As I write this, there is a discussion on the radio about helping refugees. One of the participants refers to their moral responsibility when defending civil disobedience. The news is about how members of the parliament are allowed freedom to vote according to their conscience on certain legislative issues. Discussions about ethics and morality can be heard constantly and everywhere.
About ethics and morality
The ethical dimension is an essential part of all religions. There are also non-religious people whose actions seem good and right. Regardless of religion, we constantly make moral choices in our daily lives. We do not often think deeply about the underlying motivation of our choices, but sometimes it is good to stop and think about how I could act correctly in a given situation and what my choices are based on. People are moral actors who recognize their responsibility for their actions.
Doing the right thing, the moral acceptability of actions, is a broader issue than simply obeying laws and rules. Some things can be considered wrong even if they are not prohibited by law. For example, many people in positions of authority have had to take responsibility for their actions and to resign from their positions even though they have not broken the law. There may also be situations where the rules and laws of society conflict with biblical faith and lead people to sin. In such cases, Christians obey God rather than people (Acts 5:29; Augsburg Confession, Article XVIII).
Conscience, the natural law
Regardless of religion, conscience is considered an inner voice, an inner ability to choose between right and wrong. Conscience makes a person regret their actions or refrain from doing something because they consider it wrong. It is generally accepted that all people have a conscience, and that everyone has the right to act according to their conscience. This is also decreed in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood” (Article 1).
Lutheran ethics represent the tradition of what is known as natural law. According to this tradition, conscience is not merely the result of one’s environment and upbringing, but is based on the fact that God has written His law in the hearts of all people. For this reason, all people are aware in their hearts of what is good and what is evil (Rom. 2:15). The Ten Commandments, the dual commandment of love, and the golden rule, as revealed in the Bible, summarize the requirements of the natural law that must always be obeyed.
The requirements of the natural law therefore apply to all people. Despite their different cultural concepts of morality, people agree on many things. Harming others and stealing are considered wrong everywhere, while treating others with kindness and mercy is valued. On the other hand, different cultures and communities have very different ideas about what constitutes a good life. A person who is aware of the reasons behind their way of thinking is able to discuss their views, defend them, and evaluate them critically.
However, as a result of the Fall, our conscience has been corrupted and therefore no longer provides completely reliable information about God’s will. People may consider something permissible that God has forbidden, or forbid something that God has permitted (Rom. 14:1). The only guide that teaches us about God’s will is the Bible. The human mind has a tendency to try to silence the voice of the conscience, but this is a bad choice. If a person constantly acts against their conscience, its voice weakens and eventually falls silent. Conscience can also lead us astray. Then a person takes on burdens that are not their fault or over which they have no control.
Old Testament morality
Of all living creatures, only humans can hear God’s voice and communicate with their Creator (Christian Doctrine, section 15). Humans are responsible to God for how they use the abilities and skills they have been given. In relation to creation, humans must act in its best interests, without subjugating or exploiting anyone or anything. In relation to other people, it must be remembered that God created humans in his image, and that image must be respected both in others and in oneself.
Most of the moral teachings of the Old Testament are contained in its first five books. In addition to ethical guidelines, theycontain provisions concerning purity and sacrifices (“cultic law”) as well as regulations governing social life (“civil law”). Some of the Ten Commandments concern the relationship between humans and God, while others concern the relationship between humans. The commandments perfectly summarize the content of the natural law. They emphasize love and doing good to one’s neighbor. For this reason, Martin Luther called the Ten Commandments “the law of the whole world.” The validity of the Ten Commandments is also recognized outside of Christianity.
The most important law of the Bible is the spiritual law. It is not a compendium of laws like the cultic law or the civil law, but rather a prerequisite for salvation imposed by God: complete obedience to God in all things that He demands from man or denies man. None of us are capable of such obedience. The purpose of the spiritual law is therefore to make man aware of their sinfulness and need to seek merciful God. According to Christian teaching, every person is a hopeless sinner. Therefore, God cannot be appeased by sacrifices or good deeds, and not even the most pious person can gain God’s favor on the basis of their piety. The Old Testament already makes it clear that the only way to become acceptable to God is to acknowledge one’s unworthiness and to receive forgiveness for one’s sins.
Jesus’ ethical teaching
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) can be considered a summary of the central teachings of Christian ethics. In it, Jesus interpreted the basis of Jewish teaching, the Law of Moses. He emphasized the requirements of the law by repeatedly saying, “You have heard… but I say to you”. Jesus’ teachings included the principle that it is not just the act that is morally significant. Proper observance of the law also requires that the act be accompanied by the right attitude and motive. Jesus’ teachings also emphasized the principle of reciprocity. This culminates in the exhortation known as the Golden Rule: “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12).
The law and the proclamation of the prophets are summed up in Jesus’ dual commandment of love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). This instruction expresses the Christian view that human beings are always visible to God’s and are responsible to Him for their actions. People cannot escape or deny their moral responsibility.
Jesus himself served as an ethical role model by defending those who were oppressed and marginalized. His motive was love for his neighbor, which is incomprehensible to human reason. He demanded that people love not only their friends but even their enemies and those who do them harm. Jesus’ ethical teaching is also evident in his healing of the sick, his conversations with social outcasts, and his parables. For example, the parable of the Good Samaritan answers the question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25–37).
The ethics of the New Testament letters
In addition to the Christian faith, the New Testament letters also deal with moral issues. They consider, for example, how to act in the world and what our relationship with the authorities should be (Rom. 13:1–7). The letters also give advice to spouses, children, and parents on family life, work, and leisure time. Paul also showed that love for one’s neighbor is at the heart of Christian ethics (Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:14).
The first letter to the Corinthians has been called Paul’s ethical letter. In it, he addresses many issues of personal life and the church. The most famous part of the letter is probably chapter 13, which deals with love. Other themes that emerge in the letter are sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5; 6:18–20) and the position of women in the church (1 Cor. 14:34–35). Today, people often ask whether Paul’s views were based on God’s revelation, which binds Christians at all times, or on the cultural customs of his time. Paul himself answers this question in verse 37: “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37).
Instructions are also given elsewhere in the New Testament. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts the members of the congregation to show brotherly love and hospitality, to remember prisoners and the oppressed, to honor marriage, and to guard themselves against greed (Heb. 13:1–5). The apostle James, like Paul, emphasized the importance of loving one’s neighbor. He reminded us that this love is not selective or discriminatory (James 2:1–17).
Characteristics of Lutheran ethics
In relation to God, human beings are always the receiving party. We cannot help our situation in any way, but our hope for salvation is based solely on God’s grace. In addition to being seen as a recipient of God’s gifts, in Lutheranism humans are also seen as distributors of those gifts, showing love to their neighbors. Luther believed that God exercises his power in the world on two levels, the temporal and the spiritual, which he called regiments.
The temporal regiment is necessary for resolving moral, political, and social issues. Authorities enact laws and establish agencies to maintain order in society. People fulfill God’s will even when they act in the interests of society.
In the spiritual regiment, which is evident in God’s congregation, God creates faith and love and maintains them. The meaning of morality changes in the life of a person who has received forgiveness for their sins through Christ’s atoning work and has become a citizen of God’s kingdom. A Christian is no longer a slave to sin, but free and independent of all demands placed upon him. This freedom is the foundation of Christian ethics. Because a Christian has received the gift of love, he treats his neighbors well, influenced by his faith.
The ethics contained in the Sermon on the Mount reveal the nature and ideals of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness, peace, joy, love, justice, reconciliation, temperance, truth, and faithfulness, as well as the idea that there is no need to worry too much. Yet, receiving the gift of faith does not make a person sinless. His life is still a constant internal struggle against the temptations of sin (Eph. 4:17–24), but now he is forgiven and taught by grace.
Secularization and living faith
In many Christian churches, secularization is advancing and biblical authority is crumbling. In many cases, the principle of the Reformation that the Bible is the highest authority of Christian faith has been replaced by equality and a secularized concept of love. For example, issues such as women’s ordination and marriage are seen as time-bound and therefore not as binding the church today. However, all church doctrine must be evaluated on the basis of God’s word. If this is not done, the doors of the Christian church will be opened to positions contrary to the Word of God on issues, such as marriage, abortion, euthanasia, homosexual behavior, and sobriety.
Hearing the gospel of forgiveness proclaimed from God’s congregation cleanses the conscience of a repentant person and makes them believe in salvation by Christ (Heb. 10:22). This spiritual rebirth is called repentance. The repenting person receives the Holy Spirit to dwell in their heart. The Spirit teaches them to learn more and more about God’s will and empowers them to live in accordance with God’s Word. It also helps them to become rooted in God’s congregation. The Holy Spirit in the believing person’s heart, together with God’s Word and the congregation, shows the way to eternal salvation.
The Gospel of Christ, which is proclaimedd in God’s congregation, frees one from burdens of conscience, wrongful thoughts, words, deeds, and neglect. Hearing the Gospel gives birth to faith in Christ’s atonement and gives true peace to our conscience (Heb. 10:22). Living faith, received as a gift through the forgiveness of sins, keeps a person’s conscience on the right path. It constantly strives to better understand God’s will and gives the person strength to live according to God’s word. Not even a morally good life saves a person, but only reliance on God’s mercy. When a person hears God’s calling voice from His congregation, they should not harden their heart, but follow the voice and accept the mercy of forgiveness of sins. This brings eternal peace.
Author: Kingdom of Peace
Image: Henrikki Hetemaa, Credits: SRK