THE DELIGHTFULLY SWEET & PRACTICAL WORD OF GOD (Part 3)

THE DELIGHTFULLY SWEET & PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF BIBLICAL MORALITY- Psalm 119:101-102, 104

The Oxford English Dictionary defines morality as “the branch of knowledge concerned with right and wrong conduct, duty, responsibility, etc.; moral philosophy, ethics.” (OED, morality, accessed 29 July 2020)

We live in a time in which the differences in morality, their implications, and the resulting divisions has been made much clearer. In their preface, Norman Geisler and Frank Turek open their book Legislating Morality with these words,

“…an alarming number of moral and cultural problems have exploded in our country since 1960. According to William Bennett’s index of leading cultural indicators, violent crime has risen 550 percent; births to unwed mothers are up 400 percent; teenage suicide has risen 300 percent; divorce has doubled; and the average S.A.T. score has fallen 73 points (this despite a doubling in education funding). Meanwhile the population of the United States has risen only 41 percent.”—N. Geisler and Frank Turek, Legislating Morality, 7

That book (and quote) come from 1998. Consider the vast difference between morality now and even then. For example, the public acceptance of homosexuality in 2002 compared to 2019 has witnessed an incredible shift.

In the US, it shifted from 51% of Americans saying homosexuality should be accepted to 72%. South Korea saw a change from 25% to 44%.

In a PewResearch study, they state “There also have been fairly large shifts in acceptance of homosexuality over the past 17 years in two very different places: Mexico and Japan. In both countries, just over half said they accepted homosexuality in 2002, but now closer to seven-in-ten say this.” It varies with region as well, for Eastern European countries are far-more condemning of homosexuality than the West. (https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/06/25/global-divide-on-homosexuality-persists/, accessed 29 July 2020)

In a study conducted by the Gallup Poll in 2017 (from May 3-7), 73% of Americans think “divorce is morally acceptable.” (https://news.gallup.com/poll/213677/divorce-rate-dips-moral-acceptability-hits-new-high.aspx, accessed 29 July 2020)

In a CDC-governed study of 100 years (1867-1967), divorces increased from a little less than 400 to almost 2000.

Our how about this poll conducted by Gallup from 2-15 December 2019. This one is startling. In answer to the question “Please tell me how you would rate the honest and ethical standards of people in these different fields,” in other words, how individuals would rate honest and ethical standards for the respective fields, for Members of Congress 33% said Average, 34% said Low, and 21% said Very Low. For State Governors, 52% said Average, 21% said Low, and 6% said Very Low.

We could cite study after study and poll after poll. We could also mention entertainment and the monumental shift that has occured in the last fifty years.

Morality, the branch of knowledge concerned with right and wrong conduct, duty, responsibility, is as shifting as the sands on the beach, unless it is anchored to something outside. You see, individuals, societies, countries, etc. are constantly growing and changing. The morality of the Roman Empire is different than the morality of China. The morality of the United States is different now than it was in the 1900s. Morality is a malleable branch of knowledge constantly shifting with each moment.

All of that is outside the scope of biblical Christianity. Within biblical Christianity,

Within biblical Christianity morality is a fixed branch of knowledge dependent upon the divine revelation of Scripture, concerned with right and wrong conduct, duty, and responsibility as reflected in the nature and character of God revealed in the inspired Scripture.

You see, the Scriptures, outside of human creativity and development, offer us a standard, culturally-spanning, and timeless branch of morality. God, our Creator, has given us the exact details of what is right and wrong in conduct, duty, and responsibility. That is, the Delightfully Sweet and Practical Benefits of Biblical Morality.

We are going to examine biblical morality from Psalm 119:101-102, 104. There are three benefits of biblical morality:

I. Preventative Morality—morality that safeguards us before committing sin (Psalm 119:101)

II. Directive Morality—morality that guides us away from committing sin (Psalm 119:102)

III. Animative Morality—morality that reflects God in reference to sin (Psalm 119:104)

I. PREVENTATIVE MORALITY—MORALITY THAT SAFEGUARDS US BEFORE COMMITTING SIN (Psalm 119:101)

The psalmist’s life is shaped by the Word of God. Like a cookie that takes the shape of the cookie cutter, the psalmist’s life is shaped by the Word of God. His life is moulded by the Word of God, which extends to his morality, that branch of knowledge that is concerned with right and wrong conduct, duty, and responsibility.

The first aspect of this is found in verse 101. The psalmist writes, “I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.” There are two aspects that I want to address concerning preventative morality. And as we discuss preventative morality, I want you to keep in mind the importance of prevention.

According to American Auto Air Specials, the United States spends over $2 billion a year in repairs “due to neglect (not performing preventive maintenance.” (https://www.americanautoairspecials.com/the-true-cost-of-ignoring-maintenance.html, accessed 31 July 2020)

Preventative maintain such as changing the oil and spark plugs, break fluid, coolant, belts, etc. go a long way in prolonging the life of your motor vehicle. It also helps you save a great deal of money in repair costs.

The same is true of our souls, or our morality. We can avoid great damage (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) by practicing biblical, preventative morality.

A. Preventative Morality takes place before sinful thoughts, words, or actions occur—I hold back my feet from every evil way

This idea of prevention is found in the psalmist’s statement, “I hold back my feet.” In other words, the psalmist, in order to keep God’s Word, prevents his feet from traversing the paths of evil.

The best way to practice biblical morality is to prevent infractions upon the Law of God from the start. It is purposeful, like the individual taking care of his motor vehicle. You have to take the car to the mechanic, or purchase the oil and change it on your own.

The Scriptures are packed with ways to prevent immorality. The book of Proverbs is a wonderful example of this. Proverbs 7:6-27 details the account of what Solomon calls a “simple, young man lacking sense” (v. 7). This young man heads straight to the place where this immoral woman waits. He does not prevent himself.

The same can be said of Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:26-27. Paul warns against going to bed angry, and tags this statement onto the end, “And give no opportunity to the devil.” That is, reconcile with each other before going to be in order to prevent the devil from destruction.

Preventative morality takes place before sinful thoughts, words, or actions occur. Rather than waiting to the end of the sermon to offer some points of application, I will weave them into the sermon as we progress. For this, I want you to turn to James 1:14. James makes an important point that we would do well to ponder.

He says, “he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” That is, each individual person has their own unique desires and temptations. They are not unique in the sense that no one else struggles with them; they are unique in the sense that I am tempted in areas differently than you. And in order to engage in preventative morality, we must know our hearts. What areas do I struggle with? What sins do I constantly commit? These important questions (and others like them) help us in determining the weaknesses of our own hearts.

Just as the gardener must know what times of soil the plants she uses need, so too, we must know the weaknesses of our hearts in order to prevent immorality.

Search the Scriptures for individuals who struggled with the same sins, and ask the following questions:

What did God say?

What did God do?

How did they react?

What can I learn from this?

Preventative morality takes place before sin occurs in thought, word, or action.

B. Preventative Morality is based on and strengthened by the Word of God—in order to keep your word

The psalmist practices preventative morality (hold back my feet from every evil way) to keep God’s Word. It was God’s Word from which he based his morality upon, and it was God’s Word from which he was strengthened to be moral.

1. Morality is based on the Word of God

This is an absolute necessity. Our morality must come from the Word of God. Morality outside of the Christian faith is developed in different ways. Religious individuals typically derive their morality from their religious texts or prophets. Muslims, for example, develop their morality from the Quran. Mormons gather their beliefs and morality primarily from the Book of Mormon and other documents. Atheists attempt to distinguish their morality from evolutionary ethics and views (such as Richard Dawkins and Dan Dennett).

The believer’s morality, though, is based on the Word of God. It is God’s divine, written revelation by which believers live. Most readily observed in the 10 Commandments, God’s morality is found in the Word of God. We can debate on the different aspects of this (one example would be divorce), but even with those debates they are (or should be) based in Scripture.

2. Morality is strengthened by the Word of God

The psalmist engaged in preventative morality in order to keep the Word of God. He based his morality in the Word, but his morality was also strengthened by the Word of God.

For an example, the Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 135 is, “What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?”

Q. 135. What are the duties required in the sixth commandment? A. The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavours, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defence thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreation; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild, and courteous speeches and behavior: forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent.

Eph. 5:28-29; 1 Kings 18:4; Jer. 26:15-16; Acts 23:12, 16-17, 21, 27; Eph. 4:26-27; 2 Sam. 2:22; Deut. 22:8; Matt. 4:6-7; Prov. 1:10-11, 15-16; 1 Sam. 24:12; 1 Sam. 26:9-11; Gen. 37:21-22; Ps. 82:4; Prov. 24:11-12; 1 Sam. 14:45; Jas. 5:7-11; Heb. 12:9; 1 Thess. 4:11; 1 Pet. 3:3-4; Ps. 37:8-11; Prov. 17:22; Prov. 25:16, 27; 1 Tim. 5:23; Isa. 38:21; Ps. 127:2; Ecc. 5:12; 2 Thess. 3:10, 12; Prov. 16:26; Ecc. 3:4, 11; 1 Sam. 19:4-5; 1 Sam. 22:13-14; Rom. 13:10; Luke 10:33-34; Col. 3:12-13; Jas. 3:17; 1 Pet. 3:8-11; Prov. 15:1; Judg. 8:1-3; Matt. 5:24; Eph. 4:2, 32; Rom. 12:17, 20-21; 1 Thess. 5:14; Job 31:19-20; Matt. 25:35-36; Prov. 31:8-9.—Westminster Larger Catechism QA 135

We can all quote this commandment: You shall not murder. But found within that commandment, and strengthened by the Word of God, we find that we are also to do what we are able to preserve life. This is the point that the psalmist makes concerning preventative morality.

The reason we engage in preventative morality is to keep God’s Word. That is, preventative morality is based on and strengthened by God’s Word.

II. DIRECTIVE MORALITY—MORALITY THAT GUIDES US AWAY FROM COMMITTING SIN (Psalm 119:102)

This idea of turning aside is found frequently in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 5:32; 17:11, 20; 28:14; Josh. 1:7; 23:6 all point to this idea of not turning from God’s Word. It is directive morality, it guides us away from committing sin.

The psalmist sticks to God’s rules, i.e., Word. Think about the white and yellow lines on the road. They are there to guide drivers. They keep us from going off road as well as from going into the opposing lane.

They are helpful, not only to prevent damage from our cars but to also protect us from dangers from other drivers. God’s Word, more so, guides us throughout this life. It directs us to morality, His morality, found in His Word.

In our current times, we are witnessing some challenges to generally held views of morality. Consider transgenderism. The Diagnostics and Statistical Manual, the tool for psychologists/psychiatrists, previously referred to transgenderism as Gender Identity Disorder, but since the publication of DSM-V it has shifted to accommodate transgender people. The morality and values our nation once held has shifted.

Believers need something to direct us, do we not? When new categories of problems arise, we need something to help us discern right from wrong.

For example, one difficult situation to navigate as a result of this shift is what pronouns we should use when referring to transgender people. As believers, we should be loving in our interactions with others. But how do we reconcile this?

J. D. Greear, currently serving as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention has this as a guiding thought,

“I wouldn’t invest too much into language–”oh, I am lying” You can be clear in other ways.“I’ll argue in this paper that the most biblical response to transgender people’s pronouns is a posture of unequivocal pronoun hospitality.”That is, I believe that all Christians can and should use pronouns that reflect the expressed gender identities of transgender people, regardless of our views about gender identity ethics. If a person identifies herself to you as ‘she,’ I hope you will consider it an act of Christ-like love to call her ‘she’ out of respect, whether or not you believe that the way she expresses her gender identity is honoring to God” (11.1).”—J. D. Greear, https://jdgreear.com/podcasts/when-talking-with-a-transgender-person-which-pronoun-should-you-use/

Now, as believers we must discern how to navigate these waters. Should believers use preferred pronouns? Or, is “the most biblical response to transgender people’s pronouns” a “posture of unequivocal pronoun hospitality”? I am not suggesting, nor does the Bible, that we are hateful. We are to be gracious with our words. However, at the same time, we are to call sin sin. We are to deal with truth, as reflective of the God of truth, and remember to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

Consider this directive morality from Ephesians 5:3-14. Do you see how God’s Word offers us directive morality? God teaches us. That is, as we progress through life in a fallen world and things change, God’s Word provides direction for our morality. Where issues that were once clearly wrong, our society has accepted. For example, homosexuality is now celebrated as a legitimate sexual expression. Pedophilia, however, is still looked down upon. But, if we break the biblical perimeters of sexuality between one man and one woman for life, what other guidance is there? Rape is off limits (and rightfully so). Pedophilia, though, is referred to as “an unchangeable orientation” in a TED talk by Mirjam Heine on 5 May 2018 at the University of Wurzburg, titled “Why our perception of pedophilia has to change.”

Heine states, “Let me very clear here. Abusing children is wrong without any doubt. But a pedophile who doesn’t abuse children has done nothing wrong. I want to quickly summarize where we are at the moment. According to current research, pedophilia is an unchangeable sexual orientation, just like for example heterosexuality. No one chooses to be a pedophile. No one can cease being one. The difference between pedophilia and other sexual orientations is that living out this sexual orientation will end in a disaster.”

How do we navigate this? We look to the directive morality of the Word of God. It guides us away from committing sin, regardless of the change in terminology, the acceptance of society at large, or the ramifications.

An application of this thought is to look to Scripture for what God calls sin and righteousness. Regardless of what our society thinks, what the president of the SBC thinks, or any other individual or institution, God directs our morality.

III. ANIMATIVE MORALITY—MORALITY THAT REFLECTS GOD IN REFERENCE TO SIN (Psalm 119:104)

It is through God’s Word that we understand morality, “the branch of knowledge concerned with right and wrong conduct, duty, responsibility” as defined by the OED.

The psalmist states that because God’s Word gives him a moral standard, he hates every false way. That is, his biblically-based morality causes him to hate evil. That is why I call it animative morality. It moves us to action. Believers cannot be lackadaisical in regards to evil.

Now, this does not give us a license to jihad, or holy war. Christians are not earthly warriors. We, as Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, wage a different war. The advancement of Christ’s kingdom does not come through swords, but through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.

Animative morality, that morality that reflects the God whom we serve, causes us to develop an ever-increasing hatred for sin.

This begins with our sin. We must hate our sins more than we hate the sins in others. Consider how sinful we are. We can do good acts with sinful intentions, and only God and we know the truth. This is how sinful we are, and we must come to loathe our sin. Every time we give into temptation should break our hearts. Every wicked, prideful, or sensual thought should remind us the need for animative morality, to hate every false way. We must never make excuses, but always condemn the sins in our hearts with the greatest execution.

It also spills into our most intimate relationships. Marital, parental, and deep friendships should also help us to hate every false way. Paul offers helpful direction from Galatians 6:1-5. This involves our church relationships as well.

Finally, animative morality brings us out into the public square. Christians should stand up for morality, in a loving way, regardless of the consequences. We must do so lovingly, consistently, and biblically.

Christ is our example of animative morality with regards to love. He was gentle. I love how the Scriptures describe Him as “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench” (Matt. 12:20). He is gentle, loving. As his followers, we should be the same.

We must also engage in animative morality consistently. We cannot stand up and say we are pro-life and only preach against abortion. We must do what we can to preserve all life, including life outside of the womb. I am not saying that every Christian should adopt, but more Christians should. This should also be reflected in our giving, as individuals, as a church, and as a nation.

The same could be applied to the Church’s view of sexuality. The church should oppose homosexuality. But it should equally oppose the rampant immorality that heterosexual people engage in. The divorce rates in the church are as high as the divorce rates in the world. There is a lot that goes into this, but do you see how the church has been inconsistent?

Finally, we must be biblical in our animative morality. That is, our morality should be animated by the Bible, not our preferences. I grew up in a strict church, and there were many issues that were treated as sin that were not biblical. Now, if you have preferences, that is one thing. But to treat certain issues as inherently sinful that cannot be displayed by clear teachings of Scripture can be harmful.

Our morality must be based in the Scriptures, not in our past, not in our preferences, or any where else.

The delightfully sweet and practical benefits of biblical morality teach us that God’s Word provides us with preventative, directive, and animative morality. The question is, will we humbly submit to Him and follow Him? Will we take up our cross and follow Him?

What is the result of biblical morality? Christ says it best in Matthew 5:13-16.