Jesse Joyner, PhD

Whatever is Right

Paul tells us to think about things that are right (Phil 4:8). What is right?

There is right and there is wrong. As Christians, we believe in a divine Creator who is also the moral standard for the universe. Without a moral standard, how can we know right and wrong in the first place? Does a right and wrong exist at all? Humanists will argue that there can be moral standards without God, but unfortunately, there are as many opinions on that as there are humanists. Which one do you listen to? Granted, Christians have divided and disagreed over the centuries about how to interpret God’s moral standards. But at least we all agree that there is one imparted to us from outside this finite universe in the first place.

To think about things that are right is to think about God’s moral standards as opposed to our own selfish desires. Thinking about things that are right means chewing on truth, pondering justice, and seeking to do the right thing as opposed to the wrong thing when faced with a decision. How do we know what is right? By studying God’s Word, by staying close to His heart, by fellowshipping in the body of Christ, by listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and testing our conclusions among “the counsel of many” (wherein plans succeed –  Proverbs 15:22).

 

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