Breaking God's Ethics in Pieces
By Buddy Hanson The Covenant News ~ November 19, 2010
Even though our mind may not dare to think of breaking away from God's ethics, our lifestyle may be screaming "Yes I am!" to the ever-observing eyes of our non-Christian neighbors. The first step toward identifying those areas over which we may be unintentionally attempting to claim sovereignty over our lifestyle is to remind ourselves how we used to think and live before our conversion. Generally speaking, there are two key concepts that are common to all non-Christians:
* They view themselves as being "gods," and
* They prefer to live by their rules.
Since they believe that they can correctly discern how to live, they
hate the idea of living according to God's laws, much less the idea of
submitting to a Creator God. Of course, the major flaw in the thinking
and reasoning of non-Christians is that their thoughts are "only evil
continually." (Gen. 6.5) Non-Christians don't merely want to move the
line of God's sovereignty farther from them in certain portions of
their lifestyle, they want to abolish it altogether and be their "own
god!" (Gen. 3.5) As far as they are concerned, they want to "break
God's ethics in pieces and cast his cords away from themselves."
(Psalm 2.3) Indeed, they don't even think God's sovereign rule over
them exists. According to their mindset, they are the captain of their
ethical ship, and they determine where it is going and how it is going
to get there. Their life is a life of self-centeredness, and
self-worship in which other people are to be manipulated, not served.
Non-Christians proclaim, "Our rules are best!"
Since they imagine that they can originate the best answers on how to
live and govern themselves, they hate the thought of submitting to a
Creator God. History proves, however, that their rules are the worst,
since there has been no civilization that has been able to sustain
itself by living according to man's ideas. On the other hand, there
have been numerous civilizations that have sustained themselves by
living according to God's rules (i.e., Western Civilization). The
difference between God's promises to bless us if we live by His rules
(Lev. 26.43; Deut. 8.11) and man's promises to prosper a civilization
if it lives by his rules, is that God comes through on His promises,
and man does not. (Deut. 27.26) As King Solomon proclaims, "There is
no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD!" (Prov. 21.30)
Christians respond: "You can't get there from here!"
There is a story about a driver pulling into a rural service station
and asking for directions. The manager thinks for a few seconds,
scratches his head, then explains, "You can't get there from here!"
That is exactly the position non-Christians are in when it comes to
their ideas and theories on how we should live and govern ourselves.
As mentioned, their ideas have never worked and will never work
because they are out of sync with God's eternally perfect plan for the
earth. The reason is that, as a consequence of Adam and Eve's
disobedience, our thoughts "are only evil continually." King Solomon
explains even though "the plans of the heart belong to man, the LORD
weighs our motives" and "directs our steps." (Prov. 16.9) What this
means is that in order for us to come up with an accurate decision on
any matter we must first filter it through the biblical truths we
profess to believe. In other words, we must re-think God's thoughts,
instead of attempting to make decisions according to our original
thoughts. As long as we "commit our works to the LORD, they will be
established" because He has made "everything for its own purpose, even
the wicked for the day of evil." (Prov. 16.1-4,9) Once more, quoting
the most wise King Solomon, "The way of a fool is right in his own
eyes,but he who heeds [God's] counsel is wise." (Prov. 12.15) At this
critical point in America's history, we would do well to seriously
consider the following inspired words:
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The
kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against
His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their
bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in
derision. ... Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He
be angry, and you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but
a little. Blessed are all those who put their
trust in Him. Psalm 2.1-4, 10-12