God and Morals, Part 4

Last time we pondered the definition of morals and saw that morals and sin are related to one another. We continue to another question now.

Is it Immoral to Hold Wrong Morals?

To hold a moral (standard of behavior) that is opposed to a moral that God holds is itself immoral, i.e., a sin. This is because God's standard is the standard. What He holds is right; holding something else is wrong. It is not honoring to Him. We may disagree as to our understanding of what God's revealed standard is, but it seems that we should agree that there is a standard and failing to hold that is itself a sin. God cares not only about what one does but who one is internally.

Consider the simple command to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. That is what God says is acceptable. If you reject Jesus, then you are saying that God's belief about appropriate behavior is wrong. Thus, it is true that all who reject Christ are immoral, at least in that part of their standards for behavior.

Remember we said earlier that non-Christians borrow morality from the Christian God. They "borrow" it because although they have been given a conscience by God, yet they deny God's place of authority over them, but still use some of the God-given standard they have in their conscience in order to live in an orderly fashion.

Are All Believers Moral?

True Christians hold to a standard of behavior that is consistent with what is presented in the Bible, that is, with the standard God desires. In that sense, believers are moral. However, no Christian is completely consistent in following the Bible's moral standard and so falls short of the standard in some measure.

Are Atheists Immoral?

Christian, is it immoral to reject Jesus? Is it immoral to believe that abortion is OK? Is it immoral to believe that gay marriage is acceptable? Is it immoral to believe that a command of God is a sin? Is it immoral to trample the Savior underfoot and count the new covenant blood as nothing, and insult the Holy Spirit?

Let me ask the question a different way. Do atheists believe that certain things are acceptable which God does not believe are acceptable? Certainly. Atheists believe it is acceptable to reject belief in God, or to live practically as if God doesn't exist. That is not acceptable to God. Atheists believe it is OK to reject salvation offered in Jesus Christ, whereas God commands all people to repent and believe the gospel (Acts 17:30-31).

I expand my thought from atheists to the more general category of non-Christians. Many non-Christians today believe that the morals Christians hold are in fact wrong and Christians are thus evil. In these areas (abortion, gay marriage, as examples), they hold the reverse morals of the Christian. They would affirm that Christians are immoral! But the fact of the matter is, according to divine revelation, it is immoral to be an unbeliever; it is immoral to think that rejecting God is OK.

Those who reject God and those who are Christians have, in many ways, diametrically opposed morals. The severe conflict between them will never go away because they hold different morals. The Christian contention is that those holding a set of unbiblical principles are in fact immoral. And we don't have to apologize for saying that. It is the real core of the difference between the believer and the unbeliever.