What Is the Focus of Christian Morality?
What Is the Focus of Christian Morality?
Introduction
We live in a world that’s constantly wrestling with the concepts of right and wrong. When we look at movies, books, and even real-life figures, we see characters—good, bad, or somewhere in between—that raise a crucial question: What makes someone a hero or a villain? More importantly, what makes something morally right or wrong? How do we distinguish between good and evil, and who decides what is truly good?
Morality Matters—To Society, To Individuals, and To God
Morality matters. To societies, it shapes laws and rules, which are reflections of what that society deems right or wrong. Societies even have unwritten expectations—breaking them might not land you in jail, but it could damage your reputation or brand you as immoral.
On a personal level, we all face moral decisions every day. Think about it: When was the last time you had to make a choice between right and wrong? Did you seek guidance from Scripture? Did you pray? Morality is an intrinsic part of life, and that’s because God Himself is a moral being who judges good and evil.
The Bible tells us we are made in God’s image, which is why we, too, are moral beings. But unlike God, we don’t always do what is good. That’s why God gave us His guidelines, revealing right from wrong. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture teaches us about good and evil. So, as we dig into today’s topic, let’s explore the question: What is the ultimate standard of goodness?
What Is Morality?
Morality can be defined as a system or collection of ideas regarding right and wrong conduct.[1] The Bible is clear that some thoughts, words, and actions are evil, while others can be good. As Christians, on our best days, we want to do what is right and avoid what is wrong. But what makes something right or wrong?
You might answer, “Whatever God commands is what is right.” Or perhaps, “Whatever God loves, that is what is right.” But how does God know what is right? Where is the standard of morality for God Himself? This may seem like an odd question, but many non-Christians wonder the same thing. Some claim that morality exists apart from God and that right and wrong would still be the same, even if God didn’t exist.
As Christians, we want to find our answers in Scripture, but let’s first understand where this question came from in the broader philosophical conversation.
The Euthyphro Dilemma
About 2,400 years ago, the philosopher Plato introduced a challenge to morality in his dialogue, Euthyphro. In the conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro, Socrates asks, “Do the gods love a thing because it is good, or is it good because the gods love it?” This question, known as the Euthyphro Dilemma, raises a critical issue about the source of morality.
For the ancient Greeks, the gods were considered the highest moral authority. If the gods loved something because it was good, this would imply that there is a higher moral standard than the gods themselves. But if the gods decided what was good simply because they willed it, then morality becomes arbitrary—whatever the gods love would be good by definition, whether it was truly good or not.
Fast forward to today, and some atheists and skeptics use this dilemma to challenge the Christian view of morality. They argue: If God loves good things because there is a standard above Him, then He isn’t the ultimate standard of goodness. On the other hand, if God determines what is good arbitrarily, then there’s nothing inherently good about what He commands. That would mean that God could have declared murder as good, and love as evil.
The Biblical Answer to the Euthyphro Dilemma
The solution from a biblical worldview is clear: God is not like the Greek gods. Unlike them, He is one, not many. Unlike them, He is constant, holy, loving, and perfectly consistent. God does not need to look to a higher standard of goodness, because He Himself is the ultimate standard.
The things God commands are bound up with His nature—who He is. God is not arbitrary, and He cannot act in a way that is inconsistent with His nature. Because God’s nature is good, everything He commands is good, and He will always do what is right. He is not a capricious deity like the gods of Greek mythology. He is the one true God, and He defines what is good.
What Does the Bible Say About the Goodness of God?
The Bible is crystal clear that no one is good except God alone (Mark 10:18). The highest ethical obligation we have is to love, and love itself is rooted in the nature of God. In 1 John 4:8, we read, “God is love.” For all eternity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have existed in perfect, loving communion, and this love is the standard by which we are to live.
God commands His people to be good. The greatest commandment in the Old Covenant was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). To live morally is to love God. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus tells us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, and Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 1:16, saying, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” God Himself is the standard of goodness because He alone is good.
Plato’s Euthyphro Dialogue pointed to the truth that the Greek gods couldn’t explain true morality. Socrates, Euthyphro, and Plato reveal what Romans 1:18–20 says—deep down, all men really do know God’s divine nature.
How Can I Make Morally Good Decisions That Are Pleasing to God?
How do we decide what is right or wrong in everyday life? The key is to remember that God is the ultimate standard of goodness. Morality is measured by how closely something aligns with God’s nature.
Take an example: If you wanted to know how tall the Sears Tower is, you first need a definition of “tall” and a standard unit of measurement (like a foot). Once you have those, you can measure the height of the building.
Likewise, to measure the morality of a thought, word, or action, you need to understand what God is like—His nature. The Bible is our ultimate guide for understanding what is moral because it reveals God’s character. As Christians, we also have the Holy Spirit and the community of believers to help us in moral decision-making. But these always point us back to the truth in Scripture.
What Makes Christian Morality Different from Other Morality?
Let’s briefly look at how four other worldviews address morality:
Moral Relativism: This view claims there are no absolute moral truths. Morality is subjective—either determined by society or by the individual. But this doesn’t explain why we believe some things are universally wrong, like murder.
Materialism: According to materialism, morality doesn’t exist because matter and energy are all that exist. Morality is non-material, so materialism doesn’t account for it.
Unitarian Theism: In religions like Islam, God is absolute oneness and not triune. This means that moral obligations, like how we treat each other, are arbitrary. If God created them differently, actions like murder could have been considered good.
Conclusion
As Christians, our standard for what is good is rooted in God Himself. He is the highest moral authority, and everything He commands aligns with His perfectly good and holy nature. The Bible reveals to us what goodness looks like, and as we grow in our understanding of God’s character, we can better navigate moral decisions in our own lives.
[1] As defined by The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition, according to: "morality," Wordnik, accessed 13 October, 2024, https://www.wordnik.com/words/morality.
Disclaimer:
This article was generated by AI and is based on lessons written by Joel Settecase for a forthcoming Biblical Worldview curriculum. While the content has been adapted for clarity and accessibility, the original teachings and insights reflect the author's intent to provide a biblical perspective on key issues related to faith and worldview.