Ethics: October 22, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2013.

ETHICS

DEFINITION:

Rules of moral conduct; the body of moral principles or values held by or governing a culture group or individual; moral principles.

SCRIPTURE:

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Hebrews 8:10.

You will be accepted if you do what is [ethical] right. But if you refuse to do what is [ethical] right, then watch out. Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you, but you must subdue it and be its master. Genesis 4:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Over the past few years the moral values of our country have steadily declined. Unfortunately, this is no different today than in other eras of history. Today the Bible cannot be read and the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in public schools. The Ten Commandments have been banned from display in government offices and public places. We are living in a society that has chosen to put aside Gods standards of ethics.

This has happened because most people today have rejected Gods ethical standards of living (The Ten Commandments), choosing to set their own standards of right and wrong. They put their own interests first and choose to do as they see fit. When we look back in history, even in the Old Testament we see that man's sinful nature has not changed with time. In Judges 17:6 we read that not long after the death of Joshua, all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. This is exactly what we are seeing today in America.

Have we forgotten that God gave Moses, to give to us, the Ten Commandments for a reason? Because of our sinful nature man has the ability to devise all sorts of evil. Laws and regulations are necessary to keep man's evilness in check. God created us and He wants what is best for us. He knows how we should live in order to be content and fulfilled. The Ten Commandments are like a measuring stick to help us be what God wants us to be.

God took Moses up on to the mountain top and gave him a code of ethics for us to live by. These are the most complete and important list of ethics that has ever been known to man. These commandments, as listed in Exodus chapter 20, cover every detail that one needs to live a Christ centered life, even in today's world. They are as relevant today as they were when God gave them to Moses.

In the New Testament (Matthew 22:37-38) Jesus adds to this list two more commandments. They are:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

God expects us to live by His standards of ethics and not by what we think is right. The scripture tells us in Proverbs 14:12 that there is a consequence for doing things our way. "There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death."

From our early childhood days we were taught to obey God's standards of ethics. One day when I (Dottie) was about 8 years old, I walked to a neighborhood store on an errand for my mother. I met a neighbor girl, a good friend, in the store and we paid for the items we got and walked out together. On the way home she pulled a candy bar out of her pocket. I knew she must have stolen it as she had not paid for it when we checked out of the store together. This troubled me to the extent that I chose not to associate with her very much after that. You see I had lost trust in her and did not agree with her ethical standards as they differed from what I had been taught by my mother and what I had read in the Bible.

When we do not live by Gods standards and we are unethical, we not only sin against God but we affect how others see us. Sin (breaking God's ethical standards) always has consequences.

We urge you today to make a commitment to first read through THE TEN COMMANDMENTS yourself and then with your family. We also suggest that after you have read through them follow this with a time of discussion with your family as to where you stand in relation to each commandment. Each of us must make a commitment to live daily by this set of ethics that God has given including the two commandments from the New Testament.

One final thought: Take the time to either find a printed version of the Ten Commandments or print it out yourself and place this list in a prominent place in your house where it can be seen daily by all.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 2:21.

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.

PRAYER

Thank You Lord that You have given us this code of ethics to live by. Help me to know each of these commandments and to apply each one to my words and deeds daily. Bless my family today and may they not be swayed by those who do not live by Gods standards. Give each one of us the courage to stand up for what we believe and for the one we serve.