AOD / Morality

Go ahead and pick up your Bibles if you’ve got one, and turn to 1 John chapter 2. We’re going to start there, though we’ll probably refer to a lot of other places as well.

When I was in second grade, I wanted to become what probably most of us wanted to be: a paleontologist. All right, maybe nobody else wanted to be a paleontologist, but I was really into dinosaurs. A lot of second graders are into dinosaurs, but I never grew out of it. I actually went to college to become a paleontologist because I loved dinosaurs that much. You can see how that worked out, but here is why I bring that up.

In our society, we have this paradigm: if we want to become something, we do a series of steps to get there. I wanted to become a paleontologist, so I knew if I went to college, finished my degree, got a master’s, and then earned a doctorate in paleontology, I would be a paleontologist. We do a bunch of things to get there. We even ask each other, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Someone says what they want to be, and the response is, “Well, you need to take these courses, pass these tests, and do these things.” And once you do all those things, you become that.

That is how our society works. But the problem is that we have taken that mindset and tried to paste it over being a disciple of Jesus. It simply does not work. Some of us are so frustrated because we are trying to do things in reverse of what God has planned.

Becoming Before Doing

When it comes to God, we don’t do things to become something. With God, we become something, and then we do. It is the exact opposite. That is why some of us are so confused about discipleship. We think we do this, that, and the other, and somehow that makes us right with God. But you don’t do a bunch of things to become a child of God. None of us could ever do enough. Instead, we become children of God by grace, and then God says, “You are my child; let me show you what that looks like.” Then we do things in response to what He has made us. That is the gospel.

Paul explains this clearly in Ephesians when he says that we are saved by grace through faith. All I bring to the table is my faith. There are no works I can offer. It is all by His work and His grace that we are made right with God. And then he explains why we were created.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Do you see what verse 10 is saying? I didn’t do good works to become His workmanship. He made me His workmanship in Christ Jesus, and now we walk in the good works He prepared for us. We respond as a result of everything God has already done. Because we bring nothing to the table, no one can brag. He did it all, and now we respond. That is the Christian life.

Last week, we looked at sacrificial generosity. God has changed us and done so much for us, so we respond by giving to Him and allowing Him to live through us to give to the world. Today, we’re going to see what that looks like in the area of moral discernment.

The Indicator of Spiritual Health

Look at 1 John chapter 2, verses 1 through 6.

1 John 2:1-6 (NASB)

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for [those of] the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Notice what John is saying. He writes, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” In other words, he wants us to have moral discernment—to know what is right and wrong and choose what is right. Where does moral discernment come from? From what is written in God’s Word.

Then he adds, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” If we fail in moral discernment, where do we go? We always go back to Jesus. He is the beginning and the end of it.

In verse 3, he says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” If you are morally discerning, it reflects your relationship with Jesus. It’s an indicator. Look at verse 4: “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar.” What are they lying about? Not the commandments, but about knowing Him. Keeping His commandments is an indicator of what is happening on the inside.

Verse 5 says that whoever keeps His word, in them the love of God is perfected or matured. You know you have a maturing relationship with God as you grow in moral discernment. And verse 6 says that whoever claims to abide in Him ought to walk just as Jesus walked. A true sign of abiding is that it shows up in how we live.

When we think about moral discernment, we often say, “A good Christian is morally discerning, so I’m going to try really hard to be more discerning.” But that is addressing the symptom rather than the source. Lack of moral discernment is just an indicator that something is amiss internally.

It is like driving down the road when that dreaded “check engine” light pops on. What would you think if I said, “I hate that light, so I’m just going to unscrew the bulb to fix the problem”? That would be foolish. Yet that is exactly what we do with moral discernment. We see an issue and think we just need to try harder, rather than checking the engine.

When we lack moral discernment, it indicates a breakdown in one of two core areas: either our minds are not biblically formed, or our hearts are not humbly submitted to God—or both.

Think about it. If I do not know God’s Word, how can I be morally discerning? Have you ever read Scripture and thought, I didn’t even know that was the right way to view life? If our minds are not biblically formed, we won’t have moral discernment. But being biblically formed without humble submission leads to arrogance. We might know all the facts, but if we aren’t submitted to God, we will just reinterpret His Word to justify living however we want.

On the flip side, being humbly submitted without being biblically formed is just as dangerous. You might say, “God, my will is Yours. I am totally surrendered, and now I’m just going to do what I feel You want me to do.” That sincerity is dangerous because, left to our own wisdom, we can be sincerely wrong. We need both. When a heart is humbly submitted to God and a mind is formed by His Word, moral discernment is the natural result.

Navigating the Gray Areas

What does this look like in daily practice? Some people assume that once they have a submitted heart, they should read the Bible cover to cover with a sheet of paper, making two tidy columns: a “right” list and a “wrong” list, a “sin” box and a “not sin” box. They hope every single situation they will ever face will fit neatly into one of those boxes.

If you expect that, you will be deeply frustrated. Scripture gives us clear, absolute truths that we could never discover on our own—things that are always sin and things that are always righteous. We must put those in their proper boxes. But at the end of the day, there are countless decisions and situations in modern life that are not explicitly detailed in Scripture.

When we finish sorting, we find there is still clutter on the floor, and people hate clutter. So what do we do? We start packing the gray areas into boxes ourselves. Often it comes from good intentions—we just want clarity. The church has sometimes done a disservice by stepping in where God was silent, creating rigid rules to make everything black and white. While that might feel cleaner, it stunts our spiritual growth because it prevents us from exercising our moral discernment muscles.

You only have to read Romans 14 and 15 or 1 Corinthians 8 and 10 to encounter this reality: there are things that might be sin for you to do, but not sin for me. There are things that might be sin for me in one context, but not in another. There are things that might be sin for me today that won’t be sin for me two years from now as my maturity grows.

Romans 14:14 (NASB)

I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

Some might say, “That is confusing!” That is precisely why we must be biblically formed and morally discerning, rather than making universal rules where God has not made them.

The world takes the black-and-white truths of God and turns them gray. Sadly, the church often takes the gray areas and turns them black and white. We should never stunt your growth by making those calls for you.

For example, some Christians feel strongly that they should never participate in anything related to Halloween. For them, participating would violate their conscience and be sin. For others, engaging with their neighborhood on that night is an intentional way to build relationships and show Christ’s love.

Some believe Christians should completely abstain from alcohol, while others exercise Christian liberty in moderation. For one person, drinking would be sin; for another, it is not.

Some feel deeply convicted to homeschool their children, while others believe God has called them to place their kids in public schools. For some, it would be wrong not to homeschool; for others, homeschooling would not be the right choice.

Some feel convicted never to own a firearm, while others feel a responsibility to own one.

Does this mean the Bible teaches situational ethics? Absolutely not. The Bible never teaches situational ethics. What it teaches is the situational application of unchanging biblical principles.

What are those unchanging principles? Here is one: in everything we do, our aim must be the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NASB)

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Even if Scripture does not explicitly mention a specific scenario, that principle blankets our decision-making. You might have the freedom to do something, but realize that doing it in a particular setting would reflect poorly on God’s name, so you refrain. Or that same principle might lead you to do something uncomfortable because it brings glory to God.

Another core principle is considering others above ourselves. We are called to do what is best for our brother or sister. I may have complete freedom to participate in something, but if it harms the faith of someone near me, love compels me to lay down my freedom for their sake.

Commas Instead of Periods

As you grow in moral discernment, you discover something counterintuitive: moral discernment is not ultimately about you.

With sacrificial generosity, it is obvious that our giving is meant to bless others. But with moral discernment, we tend to think, This is for me, so I don’t make foolish mistakes and can live a safe, blessed life. But is it really meant to stop with us?

In Isaiah 58, God addresses the people of Israel. They were fasting, keeping the Sabbath, attending feasts, and asking for God’s righteous laws. Yet they wondered why God seemed distant.

Isaiah 58:3-7 (NASB)

‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? [Why] have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find [your] desire, And drive hard all your workers. ’Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like [you do] today to make your voice heard on high. ’Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? ’Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? ’Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

God told them the problem was that their righteousness ended with themselves. They built walls and turned inward, whereas God had made them a morally discerning people so they could be a light to the surrounding nations and loose the chains of injustice.

Too often, we put a period where God intended a comma.

We say, “A disciple is someone who follows Jesus. Period.” But why do we follow Him? A disciple follows Jesus, comma, so that they can become like Jesus. Is that the end? No, because a disciple follows Jesus, to become like Jesus, comma, in order to show and share the life of Jesus with the world for the glory of God.

When we have humbly submitted hearts and biblically formed minds, moral discernment first reveals what needs to change in our own lives. We surrender those areas to God and let Him work. But then we lift our eyes and look at the world around us. With those same discerning eyes, we begin to notice injustice, oppression, and brokenness. We see things that are wrong and say, “God, somebody needs to do something about that.” And God replies, “Yes, I gave you those eyes so that you would be the one to step up.”

God changes us so that we can bring His change to the world. We are instruments in His hands.

Sacrificial generosity drives us to serve people in need; moral discernment drives us to address the systemic problems that put them there. Generosity helps the person in poverty; moral discernment asks why the poverty exists and works for justice. Imagine the impact if we passionately pursue both.

Engaging Culture and Loving the Captives

Engaging the culture with moral discernment will not be easy. You will face opposition because the broken systems of this world do not want to change.

John the Baptist’s moral discernment led him to confront cultural selfishness and call people to repentance—all the way to the king’s palace—and it cost him his freedom and his life. Jesus’ moral discernment led Him to heal on the Sabbath, demonstrating that people matter more than legalistic traditions, and the religious leaders plotted against Him. He cleansed the temple when greed was blocking the poor from worshipping, and they sought to kill Him. Stephen’s moral discernment challenged the belief that God could only be contained in one building, and he was martyred for it.

When opposition comes, moral discernment clarifies who the enemy really is.

That roommate who disregards God’s standards is not the enemy. That family member who opposes your faith is not the enemy. That coworker who ridicules your convictions is not the enemy. Government officials and members of opposing political parties are not the enemy.

Scripture reminds us who the true enemy is.

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places].

People who live without moral discernment and reject God’s truth are captives and victims of sin and Satan. When we view people as the enemy, we build walls and point fingers in judgment. But when we recognize that Satan and sin are the real enemies, we tear down the walls and step into culture with grace, mercy, and compassion to help set captives free.

Ultimately, moral discernment shows us that every broken system, every injustice, and every heartache in this world stems from sin. And because sin is the root problem, there is only one ultimate solution: His name is Jesus. That is what we bring to a broken culture.

Three Challenging Questions

As we close, consider these three questions:

First, if you are lacking in moral discernment, remember that the lack of discernment is just the check engine light. What is the real issue underneath? Is your mind lacking biblical formation, is your heart lacking humble submission, or is it both? What will you do about it?

Second, if God is shaping your discernment, what area in your personal life is He putting His finger on right now that needs to change? What step of obedience will you take?

Third, as you look at the world around you with morally discerning eyes, what brokenness or injustice is God calling you to address? Who is being overlooked that you need to stand up for? What are you going to do about it?

Let us not allow moral discernment to begin with us, and let us never allow it to end with us. Let it begin with God, transform our hearts, and flow through us to bring Christ’s freedom and light to a broken world.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank You for Your Word and for the gift of moral discernment. We pray that our discernment would never begin or end with us. Let it begin with You and overflow into the lives of the people around us. In a world held captive by sin, give us courage to step into the darkness with Your grace, truth, and love. Use our lives to bring hope, point people to Jesus, and reflect Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.