Morals

By Ed Wittlif

"Religion I hold to be essential to morals" (John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 18 April 1808).

    Where do morals come from? Atheists would have you believe that people got together and came up with a code of moral behavior over time. Bear with me. Suppose atheists are right and evolution is the answer to life. Evolution proclaims the survival of the fittest or strongest.
    God given morals benefit the weak and helpless. If evolution were the basis of life, morals would benefit the strong. The strong would never surrender their rights to the weak. We know for a long time in human history kings did not allow their subjects to challenge anything they did.
    Therefore, morality must come from outside human thought. Morals have to have been given from the beginning of humanity. When God confronted Cain, Cain knew that murder was wrong. Moral behavior is not evolved. It is God-given. The reason I can say that is because the morals that we have are seen in God's character. We were created in His image to have like character. We are to behave like our Creator.
    God cares for the weak and helpless. He deals fairly and expects us to deal fairly with others. God is dependable, trustworthy, and honest. As we read the Scriptures, we need to look at them in order to see our Father's character. Our morals need to be patterned after our Father's characteristics.
    Jesus summed up our morals, our behavior, when He said, "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).

- Ed Wittlif is from Denver, CO; via the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. Joe Slater serves as minister and he may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://justinchurchofchrist.com