Guidelines for Discerning Good

 and Evil – Part One

INTRODUCTION:   Hebrews 5:13-14 describes Christians in two stages of growth: babes and mature, of full age.  The “grown up” Christians are those who, by personal effort and experience, have developed the ability to distinguish right from wrong.  This suggests a very real problem for a sincere Christian: How can one know for certain what is right and what is wrong? Answers do not come automatically.  They are not instinctive.  But they are available to all who are willing to search the scriptures and to accept what they find there. Opinions are worthless, and personal preferences mean nothing.  If one will not let the Bible speak for itself, then he has no reliable and uncompromising standard.  For all those who accept God's word as final, the guidelines we are to consider in this study ought to be helpful.

GUIDE LINE NUMBER ONE:  THE BIBLE PLAINLY SAYS THAT SOME THINGS ARE RIGHT AND OTHERS ARE WRONG.  To apply this guideline properly, three things must be understood.

            Some sins receive specific mention. For example, there Are lists of sins in 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Gal. 5:19-21, Eph. 4:25-31, and Col. 3:5-9.  The fact that these are listed as sins should settle any question about them forever. Christians must not engage in such things.

            Many activities are not mentioned specifically, but they are adequately covered by clearly stated principles.  Read Gal. 5:19-21 again.  The last item on the list is “such like” or “similar things.”  When one is uncertain about an action, he ought to look to see if it is like anything that is specifically prohibited. In Gal. 5:22-23 Paul lists several things which are good.  The word “such/similar” appears here too: “against such things there is no law.” The principle involved here is that the rightness or wrongness of an act may be determined by its similarity or likeness to other acts which are known to be condemned or approved. There are other principles too: expediency, influence, stewardship, and conscience. These will discussed at some length later in this study.

            Answers to the questions of Christians must be found in the New Testament of the Bible.  In general, the moral requirements of both Testaments of the Bible are the same, at least when properly understood and applied.  But there are some significant and important differences in the Testaments too. For example, easy divorce and remarriage was tolerated under the Old Testament, because of the hardness of the hearts of people. But this is not the principle that guides us in the New Testament (Mt. 5:31-32, 19:8-9; see also 1 Cor. 7).  The laws about worship and stewardship have changed too.  We do not have animal sacrifices, and we are not bound by the law of tithes in our giving. The commandments and laws of the Old Testament are figuratively dead, “nailed to the cross”  (Col. 2:14, Eph. 2:14-15).  This does not mean that the Old Testament should not be studied  carefully, or that it has no modern application.  People who lived faithfully by the Law given to them in the OT are examples of righteousness for us, encouraging us to keep  faithfully the law that has been given to us in the NT (see James 1:25, Heb. 11:l-12:4 and 8:7-13).  Those who broke the old law and suffered as a result stand as a warning to us (Rom. 15:4, 1 Cor. 10:11).  Although the old law has been set aside and replaced with a new and better law and covenant (Heb. 7:11-12. 18-19, and 10:9), the old still serves the valuable function of clarifying and strengthening the new law.

GUIDELINE NUMBER TWO: CONSCIENCE CAN BE A GREAT HELP, BUT IT CAN BE MISTAKEN IF ITS FUNCTION IS NOT UNDERSTOOD, ACCEPTED AND APPLIED.    The Bible does not define conscience.  The word is used some thirty times in the New Testament, but the writers assume the readers know the meaning.

            The commonly accepted definition says that conscience is the faculty by which the moral awareness of the person is maintained. It urges one to do what he believes is right and avoid what he believes is wrong (Rom. 14:5b, 14:22-23). It passes judgment upon all one's decisions and activities (Rom. 2:14ff. 1 John 3:20f).

            A normal conscience is knowledge of right and wrong, and the conviction that one ought to do right and not do wrong.  Shame, guilt, remorse and regret are the usual or typical results of violating one's conscience.

            Conscience must be educated. No person is born with complete or perfect knowledge of right and wrong.  So the conscience must be trained to recognize right and wrong (Heb. 5:14). The faculty itself is inborn and universal, but its function is the product of its environment, custom, habit, social impressions, and formal education.  It is something like a computer. It must be programmed. It must receive certain information before it can make meaningful responses. The fact is self-evident in the case of the computer.  No one doubts it. Though it is more difficult to understand and accept, it is just as true in the case of the human conscience. Feeding false information or faulty standards into it causes a malfunction – it gives wrong answers.

            One who disregards or abuses his conscience will lose it. It will become inoperative and dead.  Like dead nerves which have no feeling, it can neither accuse nor excuse (Rom. 2:15). Paul speaks of this condition as “having the conscience scarred or seared, as with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2) so that one is “incapable of feeling” (Eph. 4:19). On the other hand, one who acts in conformity with his convictions can be said to have “a good conscience.” As Paul said of himself, “I have lived in all good conscience to the present day” (Acts 23:1).  But we know from his own admission that, though his conscience did not bother him, he did many things contrary to the name of Jesus (Acts 26:9-10) – sins for which he later sought and received forgiveness (1 Tim. 1:12-16).

            It should be apparent from all of this that one must properly educate his conscience before he can safely follow it.  We can determine what is right for one to do all the days of his life (Eccl. 2:3) by accepting the moral and spiritual standards of God and applying them to our lives (Eccl. 12:13, John 13:17, 14:15 and 12:48). It is important that our conscience not hurt us.  Let us also be sure it does not hurt God.

            The conscience must be educated with the word of God.  Human standards are not consistent among different groups, and tend to be very flexible within any given group. The standard cannot be political correctness or social tolerance. Expedience is a factor that must be considered, but nothing that is wrong in itself can ever be expedient. Some things are inherently wrong and cannot be made right. It may not always be expedient to do a thing that is right in itself, but it is never wrong to do what is right, and never right to something is wrong in itself. The only adequate standard is the word of God in scripture, properly understood and applied. Our conscience cannot be properly educated apart from a correct understanding of the scripture.

      Summary up to this point: The Bible plainly says that some things are right and others are wrong.  Let the Bible speak for itself. It will guide you into all the truth and make you perfect, furnished completely and perfectly for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17).  A well educated conscience can be of great help, but its effectiveness depends upon what is put into it and whether or not it is heeded.

GUIDELINE NUMBER THREE: THE ADVICE OF OTHER  PERSONS CAN BE VERY HELPFUL WHEN CONSIDERED CAREFULLY AND VALIDATED BY SCRIPTURE.    The advice or counsel of other persons must not be a substitute or alternative for Biblical principles, but it can be a help in understanding and applying them.  Advice – whether it be given by one person to another or taught to a group of persons in a class, or preached to an assembly – must be verified by personal Bible study. Be like those noble Bereans who searched the scripture to prove that what they were hearing (from the apostle Paul) were actually true, whether they were in accord with the known word of God (Acts 17:11).

            Some have great difficulty in accepting instruction from others. Perhaps because they are quite sure of themselves and feel no need of help. Perhaps they are too proud to admit that they need help in making ethical decisions. Some simply do not trust other people. But there are some good reasons for seeking advice from others. Here are three things to keep in mind when you apply this guideline:

            1.  Do not seek advice only from those whose understanding and experience are about the same as your own. Instead, seek help from those who are older and more experienced, those who are morally and spiritually more mature than you. Experience teaches lessons that cannot be learned any other way.  Guidance from those whose ability to distinguish good from evil has been sharpened and strengthened by exercise and experience (Heb. 5:14) can help one avoid many mistakes, and come more quickly and confidently to the things he ought to do. Mature persons have already faced many of the same decisions we

are called upon to make.  They know, through observation and experience, the usual results of certain actions and attitudes.  They usually have the advantage of insight gained by observation of others too.

            2.  Do not seek advice only from those who are known to share your feelings or your point of view. People who want to do a certain thing will often ask advice from those who already do it.  The conclusion is quite predictable: the person who does a thing often tries

to justify himself.  The person who wants to do the thing takes the approval of one who is already doing it as proof of its acceptability. There are times when this only serves to illustrate what Jesus said about the blind leading   the blind, with both ending up in the ditch (Luke 6:39).  It is often wise to listen to a dissenting point of view. It will help you clarify your thinking and make your conclusions more nearly valid if you look honestly at all sides of every question.

            3.  Sometimes the information you get from others does not come from direct questions and answers, but from observing their lives, attitudes and activities.  If you are trying to decide whether an activity is right or wrong, pay careful attention to the effects it has in the lives of those who participate in it.  Also weigh carefully the lives of those who do not participate in it.  Watch for the effects on one's personality, and on one's appreciation for the finer and nobler things of life. Notice how it affects one's relationship to the Lord and to his church. Intelligent and critical observation can keep us from making some very painful mistakes.

GUIDELINE NUMBER FOUR:  CONSIDER THE POSSIBLE AND PROBABLE CONSEQUENCES OF EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE.  Only a foolish or very naive person refuses to consider the results or consequences of things he does. Even though he accepts the fact that certain consequences may come, he easily persuade himself, “It won’t happen to me. It only happens to a few people – I’ll be on of the lucky ones. Nothing bad will happen to me.” That must surely give the devil pleasure even as it gives pain to those who know and care about the truth. This principle must be applied in at least three areas.

      First, what are the probable effects upon you, yourself?  Concern for your own best interests is not necessarily selfish.  God's basic appeal to man is based upon man's desire for self-preservation and protection (see Acts 2:40, Phil. 2:12-13, and Mt.16:24f).  As a matter of fact, it is only because of our self-consciousness, the awareness of our humanity and our identity as unique individuals made in God's  image, that we are capable of morality at all.  In determining the consequences of any choice upon yourself, consider these three aspects:

            1.  How will it affect the body?  Our bodies belong to God, not really to ourselves. The body is designed to be a house for the human soul and a temple for the Holy Spirit of God.  We will have to give an account to God for all that we do in the body, to the body, and with the body. 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:18-20, 2 Cor. 5:1-4, 10  

            2. How will it affect the mind?  One's ability to think, reason, question, and choose is very precious.  Our minds and thoughts can easily be corrupted, so they must be carefully guarded. Mark 7:15, 20-23; Phil. 4:6-9

            3.  How will it affect the soul and spirit?  What will it do to one spiritually?  Will it deepen or lessen one's interest in spiritual things?  Will it increase or decrease one’s sense of fellowship with God and His people? Death – not just the death of the body but eternal separation of the soul from God – is the ultimate consequence for those who choose to sin and do not seek God's forgiveness (Rom. 6:23, James. 1:13-15).

      Second, consider the effects it will or may have on other persons.  Whether we like it or not, we are responsible for the impact and influence of our choices upon others (1 Cor.10:31-32). Will the choice you make strengthen or weaken others?  Will it mislead others?  Will it tempt the weak?  Will it offend anyone, or cause anyone to sin? Nobody has a right to do something – even if it is not wrong in itself – in such a way that others will be led to sin, or to condemn the doer as a sinner (1 Cor.8:9-13, Rom. 14:13, 21). Why would any Christian insist upon a liberty or privilege that destroys his influence upon others, or worse, destroys the souls of others?

      Third, and finally, what effect will your choice have on the church and the cause of Christ? Will it hinder or help the evangelistic program of the church?  Will it create problems in fellowship (2 Thess. 3:6, 14)?  Will it cause others to glorify God (Mt. 5:16, Phil. 2:15f)?

CONCLUSION:    Any activity which fails in any of the guidelines we have mentioned here is wrong.  No matter what your convictions may be, and no matter what the opinions of others may be.  All the activities that are right and good for Christians will easily pass all these tests.