PASSING ON THE BATON, NO. 10 - SITUATIONAL ETHICS ON STEROIDS

What are situational ethics? They are the changing of eternal values to suit the occasion according to man's logic. Men, biblical ethics and values are laws and principles that are written in the Scriptures in order to benefit mankind. They are the lamp of God's Word and the light to man's path (Psalm 119:105). They are not given to hurt or destroy us but rather to bless us and make our lives more prosperous in every way.

They are eternal principles. If we break these laws and values we not only hurt ourselves but others round us. At all times we are influencing others either for good or for bad. The scribes, ,Pharisees, and lawyers like Job's comforters used the laws of God to put heavy burdens on people. They made them hard to live up to by adding things that were not intended by God. Jesus said in Luke 11:46 (NASB): "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers."

The lawyers were teachers of the law. They were a class of learned professors, teachers in colleges, magistrates, judges, and perhaps some were scribes, although not all scribes were lawyers. The leaders of Israel often used situational ethics to bend the Scriptures to suit their own viewpoint. They did this when they falsely accused Christ and condemned Him to death. Jesus Christ often reproved them for their situational ethics. Read the whole of Matthew 23.

Pastors officiating at homosexual weddings are greatly blaspheming God's eternal word and are guilty of twisting the Scriptures to suit their own intellectual reasons. Churches, or even individuals who claim to be Christians, and yet at the same time support the abortion agenda are also twisting the Scriptures to suit their own logic. Standing up for life in the womb is a very biblical ethic. No excuse is valid for not supporting the innocent life in the womb or even outside the womb. Mankind has a sacred calling to reflect the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26, 27 and 9:5-7).

We are now living in an age of situational ethics on steroids.

Many judges and leaders, as well as the general population whether Christian or not, choose to ignore, disrespect, malign, and explain away the life-giving values of God's Word. They only want to give it lip service when it suits the situation or occasion according to their humanistic thinking. This they do to their own peril.

Thanks be to God that there is still a remnant who desire to follow the truths of God's Word even if it costs them their lives. I pray that I will be one of them. Will you join with me and pray that by God's grace He will help us to beware of the evil of situational ethics.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell