Is it ever wrong to do right? One thing is for sure, we don’t need to do everything we can do. For example, when the devil took Jesus to...
