Before I close out my comments to you, I want to point out the importance of sourcing morality in God and sustaining morality in the life of faith lived in communion with God’s people. I know it may not be in good form to answer your question with more questions but I have found that finding the right answers means asking the right questions. In this instance, your original question seeks to discover the foundations for morality and I pointed to God as the sole source of morality.
Yet, I want to take things a step further by equipping you to do something with the growing conviction that God is your source for morality, a life defined by the good and beautiful found in him alone. So, in that spirit, I want to offer you a few questions that get to the heart of living life well in submission to God alone. Along with each question, I want to offer a few Scripture passages that will help you reflect on living out a morality rooted in God alone.
• What does God require of his people?
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” - Micah 6:8
If you’re looking for a clear description of a living a life God’s way, here you go. Acting justly means seeking to restore God’s good intent for all of creation through selflessness in word and action that corrects injustice and serves the weak and vulnerable. Mercy demands active reconciliation and restoration through radical forgiveness granted to others in the name of Christ. Humility means having a Christ-ordered vision of self and others that frees a person to live honestly and sincerely. Passionately seek these for yourself and work with others to create Christian communities identifiable by these traits.
• How can I gain godly character, wisdom, and discernment? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” -Proverbs 9:10
Gaining character, wisdom and discernment only comes from living in relationship with God. “Knowing God” means so much more than possessing some facts about God. Know him by loving him and you can only love him by engaging your heart, soul, mind and strength in faithful discipleship with Jesus.
• How can I find God's path for me?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” -Proverbs 3:5-6
Finding God’s path for your life really means wrestling with his ongoing call in your life to worship Jesus above all else. When life’s confusing or disappointments flood your life, see all of your life as the orchestrations of a good, powerful God and you’ll begin to gain your footing through every phase of life. This way of life won’t erase heartache but you’ll gain a companion for the journey who will offer you all the strength, mercy and love you need to remain faithful to the end.
• How can we see the world God’s way? “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” -Ephesians 1:18-19
Seeing the world God’s way means we lose the right to have things our way, changing from a life dependent on self to a life prayerfully dependent on God. Submitting to God through faith and hope in Christ for redemption starts us on the path of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit begins to reshape our perspective to see his heart for all tongues, tribes, and nations. As our heart is changed in the power of the gospel, God plants his mission in our hearts to send us out to proclaim his goodness and serve others for the sake of God’s glory alone.
I hope my comments have been helpful to you. Keep asking good questions and seeking God alone.
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