RE 2 (Midterm)

• Christian ethics


  A method of determining right and wrong based on the understanding and interpretation of the Christian message
• Christian ethics


  • The life and teachings of Jesus Christ is the heart of the Christian message
  • Right and wrong is determined by the life and teachings of Christ
  • To understand what we should do or avoid in life, as well as to know what we should believe, we must consult the life and teachings of Christ
• Christian ethics


  • A set of principles derived from the Christian faith by which we act
  • The Bible gives us a detailed instruction on how we should live
  • While God's word may not cover every situation in our lives, its principles give us the standards by which we must conduct ourselves
• What is Christian ethics

  • A systematic study of the way of life exemplified and taught by Jesus, applied to problems and decisions of human existence
  • The way of life is expressed in what we say, live and practice
  • The way of life exemplified by Jesus is an adequate, dependable and indispensable guide of Christians in their actions as well as in their decisions in life
• Significance of Christian ethics

  • It guides Christians in making right decisions
  • It helps us differentiate between what is vital and peripheral in life
  • It assists people in determining their goals in life and help them realize these goals
• Christian ethics is based on the Scripture
• Christian ethics is based on God's will


  • Christian ethics is a form of God's command in accordance with His will and with His unchangeable moral character
  • Christians are to obey this command
  • God wills what is right in accordance with His moral attributes
• Christian ethics is based on a strong foundation of the absolute

  • It rests ultimately upon God Himself and upon His divine character
  • God's character does not change, therefore it follows that man's obligations based on His nature are absolute
  • God is the source of all that is good, and that includes our standards for ethical behavior
• Christian ethics is based on God's revelation


  • God has revealed Himself both in nature and in Scripture
  • God's revelation is expressed both in general and special means
  • The basis always of our ethical duty lies on God's revelation
• Christian ethics is based on the character of God


  • Moral norms come from God's nature
  • God's ethical order is the only true source of morality
  • The moral order is more real than the physical order
• Christian ethics is based on the atonement

  • The new life springs out of a sense of debt to Christ
  • The regenerating power of forgiveness depends upon its cause
  • The death of Christ is the basis upon which Christian ethics is built
• Christian ethics is prescriptive

  • It emphasizes what we should do, not what is
  • Christians should behave not based on the standard of others but on the standard of God
• Old Testament ethics


  • It is grounded in the laws, and the character and nature of God
  • The major contributions include accountability to a monotheistic God, humility, righteousness, and wisdom
• New Testament ethics


  • It is based on the life, teaching and ministry of Jesus Christ
  • It has a saving outlook on life, revealing that mankind fell into sin but God offers reconciliation through Christ
  • The principles are to love God and love your neighbor
• Concepts of God in the Old and New Testaments

  • God is Ethical
  • God is Creator
  • God is Righteous
  • God is Provider
  • God is Justice
  • God is Merciful
  • God is Savior
  • God is love
• Criterion of right


  Emphasizes the duty of man to practice what is true and noble, be productive, and do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God
• Criterion of good


  Emphasizes the purpose of man to love God above everything else and love his/her neighbor
• Criterion of fit


  Emphasizes the situation of man, that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath
• Standards or final authorities for what is right and wrong

  • Jesus Christ
  • The Word of God
• Primary purpose of man

  a. Love God above everything else; and b. Love his/her neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40)
• Highest good


  a. To seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt. 6: 33) b. To do the will of God from the heart
• Criterion of fit


  Emphasizes the situation of man. Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27)
• Standards or the final authorities for what is right or wrong

  a. Jesus Christ. His life and his teachings are the standards of Christian behavior. b. The Word of God. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• Intuition


  Insight, instinct or moral sense. Perception or conscience.
• Faith in God


  We know that an experience is good, right, or fit according to the will of God. The will of God is concretely expressed in the form of a human flesh, none other than His very Son Jesus Christ.
• Reason or Power of discrimination

  When God created man in his own image it is coupled not only with conscience or moral sense but also with reason. Man is a rational being. He thinks and analyzes certain situations, implications of experiences before making moral decisions.
• Abiding trust and faith in God in all circumstances

  Even in the midst of great distress, we are to continue in faith with God. A steadfast faith in Jesus Christ is the first and most important principle in the Christian life.
• Sincerity and honesty before God and man

  Christians are to be sincere, not hypocrites who say one thing and do another. God hates dishonesty.
• Genuine humility


  To be meek, in a sense, is to be humble. Humility is the acceptance to learn and to forgive.
• A forgiving and merciful spirit toward all


  Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. It is not an emotion you work on. The Scriptures tell us to love one another and love even our enemies.
• An unqualified love for God and for your neighbor


  It is impossible to love God and not to love others. A natural outgrowth of loving God is loving others.
• Absolute loyalty, faithfulness, and obedience to the Word and will of God


  As Christians, we need to be faithful to the Lord. If we call him as our Lord and Master we have to obey him.
• Value


  That which one shows by his actions, or that which one cherishes the most
• Values always have a positive tone
• Values


  They affect the totality of the person's life. They control one's actions and choices. They also determine a group's feelings of likes and dislikes as well as feelings related to what is acceptable and unacceptable. They serve as a guide to one's plan, decision making and response to change.
• Values


  They are related to one's search for meaning in life. Life is meaningful when a man has formed something capable of arousing his commitment to it; something deserving of his best efforts, something worth living for.
• Belief


  It will only become a value, if it is a cherished belief, a freely chosen belief, and a belief that pervades life.
• False prophet


  One who said one thing and did another. There is only one way a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by his practice. Fine words (stated beliefs) can never substitute for fine deeds.
• Problems with being a false prophet

  a. They harm other people by lying to them and manipulating them to act in ways they would not normally act. b. They hurt themselves since they are always on "shaky ground", afraid to be discovered for what they really are.
• People in relation to their values

  • Those who appear to have no apparent values
  • Those who have strongly defined values
  • Those who have values yet they are, poorly defined