‘A practical guide to biblical ethics’ was written to help Christians follow and understand God’s law, so that they may live a lifestyle that honours God. By using the expression ‘God’s law’, Smith means the moral will of God as to what is right and wrong. This is encompassed in the Ten Commandments and expanded on throughout the Bible. Kevin Gary Smith(2012:6-9) wrote the book for believers whose prayers are to live a righteous life. The book is, however, not written only for academics or full time pastors, but is aimed for all Christians to understand.
Historically, the church has been the source of morality in all religions and texts like the Bible and the Qu'ran set out 'rules' to abide by, for example the ten commandments. It is the belief of Christians that to follow these rules is to be morally correct. It would seem therefore that morality as we know it has been formed by the church and therefore formed by the belief of God. This is a strong argument that without the existence of God, moral principles would never have been established and therefore morality as we know it would not function. However, in societies where Religion is not compulsery and is not endorsed by many, are morals still held?
If the modern age local church of God ever strays away from the old time local church doctrine, it is not accomplishing what God has for them, and is even hindering those in the church from reaching their full potential as Christians. Unlike many churches have already done so; let us stay on the right path that God has intended for us to follow. Priesthood of the Believer and Soul Liberty Unlike the Catholics, Baptists believe that every born again believer has direct access and communication to God. He does not need to go through any other man to confess his sins and commune with God. Soul Liberty, on the other hand, gives the right to every individual to decide what he believes based on how he interprets the Bible.
In Christianity the behaviors and teachings of individuals in the Bible stories are subjectively interpreted as good or bad - or the stories are said to be holy or evil within the eyes of God, which then leads the reader to conclude which specific acts are deemed right or wrong - and ... ... middle of paper ... ... to their claims to justice (Nash, 1999, p. 360). In conclusion, it should not matter if one is judged alone or with a group. We are all equal in the eyes of God and should not worry what others say about us, because in the end God will be the only one we need to impress and he already knows where you stand in the eyes of equality and justice. Works Cited Retrieved from http://www.daoiststudies.org/dao/bibliography/shared-virtue-convergence-valued-human-strengths-across-culture-and-history Cline, A. (2011).
Also, Christianity has its own theory of ethics, dubbed “Christian Ethics” that are mostly based off of Aristotle’s work and ideas. This alone shows the value of his theory to Christians. Also, just like Aristotelian ethics, Christian ethics has a list of virtues and principles by which one should try to live by. The virtues for Christian ethics are; Prudence, which can also be described as wisdom, it’s the ability to judge between actions. Then there is justice, also can used said as fairness, it’s considered the broadest and also the most important of the virtues.
Fundamentalism is an espresso shot of Christianity—strong, bitter, and undiluted. Fundamentalists believe the Bible should be interpreted as literal fact, not metaphorically. To them, it is God’s direct word to humanity and the ultimate earthly authority. And so fundamentalists follow the Bible with unwavering certainty, as if it were God himself, and press their interpretation of the book upon society. But the certainty at fundamentalism’s core is unwarranted, leading them to wrongfully ignore their oppositions’ own valid opinions and the potential gains that come with them.
Which is in its own right a positive to the movement. Bible is used as the center of the Christian faith, however where they went wrong was saying that God is not moving anymore and what we have in this book is all that there is. There is no need for any more revelation because the Bible is complete. Actions will be based on the foundations of the Scriptures and things that do not directly align with this scriptures will not be tolerated. The evangelical movement held to the truth that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God.
In order to have eternal life we have to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and confess our sins and that God is who He says he is. Theology according to a Christian worldview starts ... ... middle of paper ... ... Postmodernist believe there is no god, and Cosmic Humanist believe that everything is god. Their views on morality are also different. Christians believe that our basis for morals should be based on God and His character. Muslims believe that morals come from God’s decrees.
Strengths Nash did not support Inclusivism but he still was able to point out the following strengths in the Inclusivism argument. Even with these strengths me maintained his stand for exclusivism. 1) The Old Testament Saints The time in the bible, when God was seen to be talking to people the most, was in the old test... ... middle of paper ... ...as caused by the divine and perfect plan of God who perceives the “end from the beginning” and performs “all things in accordance with the counsel of His will.” Christian Exclusivism does not have to be confirmed to be perfectly rational, but only more rational than any other is and when compare with inclusivism, Christian Exclusivism gives the stronger argument. The blue print for religion was given in the Bible. It is seen the bible that God is sovereign no one can question Him.
As Christians, we should be adherents of Christ, our Lord and Savior. Moreover, we are to carry out and preach The Great Commission to all humanity, whereby we are governed. Likewise, as verbalized in I Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” (King James Version), we should live a conscientious life that is pleasing to God. Nevertheless, in order to have Holiness, we must be compliant to God’s commandments and attend to our conscience. However, our conscience begins with the heart and it is the heart which fuels our conscious to compel us to live our lives Holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1) Holiness Defined Moreover, the Bible tells us in I Thessalonians 4:7, “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (King James Version).