Every person has some understanding of right and wrong. We make moral decisions about relationships, sexuality, money, justice, human dignity, how we treat others, and even how we care for creation.
Where do these moral convictions come from? More importantly, why do we believe that others are obligated to live according to these convictions, too?
Our culture increasingly moralises decisions by assigning judgment on actions based on its interpretation of right and wrong. This came to the forefront during the COVID pandemic, when vaccinations, mask-wearing, and social distancing were not merely recommendations but were viewed as moral actions. Today, the moral scope extends to a healthy diet, responsibilities toward the environment, caring for animals, and so on.
But how does a culture that rejects any source of objective morality, especially a divine source, make these decisions about what is right and wrong?
Typically, those who reject a divine morality look to evolutionary biological processes, practical benefits, majority cultural views, common sense, intuition, and emotions as the basis for morality. In this, morality is personal and subjective. It is relative and created by culture and customs.
Though there may be disagreements on moral judgments, there still seems to exist a basic universal moral code. No one says, “I think murder is wrong, but you can decide if murder is wrong for you.” It is not only a personal conviction but also a moral obligation, and we want others to follow this moral stand.
But even if people recognise an objective source for morality, many tend to reject divine or religious morality. Some feel religious morality is hard to keep up with and even impossible to follow. Others feel that religious morality restricts freedom and fun. People approach religious morality with a sense of guilt and shame and feel oppressed under its demands.
Yet there is another problem: those who claim to follow divine morality often become arrogant, intolerant, judgmental, or self-superior. People see religion being used to justify prejudice and superiority and want nothing to do with it. They claim to choose freedom, autonomy, tolerance, and empathy by rejecting divine morality.
However, rejecting divine morality does not remove the problem of morality. If truth and morality are entirely subjective, we lose the ability to say that something is genuinely wrong.
How do we solve the dilemma of recognising divine morality but finding it restrictive or impossible to follow, or seeing the way it can turn people into being superior and intolerant?
Imagine if there is a way to pursue divine morality in a way that does not lead to superiority or bigotry but to humility and charity toward others?
That is precisely what Jesus offers in the gospel. The gospel is good news for morality.
Biblical Morality is a Person
The gospel does not ultimately point us toward an abstract moral code or philosophical principle. In the Bible, morality is a person. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. . . full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the logos, the Word of God, who became flesh. He reveals the truth of God because he is the truth.
God created us with purpose and has revealed how we should live through his Word and commands. We sinned, rebelled against God, and lost our way (Rom. 3:23).
But God in his mercy sent Jesus, who came not only to reveal God’s moral standard, but we understand divine morality in the context of our relationship with Jesus. The One who gave his life for us on the cross so that we can be forgiven and adopted as God’s children (Eph. 1:5). On the cross, we see the perfect demonstration of truth and grace that results in our salvation by faith (Eph. 2:8-9).
Biblical Morality is Based on the Performance of Christ
No one can claim to love and obey God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength (1 John 1:8). The law of God does not make us righteous; it reminds us that we stand condemned as lawbreakers (Rom. 3:20).
And this is precisely why Jesus came into this world. He came not only to reveal God’s truth but also to fulfill it on our behalf (Matt. 5:17). Jesus lived a perfect life, obeying God’s commands wholeheartedly (Heb. 4:15). He paid for our disobedience with his blood (Matt. 26:28).
This is where the gospel changes our understanding of morality. Even though we fail, fall short, and sin, instead of rejecting God’s standards altogether, we accept Jesus’s work by faith (Rom. 10:9).
Our acceptance before God does not depend on our moral performance but on Christ’s perfect performance (2 Cor. 5:21). This removes condemnation, guilt, fear, and shame. Jesus removes the crushing weight of divine morality and, by his Spirit, gives us a new delight in following and obeying God (John 14:15).
Biblical Morality is Transformative
Since morality is a person, the love of Jesus sanctifies us and conforms us into his truth (John 17:17). As followers of Jesus, we don’t look at morality as “This is your truth, and this is my truth.” We come under the authority of Jesus, who is the truth (John 14:6).
In our relationship with Jesus, he continually challenges our desires, assumptions, preferences, and selfishness. We repent and willingly submit to his truth because he has loved us. Through this ongoing repentance, the Holy Spirit transforms us into Christ’s likeness (Rom. 8:14-17).
The gospel changes how we approach morality. The goal is not to obey a set of rules but to know Jesus, to pursue Jesus, to love Jesus, to receive Jesus, and to enjoy Jesus. As Jesus becomes the center of our lives, we increasingly learn to see ourselves, others, our decisions, and the world through his lens (Gal. 2:20).
And because morality is a person and it is not based on our performance, Christians have a completely different relationship with morality. We do not obey God in order to become acceptable to him. We have been accepted through Christ, and therefore we can obey God out of love (1 John 5:3).
The cross humbles us because we know we need grace (Rom. 5:8). It prevents us from looking down on others, since our salvation is not evidence of our moral superiority (Eph. 2:9). We are sinners who have received mercy (1 Peter 2:10).
The gospel alone gives us a basis for morality that does not lead to superiority and bigotry but humility and charity. We can hold strong biblical moral convictions and obligations and yet welcome, accept, and love people who differ from us.
