Biblical Ethics, Part 4 - Faithful Christians
12th May 2023
We've been considering the ethical situation in which we find ourselves in our generation. Much of the English church has chosen to be led by the non-Christians around us into jettisoning Biblical ethics and replacing them with human, worldly ethics. As a consequence, God is withdrawing His favour, and many churches and denominations are struggling with smaller memberships, shortage of funds and difficulty finding leaders. But there remain a number of faithful Christians and faithful churches, who continue to honour God by holding on to what the Bible says about morality, despite the pressure from the non-Christian society people around us, and sometimes - shockingly - from other Christians, to become indistinguishable from the world around us.
What does the Bible say to those of us who continue to hold true to the Bible, as understood for 2,000 years?
The prophet Elijah lived in the time of the evil King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who worshipped false gods and committed many crimes against both God and His people. Elijah did some wonderful things and had some great victories, but the day came when he got so scared and depressed that he left the land of Israel and travelled all the way to Mount Horeb in the Sinai desert to seek God. He told God:
1 Kings 19v14
"I have been very zealous for the Lord God almighty. The Israelites have
rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to
the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
Elijah made three charges against God's ancient people:
Firstly, "The Israelites have rejected your covenant".
At Mount Sinai, before the giving of the Law through Moses, God had told the Israelites: "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19v5-6a). The Israelites in Moses's generation promised to keep God's law but by Elijah's time they'd neglected even the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods beside me." (Exodus 20v3).
Just as those Israelites gave up on the idea of keeping God's law, many modern-day churches have given up on the idea of believing and obeying the Bible, especially in the area of ethics. Many "Christian" organisations, including some churches, have even rejected God's New Covenant of justification by faith in Jesus's atoning sacrifice, in which He paid the penalty for our sins so that we can have eternal life.
Secondly, they have "broken down your altars".
In Elijah's day, many of God's altars had been either destroyed or neglected and left to decay. For example, he'd had to repair the altar on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18v30).
The Hebrew word mizbeah, which we translate as "altar", means "place of sacrifice". A Christian's place of sacrifice is his own life: his time, his energy, his money and his thoughts. Many "Christians" and churches seem to be unwilling to sacrifice their sexual preferences or even their ideas to God. They refuse to give up worldly moral teaching and embrace God's instruction. They are damaging their consciences and leading people astray.
Thirdly, they have "put your prophets to the sword".
The Israelites were willing to persecute and even kill those people sent by God to speak truth to them, even up to the execution of John the Baptist and Christ Himself.
I'm not suggesting that some British Christians have put any of their brothers to the sword, but some "Christian" organisations have terminated the employment of some of their brothers and sisters, for failure to adhere to "woke" ideas such as using "preferred" genders rather than actual genders.
I hope we, like Elijah, are crying out to God for His Covenant, for the principle that Christians are to sacrifice our worldly ideas and our lifestyle preferences, as well as our time and money, to God, and for an end to the mistreatment of faithful Christians by woke Christians.
God responded to Elijah by telling him to keep working, to continue to fulfil his calling. I'm sure He says the same to us. Never give up serving God and seeking His kingdom. Then God said:
1 Kings 19v18
"Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed
down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him".
Be one of the 7,000! You may think, as Elijah did, that there aren't many of us left. You may feel, as Elijah did, like giving up. But God knows what He's doing. He has kept thousands of faithful Christians and hundreds of faithful churches in England. And just as He rebuilt the people of Israel from those 7,000 nearly 3,000 years ago, He will rebuild the English church from the faithful remnant who refuse to compromise the truth about God and about godly ethics.
While some Christians and Christian leaders have been deceived and seduced into jettisoning Biblical ethics, God says to us, who choose to trust God and hold on to the truth of the Bible:
Jeremiah 6v16-19
This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the
ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find
rest for your souls."
But, speaking through Jeremiah, God goes on to speak to those Christians who ignore the plain teaching of scripture, saying:
Jeremiah 6v16b-19
"But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'
I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!'
But you said, 'We will not listen.' Therefore hear, you nations; you who are
witnesses, observe what will happen to them. Hear, you earth: I am bringing
disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not
listened to my words and have rejected my law."
I don't imagine I have a very big trumpet, but I do think I'm saying something important: Make a choice, be in the 7,000. And sound whatever trumpet you have. Trust the Bible:
1 Peter 2v2 (AV)
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby
Many churches and many individual Christians have surrendered to worldly philosophy and worldly ethics, abandoning or perverting God's word. Many more stand on the brink. Don't be one of them. Hear God's command and believe God's promise:
1 Chronicles 28v8
"… I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord,
and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the
Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an
inheritance to your descendants forever."
Do you agree with the Psalmist?
Psalm 119v4-6a
You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!
Then I would not be put to shame
Will you say with me, "I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God."
Next week, we'll think about what the future holds.