Biblical Principles for Moral Decision-making

Biblical Principles for Moral Decision-making
December 15, 2024

As we begin, we look at the title of the lesson, Biblical Principles for Moral Decision Making. And I'd like to just spend a couple of moments talking about the title.  First of all, what's a principle? And it's kind of like a fundamental truth or a foundation of a belief or of some system. So we're going to look at what I'm going to call Bible or Biblical principles, we're going to look at things that come from the Bible, and we're going to help those make decisions for us.

Think about all the things that go into a decision. I read something the other day, and it was kind of shocking to me, but have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in a day? I know there are times I come home from work and I'll tell Sandra, I don't want to think about anything and I don't want to make any decisions. I've done enough of that for a day. But, the average person consciously makes 33,000 to 35,000 decisions a day. So decision fatigue could be a real thing.  

I know there's a person that is the head of a big corporation and he wears a black t-shirt and black jeans to work every day so that he doesn't have to make a decision on what to wear. Most of us got up this morning, you probably looked in the closet, what am I going to wear to church today or church services? But he wants to make fewer decisions.

But, 33 to 35, 000 decisions a day. So if we're going to make those and we're going to see things that happen in life, what can we do? Well, we can let the Bible be our guide for making those decisions.

What's My Goal when Making a Decision?

And I think one of those things is we need to know, "What's my goal?". What's the clarity? If I look at life, or if I look at things that are going to happen to me during the day, what's my goal? All of our goals should be Heaven. So if we start from Heaven and we start working our way down, we can kind of see what we need to do. It gives us clarity.

I think there are a lot of decisions that you can make. If you're clear enough. Coming to worship service and Bible study on Sunday morning, or Bible study on Wednesday night. Those decisions were made a long time ago. And that's not a decision I have to make when I get up on Sunday, or when things come up. So I think a lot of times, if we have clarity, we can get some of those, we can lessen that, and it makes it easier.

Gather Data

I think if you're gonna make a decision, you gotta gather information, you gotta look at some data. We need to look at God's Word. What does it say about it? What kind of guide can it be? If I get good data, which I can find here. Where else are you gonna find all truth? And, only truth is in the Bible.

So we need to gather information. Then as we gather that information, what do we have to do? We have to weigh our options.

Weigh Our Options

What if I don't go to heaven? What if I don't do these things that God asked me to do in His Word? What happens then? You know, what are the pros and the cons? Well, it's pretty extreme when there are two places: One's Heaven and one's Hell. So you need to look at those pros and cons.

What are the Consequences?

The next step, and I kind of got in front of myself a little bit, is what are those consequences if we make those decisions? And if we're looking at that big goal, we know what those consequences are. But sometimes as we're looking at decisions that we make in day to day life, there's consequences for some of those decisions also. So we have to have to look at that.  

Get Input from Others

I think another thing, and I think one of the reasons that we like to be together is that it's good to get input from others. Don't you like to have conversation with someone when you're studying the scriptures? Or, you're looking at things that you can bounce ideas off of or thoughts off of, and it kind of helps you to understand. Maybe somebody has great advice, somebody that's been there and done what you're facing in life, some of the struggles that we have to be faithful in difficult times, but we like to seek input from others or to collaborate with others.

Learn from Past Mistakes

I think probably one of the best things, and it's not a good thing, but I think most of us probably, I learned a lot, and so, a lot of my decision making comes from past mistakes. I learned a lot of lessons from past mistakes. You know, a lot of times we make good decisions and we don't think much about it. But how many of us when we've made mistakes, don't forget those mistakes very eaisly? And when that situation comes, we won't make it again because it was so harmful or just it's so hard on our conscience and we struggle with that. 

Taking Action

And so we see all these things and if we're going to make decisions, I think one of the important things about making a decision is we have to take action when we need to, there could be times where, we overthink things and then what happens is we don't do anything. You know, I think a lot of us, if we think back to when we first became a Christian, how many of us kind of held onto that pew pretty hard a couple of times before we went and did that? Or, didn't have that discussion that we needed to have. So I think we have to take action. 

And so as we look at these principles that we're going to look at, remember those, that kind of basis of making that decision based on the things that we are going to see in God's word this morning.

The Principle of Doubt

So the first one is the principle of doubt. I think a lot of times in life we have doubts about things.

  • Romans 14:1-2, 14:14-15, 22-23

So we see here, in this time there were people who, things are not unclean, there's a lot of things we eat today that in the old law there were things that were unclean for them not to eat. And so, in the new law, those things weren't unclean and they could eat of them. There were things that were sacrificed to idols that if they knew that people wouldn't eat because it bothered their conscience.

And you think about what God has said and there's so many things today that if you have a doubt about it, if you don't know, what does he say at the end of that chapter? That if we doubt, we're damned if we eat because we eat not of faith whatsoever eats not of faith is sin. If there is an activity that you want to partake in, or there is something that comes about and you're not sure, you need to go look at God's word.

He, I think we're, we're left with, with two choices. And one is going to be a negative thought, which is if I doubt it's right, I need to remove the doubt.  before I do that activity. You know what I mean? If you want to look at the positive side, the choice of that would be that I choose an action that eliminates doubt.

There's a lot of times where if there's doubt, don't do it. So you can kind of figure it out. 

It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” — Albus Dumbledore, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

So many times things happen, but it's our choices that tell us who we are. We've kind of been studying some of that, studying in first Peter about some of our choices when we're looking at government and God's word this morning. 

But the principle of doubt. If you doubt, don't do it. Study and remove the doubt.

The Principle of Prayer

The next principle, the principle of prayer. 

  • I Thessalonians 5:17-18

You know, the first one we're very familiar with, pray without ceasing. We should always be in, in praying off and on all the time. We shouldn't give up on that easily. So, think about in everything that you pray about that you give thanks for. We need to pray and be thankful for many things.  

  • Ephesians 6:18

So we need to always be praying, praying. We need to be going God with these things. We need to arm ourselves with, with those things that he's talked about, the helmet of salvation, the shield, etc., so that we can help strengthen ourselves and to withstand the wiles of the devil.  

  • Luke 18:1-8

I think a lot of verses, a lot of times we get past this first verse, without thinking a lot about it, Luke 18 verse one, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” A lot of times we go straight to that parable, but we want, we ought always to pray and not to faint.

And if you're like me, you've probably had prayers in life that you pray over and over and over and every day asking, but we're not to faint. And he gives us a great example here of how it can be, and he goes on with the parable.  

So this man is going to give this widow what she wants because she just never gives up.If you put that into what we're talking about she continues to pray, she continues to ask day after day after day, and this man gets tired of it. So he's going to give her what she wants. Sometimes you know, I can remember the kids wanting something in the grocery store and you say no, no, no, no,

and finally we give in. We don't want the fight. So this man he gives in. 

Continue on in verse 6.

So we see that we need to continue to pray. God hears us. We don't always know what that answer is, but we need to pray. 

  • James 1:5

That is one of those things that we should pray for. You know, we look at Solomon and the wisdom that he had at one part of his life, and then what happened to the other part. So we need to continually be asking for wisdom that we, as we're making these decisions, that we can get wisdom to make the decisions that we should.

  • James 5:16

We need to pray, as James says. He tells us that, It availeth much. So as we think about the principle of prayer, if I can't pray about it, and I can't ask God about it, I shouldn't be doing that thing. That should help me with that decision.

And so if I look on, look on the flip side of that is the thing I should be doing is I should be praying to God for that and be thankful for that opportunity. But if I can't pray about it, I'm not sure that that is something if you're going to make a decision that should help you make that decision. 

The Principle of Rightness

  • I Thessalonians 5:21

How many times do we just take what somebody says and that's it? Do you prove it? Do you test it? Is it good? We need to, as we're making decisions, we need to do that to things that we hear. Sometimes we just take what we hear and if somebody says it, we believe it as fact. And I think a lot of times that we do ourselves a disservice with that.

The scriptures being one we need to look at those and we need to see and make sure that iIf we're going to rightly divide that word that it doesn't agree with another verse and we can study and figure out what's really being said, and talked about.

  • Philippians 4:8-9

You know, we live in a society that's very negative  and we see that all around us. We see things that, unfortunately, the negative is what draws people's attention and people look at it and pay attention not to what's good. And so, we think of the things that are right. The principle of what is right. We need to think on those things that are good. We need to see that if we're going to make decisions, what does that look like?  

  • 1 Peter 3:15

You know you think about having that; why do we do what we do?, why do you make the decision that you make? And I can remember lots of times when, when the kids were young and we would make a decision for the family and the questions that would come. Because if we go back to how we were talking about clarity of what's really important, the spiritual things, the physical things aren't as important.

But if we don't have that clarity, it can get really confusing. And so, what's right? If we're looking at God's Word for that principle, we're looking at the Bible, what is that thing that is right? If you have something that's come up and the negative would be, I should not act without some scriptural justification. And the positive is we need to be able to give an answer, by faith, of what we're doing and why. And so being right, the principle of trying to do what is right. 

The Principle of Secrecy 

You think about the principle of secrecy, let's look at Ecclesiastes.

  • Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

You know I think one of the things that sometimes bothers me the most is just the things that I think in secret that just go through my mind when something happens. And sometimes they are terrible thoughts and to think God knows those secret thoughts. You won't know it. I can hide it from people, but we can't hide it from God. He sees it. 

  • John 3:19

You know, it's interesting, you think of how many evil deeds are done at night. I know growing up, I always heard the phrase that nothing good happens after midnight. But it's in the darkness and the quiet when people aren't looking that some of these things happen that they don't want to be seen. They want it to be done in secret. You know if we knew when the thief was coming we might be ready, but so many times we don't.

You see that all these things that are done behind the scenes or you can take look at all the things that happened in the past, in things that we hear about every day in our government, things that are done in secret. In Lafayette County, there's been something that's just come up in the county that I live in that's was done in secret and it breaks the law. There's all kinds of those things and that's when it happens it can be hidden. 

  • Ephesians 5:8

We need to be people that walk in the light. We should not be doing those things in secret. We should live as such that our life is almost an open book. And I think we can all look at that and look at ourselves and we've all done those things. If I'm compelled to do something in secret, I shouldn't do it. But my life should be a visible influence to all. So the principle of secrecy. 

The Principle of Service

  • John 12:25-26

So we need to be about serving. We need to do those things as Christ would do them.

  • Matthew 16:24

You know, the beauty of Jesus coming to this world is He lived just as we did. He had family, He had suffering, He grew up as a child, and went through the same challenges that we have.

I heard a story one time told about a cross, and this is just a story for an illustration. But he comes and he is complaining about the burden that he has to bear. And there is this room where a lot of crosses are kept and the man says to him, you can go into the room and you can pick any other cross you want. And so he opens the door, he looks at the room with all those crosses, he puts his in the room and he walks around and he picks up the smallest cross. And guess what? He picked up the same cross he brought in. And a lot of times we don't know what everybody is bearing. But we do need to serve Jesus and God and do those things that we see in God's word.

So when you think about it, where Jesus wouldn't go or what Jesus wouldn't say, or what Jesus wouldn't do, we shouldn't do. But in the positive side of looking at that, we need to look at what Jesus said, what Jesus did, where Jesus went, the attitude that Jesus showed, that should be the things that we should be about. We should serve as Jesus served. 

The Principle of Universality

Then my, my last point for the morning is the principle of universality. What if everybody did everything that I did? Is that good for everybody? Should we do things that are good for everybody? I think the first one that came to my mind is the golden rule. 

  • Matthew 7:12

You know, when we get offended, what do we want to do? Well, I don't want something good to happen to him. You know, if we look at love in 1 Corinthians 13, we should want what's best for all but so many times we're not. So many times we have other thoughts and that would not be good if everybody was that way and sometimes that's how everybody is as the world is. 

  • Romans 12:9-20
  • 1 Peter 2:15
  • 1 Corinthians 11:1
  • James 4:17

If we do those things that are right for all, it's hard for people to make accusations and for those things to stick with us. And how we treat people is a big thing. And if what we do, everybody copied and followed me. What would that look like? 

And so let's think about this principle. Whatever I could recommend, or whatever I could not recommend, if I couldn't recommend it I shouldn't do it, I should do those things that I would recommend for everybody to do. I think of a verse that sometimes comes to me and in 1st Corinthians 11:1. And that what should be said about every one of us. That we should, we would love to be able to say that be a follower of me as I am of Christ. Because it's Christ who we should follow. 

There's a lot of times that we make excuses and I read an article, a little saying, and it says, I can't see any harm in it.

Questions to Ask Self When Making Moral Decisions

  • The personal test. 
    • Will doing this make me a better or worse Christian? 
  • Two, the social test. 
    • Will it influence others to be better or worse Christians?  
  • The practical test. 
    • Will the results of doing this be desirable? 
  • The universal test. 
    • If everyone should do this, would it improve society?
  • The scriptural test. 
    • Does the Bible endorse it? Or is it forbidden by the Word of God? 
  • The stewardship test. 
    • Will my doing this waste a talent God has given me? 
  • The character test.
    •  What will the influence of my moral and spiritual be? Of my moral and spiritual life be? 
  • The family test. 
    • Will it bring discredit or dishonor to my family or embarrass them?
  • The publicity test. 
    • Would I be willing for friends, fellow Christians, and others to know about it? 
  • The common sense test. 
    • Does it agree with just plain everyday common sense? 
  • The fairness test. 
    • Is it honest and practicing the golden rule? 

So we need to think about those principles that we have and how those work out.

If you go back to where we started and we were talking about those principles, the last one being timely action. And you think about life today, and I'm going to ask a question, do you need to take timely action today? If you're not a member of the Lord's church, you know, a lot of times the big question that we should ask ourselves about a lot of things in life if you're not a member of the Lord's Church. If we go look at that clarity test and we look at the consequences; there's two outcomes to that.

If you're not a member of the Lord's Church, and you're not on that road to Heaven with all the glory and the blessings that we will someday enjoy with God and live eternally, I would ask you, if you believe that Jesus is the son of God, you're willing to confess Him to repent of your sins and put Him on a baptism?

Or maybe, you need to ask the question of time is, have I been faithful and now I've fallen away? Do I need to repent and come back and rededicate myself to God? Or it could be that the action that you need to take is one that you just need encouragement. And that's what we're here for, we're here to support and help each other get to Heaven. If there is something that we can help you with we ask you to contact us.