“Is it
right or is it wrong,” is the primary question that every human faces. It is the underlying question
behind everything. Conflicts that occur between people on the topic of ethics
usually come to pass because different standards, criterion or even processes
are used to determine what is right and what is wrong.
In
Christianity, the right/wrong dilemma is complex. Rightness is determined not only by outcomes,
but by The Ultimate Outcome. It is not
only determined by an objective, infallible standard but by the motives that are involved. All three work together to produce what is right, or better stated,
what receives God’s commendation and blessing.
When it
comes to the 2nd criteria – the standard, humanly speaking we should
think of it in the plural: standards.
Agreed, theologically, it is really one standard, i.e., the Word of God,
but theologians recognize that even the Bible speaks of a dual source for God’s
Word: Special Revelation and General Revelation.
Evangelical
Christians get very passionate about Special Revelation, e.g., God’s immediate
voice to people, the Bible and of course ultimately Jesus Christ. But evangelicals should also be much aware of
General Revelation. Indeed General Revelation
is the minimum but sufficient standard for those who are unbelievers – those who
deny Special Revelation.
General
revelation is the knowledge of God, as well as the knowledge of right and
wrong that can be obtained through nature (Rom. 1:18-20; & Rom. 2:14-15). Mat Slick writes, “The Bible tells us that
non-Christians have sufficient knowledge of God as well as knowledge of right
and wrong but that they are suppressing the truth of this knowledge in their
own unrighteousness.”[1]
If this is
correct then General Revelation is an important topic. John MacArthur notes, “When
evangelizing pagans, Paul started from creation, the general revelation of God
(cf. Acts 14:15–17). When evangelizing Jews, he started from the OT (Acts 17:10–13).”[2] We must agree that General Revelation
doesn’t teach mankind the solution, but it ought to convey the standard –
albeit the problem. “This means
that from general revelation all people have some knowledge that God exists, some
knowledge of his character, and some
knowledge of his moral standards.”[3] “However,
it must be emphasized that Scripture nowhere indicates that people can know the
gospel, or know the way of salvation, through such general revelation.”[4]
The Old Testament (see for example Amos 1-2) brings judgment
on nations who do not have the Old Testament Scriptures and condemns them for
such things as breaking promises, lying, murdering, stealing, oppressing the
poor and weak. There are natural
obligation to a right moral standard deeply embedded into the hearts of men and
women.
J.P. Moreland is on target when he observes “Natural moral
law theory implies that we discover morality — we do not invent
it.”[5] Every person has access to God’s moral law
even though they may not have access to, or believe, the Bible. The discoveries in general revelation, for
those who have not inhibited them include:
- God is uncreated - eternal
- God created
- God sustains life
- God is self-sufficient
- God is not like creation
- God is powerful, wise, good and perfect
- God has standards of right and wrong
All that and more
is blatantly obvious. The role of General
Revelation is to create an investigative ambition to know this God and know
what he wants. To those who do not seek
God, he dooms them to a mind that invents its own god and its own standards.
[2] MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur
Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1666). Nashville, TN: Word
Pub.
[3] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study
Bible (p. 2507). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[4] Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic
theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 123).
Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub.
House.
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