THE BASIS OF BIBLICAL MORALITY PART 1 OF 8
TEXT- 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17
INTRODUCTION
TONIGHT I AM GOING TO BEGIN A SERIES OF MESSAGES ON THE THEME OF BIBLICAL MORALITY.
MANY ARE UNAWARE THAT THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE DID NOT COME INTO BEING UNTIL A DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER HAD BEEN OBSERVED. APPOINTED BY THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, IT WAS KEPT BY ALL THE COLONIES ON MAY 17, 1776. AT THAT TIME IN OUR HISTORY, GOD AND THE BIBLE WERE GIVEN MORE REVERENCE AND RECOGNITION THAN THEY ARE TODAY. WHEN THE NATION WAS FINALLY BORN, OUR FOREFATHERS RANG THE LIBERTY BELL WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM, AND A LEGEND SAYS THAT IT CRACKED AS THEY ZEALOUSLY PROCLAIMED THEIR FREEDOM. YEARS LATER THE WHITE CHAPEL FOUNDRY OF LONDON OFFERED TO RECAST THE HUGE BELL, BUT THEIR PROPOSAL WAS REFUSED. APPARENTLY THE SYMBOLIC VALUE OF THE DAMAGED BELL, WHICH RECALLS THE RELIGIOUS AND PATRIOTIC FERVOR OF THOSE EARLY DAYS, IS SOMETHING THAT AMERICANS STILL WISH TO PRESERVE. THIS IN ITSELF IS GOOD; BUT IN VIEW OF OUR NATION'S MORAL DECLINE, THE CRACK MAY ALSO SUGGEST A BREAK IN OUR BASIC IDEALS AND A SERIOUS DEFECT IN OUR SPIRITUAL ATTITUDES.
RECENTLY IN THE MARCH 5TH ISSUE OF THE USA TODAY NEWS PAPER THERE WAS A SURVEY SHOWING WHAT AMERICANS BELIEVE TO BE THE NATION'S BIGGEST PROBLEMS.
TWO SEGMENTS OF OUR SOCIETY PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY; 1000 PEOPLE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE CHRISTIAN COALITION AND 2000 ADULTS SELECTED BY RANDOM NATIONWIDE.
SIXTY-FOUR PERCENT OF THOSE WHO WERE CHRISTIANS SAID THAT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OUR NATION IS FACING TODAY WAS A DECLINE IN MORALS COMPARED TO TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THOSE WHO WERE NOT CHRISTIANS.
OTHER AREAS CONSIDERED TO BE PROBLEMS WITHIN OUR NATION WERE ABORTION, THE BUDGET DEFICIT, CRIME OR DRUGS, EDUCATION, TAXES, THE ECONOMY OR UNEMPLOYMENT AND WELFARE.
IN THOSE AREAS 10% OF THE CHRISTIANS THOUGHT ABORTION WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM COMPARED TO 0% OF THE NON-CHRISTIANS.
FIVE PERCENT OF THE CHRISTIANS SAID THAT CRIME OR DRUGS WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM COMPARED TO 36% OF THE NON-CHRISTIANS.
THREE PERCENT OF THE CHRISTIANS SAID EDUCATION WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM VERSUS 10% OF THE NON-CHRISTIANS.
THREE PERCENT OF THE CHRISTIANS SAID THAT TAXES WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM COMPARED TO 0% OF THE NON-CHRISTIANS.
TWO PERCENT OF THE CHRISTIANS SAID THAT THE ECONOMY OR UNEMPLOYMENT WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM COMPARED TO 20% OF THE NON-CHRISTIANS.
ONE PERCENT OF THE CHRISTIANS SAID THAT WELFARE WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM COMPARED TO 3% OF THE NON-CHRISTIANS.
I BELIEVE THAT THE REASON WHY THE MAJORITY OF THE CHRISTIANS SURVEYED SAID THAT MORAL DECLINE WAS OUR NATION'S BIGGEST PROBLEM COMPARED TO THE OTHER ISSUES MENTIONED IS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER ISSUES ARE INEXTRICABLY CONNECTED AND ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF OUR NATION'S DECLINE IN MORALS.
IN THIS SERIES OF MESSAGES WE WILL BE EXAMINING THE MORAL ISSUES OF SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE (ADULTERY, FORNICATION AND HOMOSEXUALITY); THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE; PORNOGRAPHY; SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES; SITUATION ETHICS; CORPORAL PUNISHMENT (CHILD DISCIPLINE); CHEATING, LYING, STEALING; THE DEATH PENALTY; THE CHRISTIAN'S INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS; GAMBLING; DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOLISM; BIGOTRY OR DISCRIMINATION; CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE; HOPELESSNESS; AND WAR.
AS WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THESE THINGS I WILL ALSO BE PRESENTING TO YOU SEVERAL MORAL DILEMMAS THAT GO ALONG WITH THE TOPIC FOR YOU TO ANSWER AND DISCUSS.
TO INTRODUCE THE THEME OF BIBLICAL MORALITY I WOULD LIKE US FIRST OF ALL CONSIDER WHAT THE BASIS OF MORALITY IS AND OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17.