Who decides what is morally right—God or people

Who decides what is morally right—God or people?

QUESTION:

Who decides what is morally right—God or people (like: Thomas Aquinas)—and why do Christians sometimes disagree about what is moral, especially when reading passages like Judges 11?

ANSWER:

When people ask whether morality is defined by man or by God, they often assume that morality is a universal system that applies the same way in every age, covenant, and dispensation. But Scripture shows something far more precise. God Himself defines what is right, but He does so within the framework of His revealed will for each people and each program. What was moral for Israel under the law is not the same as what governs the Body of Christ under grace. This is why trying to force all morality into one timeless category leads to confusion, disagreement, and contradictions.

The word “moral” simply refers to what is right or wrong according to a standard. The real question is not what the word means, but whose standard applies. Thomas Aquinas and other theologians tried to build universal systems of morality by blending philosophy with Scripture, but the Bible never asks Christians to follow man‑made categories or philosophical ethics. God revealed His will to Israel through the law, and He reveals His will to the Body of Christ through grace. Both come from Him, but they are not the same system, and they are not given to the same people.

This is why two people can look at the same passage—such as Judges 11, where Jephthah makes a rash vow—and come to different moral conclusions. Judges is not a book of moral examples for Christians. It is a record of Israel in a time when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Jephthah’s vow was not commanded by God, approved by God, or presented as a model for anyone. It was simply recorded as part of Israel’s chaotic history. When someone tries to use that passage to define morality for Christians today, they are mixing programs that God kept separate.

For the Body of Christ, morality is not defined by the law of Moses, by philosophical systems, or by Old Testament narratives. Our standard is the life of Christ revealed through Paul’s epistles. We walk in grace, not under the law. We are taught by the Spirit, not by tablets of stone. Our morality flows from our identity in Christ, not from Israel’s covenant obligations. Grace produces truthfulness, purity, kindness, and holiness—not because we fear punishment, but because we belong to the One who saved us.

So when Christians disagree about what is moral, the issue is usually not morality itself but the standard they are using. If someone uses the law, they will reach one conclusion. If someone uses philosophy, they will reach another. But if we stand where God has placed us—in Christ, under grace—then our moral life is shaped by the new man, renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created us. God defines morality, but He defines it according to the dispensation He has revealed. Israel had the law. We have Christ. And when we walk in Him, the confusion fades and the path becomes clear.

How Can You Be Justified with God?

How Can You Be Justified with God?

There is a question that rises above every other question you will ever ask in this brief and fragile life, a question that stands like a mountain above the plains of human curiosity, refusing to be ignored or postponed, because it reaches beyond the boundaries of time and presses into eternity itself. That question is simply this: How can you be justified with God? You may spend your days wondering where you came from, what your purpose is, how the universe works, or what lies beyond the veil of death, but all these inquiries, however noble or fascinating, eventually bend toward this one unavoidable point. If you cannot stand righteous before a holy God, then every other discovery, achievement, or insight becomes nothing more than a temporary distraction from an eternal problem. Job asked it plainly: “How should man be just with God?” (Job 9:2). Bildad echoed it: “How then can man be justified with God?” (Job 25:4). And whether you realize it or not, your own soul whispers the same question in the quiet hours when the noise of life fades and the weight of eternity presses in.

Yet the tragedy—and the irony—is that although this question is the greatest question ever placed before the human heart, you are utterly incapable of answering it by your own intellect, your own religion, or your own tradition. You may pride yourself on your intelligence, your education, your ability to reason and analyze and debate, but the moment you attempt to climb the heights of God’s righteousness with the ladder of your own understanding, you discover that your ladder is far too short, your footing far too weak, and your vision far too dim. God confronted Job with this reality when He asked, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4), reminding him—and reminding you—that the human mind, however brilliant, cannot reach into the counsels of God or grasp the depths of His righteousness. You may understand the mechanics of the world around you, but you cannot, by intellect alone, understand the holiness of the God who made it.

Just and the Justifier: How God Solved the Impossible

JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER: HOW GOD SOLVED THE IMPOSSIBLE

There are moments in Scripture where God forces me to stop, breathe, and face reality without the comfort of excuses or the illusion of self‑importance. Romans 1–3 is one of those moments. It is not a gentle introduction to the Christian life; it is a courtroom, a spotlight, and a mirror. It is God taking me by the shoulders and saying, “Look at Me. Look at yourself. Now tell Me how you plan to reconcile the two.” And this is where the true dilemma begins.

THE DILEMMA I CANNOT ESCAPE

God is righteous. I am guilty. I cannot soften either side of that equation. God’s righteousness is not flexible, adjustable, or sentimental. It is absolute. It is the blazing, unchanging standard of His own nature (Deut.32:4). He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim.2:13). He cannot lower His bar. He cannot call evil good or good evil (Isa.5:20). He cannot overlook sin, excuse sin, or pretend sin is something less than what it is.

And then there is me. Not the polished version of me. Not the church‑friendly version of me. Not the version I present to others. The real me — the one God sees (Heb.4:13). Romans 3 does not allow me to hide behind the façade of “I’m not that bad.” It strips me bare and leaves me standing in the full light of divine truth: There is none righteous (Rom.3:10). There is none that doeth good (Rom.3:12). Every mouth is stopped (Rom.3:19). All the world is guilty before God (Rom.3:19).

Understanding How God Works Today in the Dispensation of Grace

Understanding How God Works Today in the Dispensation of Grace

In recent years, many sincere believers have raised questions about the role of works, miracles, signs, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian today. Some insist that faith must be accompanied by visible manifestations, others appeal to personal experiences of healing or supernatural events, and still others argue that the miraculous signs of early Acts should be the normal expectation for the church today. These discussions often become heated because they touch deeply held convictions. For that reason, it is essential to step back from experience‑based arguments and examine what Scripture—rightly divided—actually teaches about God’s work in this present dispensation of grace. The purpose of this post is to clarify these issues biblically, to distinguish between Israel’s program and the Body of Christ, and to show why God’s focus today is spiritual rather than physical.

A common passage raised in these discussions is James’s statement that “faith without works is dead.” This is absolutely true, but it must be understood in its proper context. James wrote his epistle “to the twelve tribes scattered abroad” (James 1:1). His audience is Israel, not the Body of Christ. Israel’s kingdom program required works as evidence of faith because the kingdom was at hand and Israel was under covenant obligations. In contrast, Paul—the apostle of the Gentiles—teaches that salvation today is “to him that worketh not, but believeth” (Romans 4:5), and that it is “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). Both James and Paul speak truth, but they speak to different programs. Mixing Israel’s kingdom requirements with the Body of Christ’s grace doctrine produces confusion and leads people to expect signs and manifestations that God is not performing today.

The Shocking Price of Sin: Adam’s Lesson, Our Reality

This post and its message were inspired by a precious and beloved brother of mine who regularly preaches Christ on the street corners. One of his YouTube videos was the inspiration for this topic and the probable series of posts to come that trace blood, sacrifice, and atonement through Scripture.

Thank you for your faithfulness, Brother Lloyd. 🙏

The Shocking Price of Sin: Adam’s Lesson, Our Reality

Adam was created in perfection. He only knew life. Proof of this is the fact that he named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20). Death was not part of his world. But when sin entered, everything changed. Shame exposed their nakedness, and fig leaves—human effort—could not cover it.

Genesis 3:21 records: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” This was no small act. For the first time, Adam saw death. An innocent animal was slain. Blood was shed. Life was taken so that his guilt could be covered. Imagine the shock, the horror, the weight of guilt pressing down as Adam realized: my sin caused this death.

The fig leaves they had sewn together represented man’s attempt to atone for sin by his own effort. But God rejected this. Nothing we do can cover guilt. Only blood, determined by God, can atone. This was not arbitrary—it was prophetic. It pointed forward to Christ, the Lamb of God, whose blood alone would bring true atonement. From the very beginning, God was teaching that forgiveness is not earned by human effort but provided through His appointed sacrifice.

Godly living in Christ will always provoke opposition in a fallen world

Godly living in Christ will always provoke opposition in a fallen world

Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy 3:12 is striking: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” The word shall is deliberate—it does not suggest possibility but certainty. The principle is that godly living in Christ will always provoke opposition in a fallen world. This is consistent with the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). The world that rejected Christ will inevitably resist those who reflect His life and truth.

It is important to understand what persecution means in this context. Persecution is not limited to physical harm or martyrdom. It includes ridicule, rejection, slander, exclusion, and opposition in any form. Sometimes it is subtle—mockery, loss of opportunities, strained relationships. Other times it is severe—imprisonment, violence, or even death. The essence of persecution is that the world resists godliness because godliness exposes sin. As Jesus said, “Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19-20). Wherever light shines, darkness reacts.

The condition Paul sets is clear: persecution comes to those who will live godly in Christ Jesus. This is not about mere profession of faith, but about a life actively reflecting Christ’s truth and holiness. A believer who blends into the world may avoid persecution, but one who stands for truth will inevitably face resistance. The issue is not whether persecution is constant, but whether it is inevitable when godliness is consistently lived out. The world is at enmity with God, and those who walk in His ways will feel that enmity in some form.

This does not mean that if you are not currently suffering persecution, you are not living godly. Persecution varies by time, place, and circumstance. There are seasons of peace, and there are seasons of opposition. The principle is that wherever godliness is faithfully lived, opposition will eventually arise. The absence of persecution may reflect a particular environment or moment, but the promise remains: godliness will provoke resistance sooner or later. It is not a test of salvation, but a reality of discipleship.

The purpose of persecution must also be seen. It is not a sign of failure but of faithfulness. Persecution tests faith, refines character, and bears witness to Christ. Paul himself endured many forms of persecution, yet he also knew seasons of relative peace. The promise is not that believers will suffer constantly, but that they will face opposition at some point if they live godly in Christ. This opposition is used by God to strengthen His people and to magnify the testimony of His grace.

Thus, the word shall in 2 Timothy 3:12 is not meant to confound but to prepare. It assures us that persecution is the world’s response to godliness, in whatever form it takes. Whether mild or severe, persecution is inevitable because the world resists the light of Christ. The believer is not to fear it, but to accept it as part of the path of faithfulness, knowing that God uses it for His glory and for our growth.

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Credit to my good friend, Dennis, for another great question.