RIGHT OR WRONG?
Setting the Standard in Moral
Behaviour
The Christadelphian
404 Shaftmoor Lane
Hall Green, Birmingham B28 8SZ
ENGLAND
1976
This booklet on moral behaviour does
not cover the whole story,
but gives a short, easily read summary of Christian conduct.
Almost all the Scripture quotations used in
this booklet are from The New Testament in Modem English by J. B. Phillips, and
permission to use them has been generously granted by the publishers, Geoffrey
Bles Limited.
People say that the moral standards of young people today are very low,
and leave God out of the picture altogether. This booklet will help you to
judge whether this is so, or not, and to decide what is good Christian
behaviour.
The Bible sets the standard, and tells us why we ought to behave in a
particular way.
"How can a young man keep life clean? By keeping to thy word."
Psalm 119, v. 9.
"The face of the Lord is against them that do evil." 1 Peter
3, v. 12.
Keeping to this standard is not easy.
It needs a conviction that what is done is both right and worth while.
It needs determination. It needs the best in you.
People say: "What
about my rights?" "What's
the boss ever done for me ?" "Why
break my neck?"
The Bible says:
"Your job is to obey your masters, not with the idea of currying
favour, but as a sincere expression of your devotion to the Lord. Whatever you
do, put your whole heart and soul into it, as into work done for the Lord . . .
since you are actually employed by the Lord Christ and not just by your earthly
master." Col. 3, w. 22-25.
"Be busy with your own affairs and do your work yourselves. The
result will be a reputation for honesty in .the world outside and an honourable
independence." 1 Thess. 4, vv. 11 and 12.
"Treat other people exactly as you would like to be treated by
them." Matt. 7, v. 12.
This means no clock-watching, or time stealing; no skiving out of
unpleasant duties, or doing slipshod work; no second best at school, at factory
or office. It means a good day's work for your wages, and cheerful acceptance
of your position in life. It means thinking about the welfare of others. It
means- showing the kind of God you worship by the kind of person you are.
People say: "What's the harm in a little flutter ?" "There's plenty of easy money for the
picking."
The Bible says:
"Loving money leads to all kinds of evil." 1 Tim. 6, v. 10.
"He (Jesus) said to them, 'Notice that, and be on your guard
against covetousness in any shape or form. For a man's real life in no way
depends upon the number of his possessions'." Luke 12, v. 15.
"Better a little with
honesty, than a large income with injustice." Prov. 16, v. 8.
This means no short cuts to easy money, no "pools", no
gambling, no betting, no trusting to luck; for the Christian trusts God. It
means keeping a sense of proportion. It is not wrong to have money; it is wrong
to love it so much that you will get it at all costs.
People say: "Only a fool pays." "I know a short cut." " Well, everybody fiddles now and then."
The Bible says:
"The man who is faithful in the little things will be faithful in
the big things, and the man who cheats in the little things will cheat in the
big things, too." Luke 16, v, 10.
"If you used to be a thief you must not only give up stealing, but
you must learn to make an honest living, so that you may be able to give to those
in need." Ephesians 4, v. 28.
This means honesty in little things as well as big; it means no evading
bus fares, no stealing the office stationery, no keeping borrowed books, no
"finding's keepings". It also means not coveting your neighbour's
goods, "nor his ox, nor his ass", nor his bike, nor his girl friend.
People say “I couldn't care less." "Why bother ? It's not my
business." "Somebody else can mop that lot up."
The Bible says:
"A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell
into the hands of bandits who stripped off his clothes, beat him up and left
him half dead. It so happened that a priest was going down that road and when
he saw him, he passed by on the other side. A Levite also came and passed by on
the other side. But then a Samaritan traveller came along and was touched with
pity. He brought him to an inn and did what he could for him. Which of these three
seems to you to have been a neighbour to the bandits' victim ?" Luke 10:30-37 (abridged).
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave
me a drink. I was lonely and you made me welcome. I was naked and you clothed
me. I was ill and you came and looked after me. I was in prison and you came to
see me there ... I assure you that whatever you did for the humblest of my
brothers you did for me." Matt
25, w. 35-36, 40.
"If you obey the royal law, expressed by the scripture "Thou
shall love thy neighbour as thyself', all is well . . . Remember that if a man
knows what is right and fails to do it, his failure is a real sin."' James
2, v. 8.
The victims of flood, earthquake and famine are quickly helped, but your
job is to. remember also the chap next door, or the old folk round the corner.
There's plenty of need, even in a welfare state.
WHY WAIT UNTIL WE'RE MARRIED?
People say: "Lots of young people have sex before they are married." "Everybody has sex nowadays."
The Bible says:
"Avoid sexual looseness like the plague!" 1 Corinthians 6, v.
18.
"God's plan is to make you holy, and that entails first of all a
clean cut with sexual immorality. Everyone of you should learn to control his
body." 1 Thessalonians 4, w. 3-4.
"Neither the immoral nor the dirty-minded . . . has any inheritance
in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Don't let anyone fool you on this point,
however plausible his argument." Ephesians 5:5-6.
This means that boy and girl friends must respect each other and
restrain their passions.
It means that a girl must realize that a boy's emotions are more easily
aroused than hers, therefore she must be careful in her behaviour.
It means that a boy must not fondle a girl, or play on her feelings,
which run deeper than his.
It means that both should realize that true love is unselfish: neither
should do anything to cause the other to feel shame.
Immoral sexual behaviour is an offence against God, and against one's
own body. (1 Cor. 6, v. 18).
Marriage should come at the end of a courtship which has been clean and
free of immoral sexuality, for marriage is an illustration of the marriage of
Christ and the Church. (Ephesians 5, v. 32).
True friendship and true marriage are based on far more than sex,
therefore cultivate each other's interests, and win each other's respect.
The Bible says:
"Don't be under any illusion ... No drunkard . . . shall have any
share in the Kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6, vv. 9 and 10.
"Be on your guard—see to it that your minds are never clouded by
dissipation or drunkenness ... or else that Day (Christ's coming) may catch you
like the springing of a 'trap'." Luke 21, v. 34.
"Don't get your stimulus from wine (for there is always the danger
of excessive drinking), but let the Spirit stimulate your souls." Ephesians
5, v. 18.
"Let us live cleanly, as in the daylight, not in the delights of
getting drunk." Romans 13, v. 13.
Drinking can reduce your power to think clearly and act sensibly. It can
weaken your self-control; and if you are behind the wheel of a car it can cause
you to kill.
People say: "I like to
go with the crowd." "He's peculiar—doesn't mix"
The Bible says:
"Never give your hearts to this world or to any of the things in
it. A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time. For the
whole world-system, based as it is on men's primitive desires, their greedy
ambitions and the glamour of all that they think splendid, is not derived from
the Father at all, but from the world itself. The world and all its passionate
desires will one day disappear." 1 John 2, w. 15-17.
There can be no direct guidance in the Bible about some things like
modern dancing, smoking, cinemas—but if we accept that the Christian life is
the right one, then we look at these things in a new way. If we get too
involved in the social life, and with friends for whom dancing and cinema-going
is an absolute "must", then we shall have less and less time for
Christ. Or if it is terribly important to us that we fit in with the crowd in
smoking and drinking, then our friends and what they think and do are more
important to us than Christ. Nothing should loom so large in our lives that it
crowds Christ out, and nothing should gain such a hold over us that we can't
give it up. Smoking in particular is a habit which really gets a stranglehold
because the body craves for the nicotine drug. It has been proved without doubt
that smoking is harmful, so it is not only downright foolish but definitely
un-Christian to poison ourselves deliberately in this way.
If you put God first in your life you will see these things in
proportion and decisions about them will be simpler.
People say: "I’ll
please myself what I say."
The Bible says:
"You shall not use the name of the Eternal, your God, profanely;
for the Eternal will never acquit anyone who uses his name profanely." Exodus
20, v. 7.
"He that would love life, and see good days, let him refrain his
tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile." 1 Peter 3, v.
10.
"Let there be no more foul language, but good words instead . . .
which God can use to help other people." Ephesians 4, v. 29.
"Neither the ... foul-mouthed . . . shall have any share in the
kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6, v. 10.
This means no swearing, and no loose talk. It also means no gossiping,
no passing on that somewhat exaggerated juicy bit about old so-and-so ! It
means that if you feel criticism is really necessary, it must be kindly and
helpful. Can you imagine Christ being unkind ?
I READ WHAT I LIKE
People say: "I like a
bit of hot romance." "It's tame without a bit of sex"
The Bible says:
"Have nothing to do with sexual immorality or dirty-mindedness, uncontrolled
passion, evil desire. ... It is because of these very things that the holy
anger of God falls upon those who refuse to obey Him." Col. 3, vv. 5-6.
"Have done, then, with impurity and every • other evil which
touches the lives of others." James 1, v. 21.
There are many books and magazines which deliberately aim at bringing
out the worst in you. Read them and you are fixing your mind on rottenness.
There are plenty of other books and magazines which are really entertaining and
enjoyable. Fix your mind on good things and give the best in you a fair chance.
;
People say: "I could
never live up to that lot." "I’m only human after all."
The Bible says:
"No temptation has come your way that is too hard for flesh and
blood to bear. But God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation
beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has a
way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it." 1 Cor.
10, v. 13.
"I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me." Phil.
4, v. 13.
Of course it's a tall order! Jesus Christ is a tremendous power, and God
is even more tremendous, and they expect big things—but you don't know what you
can do till you try; and you don't have to do it on your own. You can have all
the help you are willing to ask for through prayer.
People say: "You never
get an answer." "I can't talk to somebody I can't see."
"How can we possibly know what to pray for?"
The Bible says:
"If . . . any of you does not know how to meet any particular
problem, he has only to ask God . . but he must ask in sincere faith without secret
doubts." James 1:5-6
"Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your
needs in earnest and thankful prayer." Phil
4 v 6
"We have such confidence in him that we are certain that he hears
every request that is made in accord with his own plan. And since we know that
he invariably gives his attention to our prayers, whatever they are about, we
can be quite sure that our prayers will be answered." 1 John 5:4-15.
We always get an answer—'yes', 'no' or 'wait' ! The trouble is we often
don't like the answer we get, but we have to accept that God knows what is best
for us.
It's not so difficult—you trust the driver of your train to know what
he's doing, and generally speaking he does.
You can trust God. Always!
Let Paul, whose words we have read so often in this booklet, sum up for
us. The passage is taken from his letter to the Christians at Philippi.
"Here is a last piece of advice. If you believe in goodness, and if you
value the approval of God, fix your minds on whatever is true and honourable
and just and pure and lovely and praiseworthy. Model your conduct on what you
have learned from me, on what I have told you and shown you, and you will find
that the God of peace will be with you."
The Bible has a wonderful message of hope for every man and for the
world. If you would like to read more about its true teaching, write for a list
of pamphlets and books to The Christadelphian, 404 Shaftmoor Lane, Birmingham
B28 8SZ.