Broadly, the book of James is addressing the sorts of conduct one ought to exemplify as a believer, as well the sorts of conduct one ought to avoid. It is a book written to believers, instructing them how to act as believers. In this context, James 3 and 4 identifies three major problem areas of conduct for the believer: confusion (3:16), wars, and fights (4:1). James clearly identifies these patterns of conduct as being at odds with God (4:3) and as being at odds with Godly conduct (3:17—18).

James asks, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (4:1). Quarrels and fights with others come from within us first. Contrary to popular psychology, which focuses on outward influences and behaviors, Scripture teaches that our outward sinful actions first originate from within our own sinful hearts. James teaches us that confusion and every evil thing arise from self-seeking and envy (3:16), and that our wars and fights stem from our desires for pleasure, our lust, murder, and covetousness. Our wars stem from our sinful desires for that which we lack: “you do not have because you do not ask.”

Desire in and of itself is not wrong. However, desires can be either righteous, or sinful. Scripture teaches that there are two types of sinful desires: desires for wrong objects or bad things, and desires that are either selfish or disproportionate. An example of the desire for a wrong object is the desire for another man’s wife, a breach of the seventh and tenth commandments. An example of a desire for a bad thing is wishing evil upon your neighbor, a breach of the second greatest commandant to love your neighbor as yourself.

Selfish and disproportionate desires, on the others hand, are often desires for good things, but are either desired for the wrong reasons, or the desires are too strong – that is, inordinate, ruling, or controlling desires. Therefore, the desire for a peaceful home becomes a sinful desire if it stems from pride (“look at us, we have our home in order!”). Likewise the desire for an enjoyable hobby becomes a sinful desire if it begins ruling or controlling you, if it consumes your thoughts, or if you are willing to sin to satisfy the desire. It is this second type of sinful desire, the selfish and disproportionate, that this passage in James seems most interested in addressing.

James 4:2­—3 offers a clue in this regard. Verse two states that “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” A desire that is so strong and controlling that you are willing to murder for it, no matter how good the thing desired may be, is an evil, sinful desire. To covet is to be consumed with desire; an inordinate desire certainly, and all the more so if that desire leads to fights and quarrels.

Verse three states that “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” This is an example of something being desired for the wrong reasons. Implied here is that, whatever it is that is being asked of God, God would have given it had the asker approached God with the right heart condition. Why is it that God has not given me an orderly home? Perhaps it is because my desire for an orderly home stems not from a genuine concern for my family’s welfare, but from a selfish desire to appear outwardly faithful and to elevate myself in the eyes of men. Why has God not given me obedient children? Perhaps it is because my desire for obedient children stems not from the wish to see them grow in Godliness, but from a selfish desire to be free from irritation. Why has God not given me more time to pursue reading and writing? Perhaps it is because my desire stems not from the wish to serve God with my mind, but from a selfish desire to control “my own” time instead of submitting my time to God and the responsibilities he has given me toward my family.

According to James, such selfish and evil desires are nothing short of adultery: “You adulterer!” James cries. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” Christ said that it is impossible to serve two masters (Matt. 6:24), and, likewise, James is saying that it is impossible to love both the world and God. Love of the world, and all its sinful desires, selfishness, and lusts, is committing adultery against God. “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” James says. The act of committing adultery against God and making ourselves an enemy starts with a sinful desire, even if that desire is for a “good” thing.

Our disproportionate desires for good things are sinful and entirely our own responsibility. James 1:13 says “Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God.’” Temptation does not come from God; it comes from our own evil desires. Our desires entice us to evil and draw us away from faithfulness. When an evil desire is first conceived, if left to mature in the womb of our hearts, it will give birth to sin; and sin, if left to grow, will bring us death. “Do not be deceived” James says. Temptation and desire are crafty, and if we allow it in our hearts, we may easily deceive ourselves; especially when that temptation comes in the form of sinful desires for good things.

And we know it, too. “do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously’?” we have the Holy Spirit within us testifying against our sinful desires, even when we attempt to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. And because we have the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit, we are all the more accountable for our own sinful desires and actions. The Scripture does not say so in vain.

Our inordinate desires are wicked. The wars and quarrels that arise from them are wicked. God is displeased with them. Our thoughts and actions are entirely our responsibility and arise from a hardened idolatrous heart. They are unloving and damaging to all our relationships. They inflict spiritual and emotional harm to those we love.This is a very serious warning.

“But,” James says, “God gives more grace.” Grace that is greater than all my sin. Greater than all my sinful desires. Greater than all the wars and quarrels within me.

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
yonder on Calvary's mount out-poured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

James does not give us a “how-to” solution for our sinful desires and the wars and quarrels they produce; he gives us a “Whom-to:” Christ. And it is in Christ that we ultimately find hope

We must go directly to God and rely on his grace. We must rely on His forgiving grace for the pardoning of our sins (Heb. 4:16; 1 John 1:8—2:2), and we must rely on His enabling grace to give us the strength to act as he wishes during times of weakness (2 Cor. 12:9—10). This grace, however, comes with a stipulation: “Therefore it says, ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” To receive God’s enabling grace, we must first submit to Him. We must submit to him both in repentance and in obedience.

“Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” We must be broken over our sinful desires. We must see them for what they are: as wicked and displeasing to God. If laughter and joy are bought at the expense of sin, then such joy is evil, and it must be turned to mourning and gloom. Our evil desires must be purified from our hearts and minds. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

God is Lord not only over our actions, but our hearts as well. Proverbs 21:2 says that "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." If your desires, even for good things, are causing wars and quarrels with others or within your own soul, I would encourage you to humbly weigh your heart and motives against the light of Scripture. If you resist God in your pride, God will resist you. If you submit to God in humility, by God’s grace you will have the strength to resist the temptation to sin.

James 4:7-8 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

2 Corinthians 13:14

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Q: How many persons are there in God?
A: There are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power and glory[1].

The Trinity can be a difficult doctrine to explain, especially by way of analogy. That is because the Triune God is not “like” anything else in existence. God is thoroughly unique. There is only one true and living God, and he is three in persons. These persons are the same in substance (they share all the same essential properties) and are equal in their power and glory (they share no properties in lesser or greater degrees). Let us be careful not to treat the Trinity like a math problem, and instead focus on the truths this doctrine teaches us about God, our relationship to him, and our relationship to others.

The Trinitarian truth that I would like to focus on is that God is a relational God. In Jesus’ intercessory prayer for the church recorded in John 17, Jesus prays “Father . . . you loved me before the foundation of the world.” Before the foundation of the world, for all eternity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have communed together in perfect love and fellowship. This, indeed, is an essential part of God’s nature: 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love.” This does not simply imply that God has love or is loving of others. For God to be love himself means that love must have its origin and essence in God. This cannot be the case unless God is Trinity, for, in order to be love, God must have someone to love. Love must have an object – real, biblical love always implies a relationship.

Kevin DeYoung writes that “when you have a triune God, you have the eternality of love. Love has existed from all time. If you have a god who is not three persons, he has to create a being to love, to be an expression of his love. But Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existing in eternity have always had this relationship of love. So love is not a created thing. God didn’t have to go outside of himself to love. Love is eternal. And when you have a triune God, you have fully this God who is love.”

What’s more, it is God’s desire that we share in this love. In his book Delighting in the Trinity, Michael Reeves explains how the creation of the world was motived by the essentially outgoing and loving nature of God the Father toward God the Son. He writes that “The God who loves to have an outgoing Image of himself in his Son loves to have many images of his love (who are themselves outgoing)”. Even more, it is God the Son’s desire that we, his people, share in this relationship (John 17).

Christ said that “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Christ said it, and he modeled it, and even more, modeled it not just to his friends, but to his enemies. Romans 5:7-8 says “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The Trinity, loving one another in perfect fellowship for eternity, sent one of their own to suffer and die for not only for friends, but for enemies. Why would God do this?

To make his enemies his friends, and to share his loving fellowship with us.

In closing, let us briefly explore the roll of the Holy Spirit in God’s trinitarian expression of love. Matthew 3:16­–17 records the baptism of Jesus:

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Father makes his love known by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God the Father blesses his Son with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the Son sends the Holy Spirit to us. Romans 5:5 states that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” In John 16:7, Jesus tells his disciples that it is to their advantage that he leave them, otherwise he would not have sent the Helper. It is through this Helper that we both know the love of God, and are enable to follow God’s loving, other-directed example in our own lives. Michael Reeves writes that “The Spirit shares the triune life of God by bringing God’s children into the mutual delight of the Father and the Son—and there we become like our God: fruitful and life-giving.” In other words, God gives us spiritual life by giving us himself.

This we did not deserve. We experience the love of God purely through the grace of Christ, the free gift offered by the blood of the Son. Christ freely gave his life on our behalf so that we might share with him in the love of the Father; that we might be heirs with Christ as sons of God. The Holy Spirit testifies of this love within us, and enables us to experience right fellowship with God and with one another.

Finally, with this Trinitarian view of God and his expression of love in mind, I encourage you to read Romans 8, perhaps now with fresh eyes. Thank you, Lord, for bringing us in to so great a love!

Romans 8

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 86:8–10, 15

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Q: What is God?
A: God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens except through him and by his will[1].

In the beginning, God Created the heavens and the earth. This is the very first truth that God reveals to us in his Scripture: that he is a Creator God. Further, God is not just a creator, he is the creator. John 1:3 states that “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” God created all things out of nothing – he has told us so in his word, and he has designed his creation in such a way as to demonstrate his hand. Psalm 19 states that -

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

Indeed, even our own spirits attest to this truth. Psalm 139:14 states that “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” So then, God has revealed himself as the creator in his inspired word, in our hearts, and in his very creation. Further, not only is God the creator of all things, he is also the sustainer of all things. The God of the Bible is not the God of the deists, the so-called “great watchmaker” who wound up the universe like a clock and is now standing idly by watching. No, our God is both creator and sustainer. Speaking of Christ, Colossians 1:16-17 states that “All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Further, Hebrews 1:3 states that “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

This could perhaps be a terrifying thought, if this was all we knew of God. For, if God is powerful enough to create all things from nothing, he is certainly powerful enough destroy all things, ourselves included. Praise God that his self-revelation does not end here.

God has also told us that he is eternal: he is not bound by time (Psalm 90:2, Revelation 1:8). There has never been a time when God did not exist. There was never a time when he came into existence, nor will there ever be a time when he will cease to exist.

God has told us that he is infinite: he cannot be limited by space (1 Kings 8:27, Acts 7:48,49). Nothing limits God’s presence or his power.

God has told us that he is unchangeable: (Psalm 102:27, James 1:17, Hebrews 1:12). God is not capricious. God’s being, character, purposes, and fairness will forever remain the same. Because of this, we can trust in his promises. This should be a great comfort to us.

God’s power is limitless and unchangeable. Nothing is impossible with God, nor will anything ever be (Jeremiah 32:27, Matthew 19:26). God never tires, nor will his purposes ever be stopped (Isaiah 40:28, Job 42:2).

God’s perfection is limitless and unchangeable: there is nothing lacking in his being or his character (Psalm 18:30, Matthew 5:48).

God’s goodness is limitless and unchangeable (Psalm 33:5, Mark 10:18). He provides and cares for the entirety of his creation (Mathew 6:26), confers special blessings on those who belong to him (Deuteronomy 30:9), and is longsuffering and patient with the wicked (Numbers 14:18).

God’s glory is limitless and unchangeable (Exodus 24:15-17). God's glory is His splendor, majesty, and radiance.

God’s wisdom is limitless and unchangeable (Proverbs 3:19, Romans 11:33). God is all knowing, and applies his knowledge with perfect skill and goodness. God always does the wisest thing possible.

God’s justice is limitless and unchangeable (Deuteronomy 32:4, Revelation 16:7). Because God is perfectly holy, he cannot ignore sin and lawlessness: to do so would be apathy on his part. When God executes his justice, he makes things “as they should be.” God always executes justice in perfect fairness (Deuteronomy 10:17).

God’s truth is limitless and unchangeable (John 14:6, Heb. 6:13). God is not a moral relativist. He alone defines the objective standard of truth, and he always tells the truth (Titus 1:2).

This same limitless and unchangeable God, who created and sustains all things, is also actively governing all things. As Johnathan Edwards writes, “The Creator of the world is doubtless also the Governor of it.” God’s government is always perfectly wise and just.

How then are we to apply God’s self-revelation to our lives? I believe we can take a cue from the writer of Psalm 86. Understanding and knowing God is not some pointless academic exercise. God has revealed his nature to us for his glory and our benefit. I would encourage you to take a moment to read and reflect on Psalm 86, the scripture reference for today’s catechism. What can the Psalmist teach us?

First, note that Psalm 86 is a prayer for help in time of trouble: specifically, a band of ruthless men who are seeking the Psalmists life. And where does the Psalmist find his assurance in these troubled times? In the very character of God. It is the very nature of God that gives the writer hope and peace. For the writer, God’s character attributes are not just a collection transcendental truths. They have relevance. Reflecting on God’s nature forms the foundation of the Psalmists trust that God is both able and willing to save him. Every problem the writer has, he answers with the nature of God. Every request he makes of God, he backs up with one of God’s character attributes. And so it should be for us.

So then, God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He alone is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable. Because God is who he is, we can trust in him to order and govern his creation in perfect power, goodness, glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. He is always in perfect control of all things; nothing ever happens except by his decree.

And finally, let us not forget that our God is an immanent God; a God who is very near to us. God is a God who can be called upon, who listens, and who answers. We too may say with the Psalmist -

In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.

Romans 14:7–8

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

Q: What is our only hope in life and death?
A: That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ[1].

Romans 14:7-8 exemplifies this truth. As Paul explains in the preceding verse (14:6), we are to observe, eat, and indeed do all things as unto the Lord (1 Cor. 10:31). For none of us lives to himself: we are God's. No Christians are exempt from the requirements of belonging to God, and no Christians are excluded from the benefits of belonging to God. John Calvin emphasizes this point when he writes that "We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God’s: let us therefore live for him and die for him.[2]"

We do not live to ourselves, nor do we live of ourselves. For without God's creating and sustaining work, none of us would even exist. Truly, in Him we live and breath and have our being (Acts 17:24-32). This fact alone is worthy of the eternal praise, gratitude, and devotion of the entire human race. Paul, however, is speaking specifically to us, the redeemed. For, while unbelievers do still live under the just requirements of God (and are judged by them), and while unbelievers do still receive His common grace (Matt. 5:45), they do not live under the redemptive grace of Christ’s sacrifice. Praise God that he saw fit to save us from our sins, by grace alone and not of our own doing, lest any should boast (Eph. 2:9).

We are not our own, but were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). Therefore, our own motives, desires, passions, ends, wants, needs, breath, heartbeat, thoughts, everything, must be directed to God as our end and as our aim. Matthew Henry states that "Christ is the gain we aim at, living and dying. We live to glorify him in all the actions and affairs of life; we die, whether a natural or a violent death, to glorify him, and to go to be glorified with him. Christ is the centre, in which all the lines of life and death do meet.[3]" Belonging to God gives us an ultimate purpose for our life and death: to glorify and enjoy Him. Belonging to God also gives us an ultimate hope in our life and death: the assurance that God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28), and the promise that we will be with God in eternity.

If, then, we live (we do), and if, then, we will die (we will), we are the Lord's. Hear this truth: no matter the circumstances in our lives, and no matter the details of our death, we are the Lord's. This truth carries with it a responsibility, and an assurance. We have the responsibility of dying to ourselves and living to the Lord. We have the assurance that, in both life and death, we are under the grace and care of God.

It is for this reason that Christ died for us. Paul continues in Romans 14:9: "For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living." This is the redemptive act of God which grounds the preceding truths - that Jesus Christ, the only son of God, suffered once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. Lost in our sin, it would be just for God to destroy us and to cast us out into utter darkness. However, Christ satisfied the justice of God on the cross, that we might be brought into a right relationship with Him.

God is pure. God’s care for us is pure, his love for us is pure, and his requirements on us are pure. We cannot stand before a pure and just God as sinful human beings. Praise God that he did not see fit to leave us in this pitiable estate, but has called to Himself a people washed with the blood of Christ. Because we are God’s and because of Christ’s work, we are washed from our sins and rest secure in God’s love. This is good news indeed.

In closing, I would like to offer one final word of encouragement. As we are servants of God, it is our duty and our privilege to serve God, to imitate God, and to have an intimate relationship with God. What a great gift it is, to know personally the creator and sustainer of the universe! Further, God not only enables us to find joy in serving Him, but also, through His grace, enables us to serve him in the first place. Romans 14:4 asks "who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." So yes, because of our sin, we will fall in our service to God. But rest assured that you serve a God who is able to make you stand.

So, then, this is our hope: that we are not our own. We are God's. God is able to make us stand, both in this life, and in His presence in the life after death. For this reason Christ died for us.

Warrior: A man engaged or experienced in war, or in the military life; a soldier; a champion.

God has called men to be the protectors of their homes, churches, and communities. I also contend that if men are called to be protectors, then men are called to be warriors. Spiritual warriors yes, but physically as well. Unfortunately, in today’s mostly peaceful western society, it is often too easy for men to neglect this calling in our lives.

I believe that the first step in ceasing to neglect this calling is to develop a biblically based warrior’s mindset, rooted in the example of Scripture. With this in mind, I would like to spend some time sharing with you some Scriptures I believe are pertinent to developing a warrior's mindset.

God is a warrior.

Exodus 15: 3 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.

1 Samuel 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

God is a warrior who fights for the good of His people (Pr. 15:25). God's warrior-kingship is part of His revealed nature and is implicit in His name of YAHWEH-SABAOTH (Lord of Armies).

God is a warrior who fights on our behalf. God has promised to never leave us or forsake us, and He has promised that He will defeat the enemies of His kingdom (Deut. 5:15; Heb. 13:5). Because our strength comes from him (Ps. 28:7), we are enabled to follow His warrior-example and to fight on the behalf of others. When we are weak, God intercedes on our behalf.

God has called you to be a warrior.

Judges 6:11-16 . . . Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” . . . Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

Psalm 82:3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

God calls us to follow His example of interceding for the weak – regardless of how we feel about it. Men, in our natural state, are likely to shrink from this task – in the Judges account given above, Gideon asks the Angel of the Lord, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” God’s answer to Gideon is simply “I will be with you.” God has called us to warriorhood, and he excepts us to answer that call. However, in fulfilling the call to warriorhood, God has promised to be with us and give us the strength for it. If God calls us to something, He will be faithful to equip us for it (2 Cor. 9:8, Heb. 13:21)

It is your responsibility to accept the call.

Isaiah 6:8
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

It is your responsibility to accept this call on your life and to act on it, regardless of your frame.

We must not say, “I would go if I thought I should have success;” but, “I will go, and leave the success to God. Here am I; send me.” – Matthew Henry

Be a servant

Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The call to warriorhood does not entitle you to empower or dominate others. It is a call to serve others with humility, placing the needs, and potentially the lives of others above your own.

Be prepared to give your life…

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Christ gave his life so that we may live. We too may be called to follow his example in this. You must be prepared to give your life in love. Men with families: it may be wise to discuss this with your wife, and with your children as age appropriate.

But resolve to fight and win.

1 Samuel 17:46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment./p>

Take heart in the fact that God has ordained all things in your life, including the exact time and circumstances of your death. So yes, Christ may indeed call you to give your life in defense of another but understand that it is NOT your job to seek martyrdom; it’s your job to fight and win with whatever strength God gives you. If you are in a fight for your life, it’s your job to take the life of the other guy. You fight and live, so that you can be there standing in the gap the next day, ready to take one the next bad guy, to God be the glory.

Be Vigilant

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Luke 21:36 "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Matthew 24:43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

In the Marines we had a saying – “complacency kills.” And in the profession of war, we mean that literally. Your complacency can cause the death of another. As a warrior, you are called to stand guard. First, to STAND guard means that you are in an upright, alert, and ready posture. Sitting is passive, standing is active. Your mind is to remain active and focused on the task of guarding. Second, to guard means to actively keep and protect from danger; to secure and shield against surprise, attack, or injury. The first step in shielding against surprise is to be watchful.

Train Hard

1 Chronicles 5:18 The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, consisting of valiant men, men who bore shield and sword and shot with bow and were skillful in battle, were 44,760, who went to war.

Song of Solomon 3:8
All of them are wielders of the sword,
Expert in war;
Each man has his sword at his side,
Guarding against the terrors of the night.

Psalm 144:1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;

This principle simply states that in order to be an effective protector, we must be skillful in the use of the tools available to us. Scripture commends the skillfulness in war of David, the sons of Reuben, and Solomon’s guards. I would submit that these men put in quite a bit of training in order to gain said skill. If we are ever called upon to use a weapon in a fight, where people’s lives are a stake, then we had better know how to use that weapon well.

Mentally Rehearse

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Genesis 39:11-12 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

If you are ever placed in a situation of extreme stress and time pressure, where you only have a split second to make a decision and act, it is going to be very difficult to make the right decision unless you have thought about it calmly beforehand – unless you have practiced mental rehearsal.

I would like to make an analogy between mental rehearsal and meditation. Meditation is that spiritual discipline in which we think deeply on some truth we have heard or read in the Scriptures, in order to train and prepare our minds and hearts to think or act according to that truth. Charles Spurgeon writes that “When those old athletes went out to wrestle, they always took care before they went to oil themselves well to make their joints supple and fit for their task. Now, meditation makes the soul supple—makes it so that it can use things when they come into the mind.” Likewise, in order to make our minds supple and fit for the task of making decisions under extreme stress, we need to mentally rehearse being in those situations before they happen. Practicing in your mind primes the brain to take action.

Finally, consider the case of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. Scripture does not state this plainly, but I highly doubt that Joseph had not mentally rehearsed beforehand what he would do if Potiphar’s wife continued to try and seduce him. I believe that he was alert, he was aware that he was alone in Potiphar’s house and was therefore on his guard, and that he had practiced mentally what he would do.

Learn Biblical Discernment

Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.

Proverbs 24:5 A wise warrior is better than a strong one, and a man of knowledge that one of strength.

It is not enough to have strength or prowess: we must also have the discernment to know when to use it, and the wisdom to know how to use it well. Strength used unwisely can often cause more harm than good.

Don’t be a Hot head

Ephesians 4:26 Be angry and do not sin.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Related to the above, if you are ever in a confrontation, it is your responsibility to deescalate the situation. Sometimes you might need to deescalate the situation extremely quickly, like at 1300 fps; most of the time, however, you will simply be speaking with someone. It is usually better for everyone if you can talk someone down without resorting to physical force. You must be able to do so calmly yet firmly.

Get in Shape

1 Timothy 4:7-8 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Genesis 14:14-16 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

Being a physical protector is going to require physical exertion on your part. Take Abraham’s 318 men for example: they marched some 200 miles from Hebron to Dan, preformed a night attack, and then perused their enemy at least another 50 miles north of Dan, destroying their enemy and rescuing Lot.

Bodily training is “of some value,” and maintaining the ability to physically protect others is one of those values. Develop a mindset that values physical fitness.

Be a man of Prayer

Isaiah 62:6,7 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.

Ezekiel 22:30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

Part of your calling as a warrior is to engage in spiritual warfare as well as physical warfare. Understand that “Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” We should always be petitioning God both for the safety of His people and for the defeat of His enemies.

Have Courage

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong, and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Courage is not the absence of fear, it is acting even in the face of fear. It is the Lord who gives us the strength to do so. So have courage, for the Lord of Armies is with us.

Trust God for the Victory

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Finally, in order to be led well, and in order to be effective, a warrior must have a deep trust in his captain. Know that we serve THE Captain, the Lord Jesus Christ, and, even if we perish, we can trust in Him for the ultimate victory.

I will leave you with a verse from the pen of Martin Luther:

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

Based on Exodus 34:6-7, Psalms 8:4; 100:3, and 1 Peter 3:18.

I have made this post available as a PDF for easy printing and distributing, if you so desire. I hope you find it useful as you continue to stand up for the pre-born, in faith.

To download the PDF in standard letter format, click here.

To download the PDF as formatted to be printed as a booklet, click here.

Charles Patrick writes that Molech, as described in the Old Testament, was an “Ammonite god who required propitiatory child sacrifice. A couple sacrificed their firstborn by burning the child on a metal idol of Molech, believing that Molech would ensure financial prosperity for the family and future children.”¹ By offering up their children to be burned on the golden statue, the Canaanites believed Molech would cause them and their future children to prosper.

Today’s Molech is the abortion industry, sacrificing babies to the idol of financial greed. We are no better than the ancient Canaanites. Instead of sacrificing our children to the god Molech in exchange for future prosperity, we sacrifice our children in the name of convenience.

God hates this wickedness. And He has something to say about it.

This post is a selection of scriptures intended to be prayed and proclaimed out loud publicly, against the wickedness of abortion. While God expects us to use every lawful means of ending abortion, the Christian must also remember that “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). God’s Word is powerful. We must be armed with it and we must be ready to use it against God’s enemies— “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Included also is a selection of scriptures intended to embolden you, dear Christian, in the Lord as you confront wickedness. For if God is with us, who can be against us?

¹ https://swbts.edu/news/releases/modern-day-molech/

Scriptures against the abominable practice of child sacrifice and its wicked practitioners

The 10 Commandments

1. God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. “You shall not make for yourselves an idol.
3. “You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
6. “You shall not murder.
   
7. “You shall not commit adultery.
   
8. “You shall not steal.
   
9. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Against the Shedding of Innocent Blood

Proverbs 6:16‒19  There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him: arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.


Isaiah 59:2‒ 4, 7‒8

For your hands are defiled with blood,

and your fingers with iniquity.

Your lips have spoken lies.

Your tongue mutters wickedness.

No one sues in righteousness,

and no one pleads in truth.

They trust in vanity,
 and speak lies.

They conceive mischief, 
and give birth to iniquity.



Their feet run to evil,
 and they hurry to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity.

Desolation and destruction are in their paths. 

They do not know the way of peace; 

and there is no justice in their ways.

They have made crooked paths for themselves;
 whoever goes in them does not know peace.



Genesis 4:10‒12  The LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. . . you will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”



Deuteronomy 27:24  ‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’


Deuteronomy 27:25  ‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’


Deuteronomy 24:16  Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.


Jeremiah 22:3  Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.


Exodus 23:7  Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.


Jeremiah 22:17  But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.


Psalm 106:36‒39  

They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;

they poured out innocent blood,

the blood of their sons and daughters,

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,

and the land was polluted with blood.

Thus they became unclean by their acts,

and played the whore in their deeds.


Against Molech

Against the Wicked

Pursue Justice

Deuteronomy 16:20  Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 


Deuteronomy 32:4  
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
ascribe greatness to our God!
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.



Psalms 33:5
  The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of His unfailing love.



Isaiah 1:16­–18  
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.  



Amos 5:15
  Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate!
Perhaps the LORD God of hosts may be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.



Micah 6:8  
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly, To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?



Matthew 12:18  Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, the One I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.


Destroy Idols

Be of Good Courage

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.



1 Samuel 14:6  Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”



Psalm 27:1–3, 14
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
 The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
 though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Wait for the Lord; 
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
 wait for the Lord!



Psalm 31:24  Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.



Psalm 60:11–12  
Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.
 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. 



Luke 18:1b  Men ought always to pray and not lose heart.



2 Timothy 1:7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.


Yahweh

Appendix: Praying Psalms of Destruction

The following imprecatory prayers were written by Pastor Stephen Altrogge. I encourage you to pray along with him, and perhaps practice writing your own.

Psalm 10:15, “Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.”

• Rise up, O Lord. Break the arm of Planned Parenthood. Reduce their strength to nothing. Obliterate their reach and protect the unborn from their grasp. Call the men and women to give an account for their wicked deeds until their wickedness is no more.

Psalm 17:13, “Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword…”

• Draw your sword, O Lord, and raise it against the men and women who are executing children. Confront them with the furious anger you feel over the death of these innocent children. Subdue them by your power. Deliver the children from the wicked men and women who are seeking to kill them.

Psalm 58:6–8, “O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime…”

• Lord, we pray that you would tear out the fangs of Planned Parenthood. Emasculate their power. Break the teeth they use to consume the children. Let their arrows of death be dull and useless. Dissolve them financially, and cause them to vanish organizationally. Bring them to utter nothingness so that we will look back and say, “Remember what God did?”

Psalm 59:13, “… consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth.”

• Arise, Lord, and display your powerful, evil-consuming wrath. Bring Planned Parenthood to such utter dissolution that there is no doubt that you are God and that you rule over all things. Let there be no doubt that you are king, and you will bring your good plans to pass.

Psalm 69:25–26, “May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.”

• Lord, let the buildings of Planned Parenthood be utterly desolated. May the abortion clinics be empty shells, a reminder of what once was and what you have wrought. Bring famine and drought upon all abortion clinics so that they can no longer survive.

Psalm 83:16, “Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord.”

• We pray that the men and women of Planned Parenthood would experience a deep, searing shame for their atrocities IN ORDER that they might seek your face. As you dissolve Planned Parenthood, drive the employees to the cross so that they might embrace the forgiveness you offer.

Based off of Psalm 130, Colossians 3, 1 John 3, and the Catechism.

O LORD God,

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? For we have sinned against you times without number.

We have rejected and ignored you in the world that you have created. We have rebelled against you by living without regard for you, by failing to give you your due honor, and by not doing what you require of us in your holy law. Have mercy on us, Lord.

We who have practiced sin have practiced lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness.

We have trusted in created things rather than you O Lord, the Creator, for our hope, happiness, and security, thus committing idolatry. Have mercy on us, Lord.

O God, all these things are a direct affront to your sovereignty, holiness, and goodness, and against your righteous law, and your are righteously angry with our sins and would be completely just in destroying us in your wrath, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Lord, we are disobedient sons. Have mercy on us O LORD.

We have nothing in ourselves that could save us from this state. Thank you for providing us a Redeemer, your own Son, the Christ, who came, who lived a sinless life, who died for our sins, and who was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. It is only by His blood that we can stand in your presence. We repent of our sins, we trust in your Son, and we claim the blood of Christ. It is in His name we pray,

Amen.

In this article, I will give a brief overview of moral relativism, and articulate four cases against it which are designed to demonstrate how it conflicts with our moral intuitions. These intuitions are not morally authoritative, but nonetheless serve as a useful guide in examining issues surrounding relativism. As moral relativism is a widely held belief in our culture today, they are an important tool for the Christian apologist to be familiar with. Finally, I will present a Christian response to moral relativism, and make a case for an objective moral standard, one that is grounded on God’s character and the creation of man in His image.

A Brief Overview of Moral Relativism

Moral Relativism has its roots in 19th century anthropology, after anthropologists observed what they classified as a “wide disparity” between ethical codes and practices among different people groups. There they attempted to give a Darwinian explanation of the phenomena, making the claim that, just as humanity has come into existence through an ever changing evolutionary process, so too has the concept of “morality.” Thus, there is no fixed or absolute “law” or foundation of morality. This has recently morphed into the more modern concept of “respect” for other cultures, or the belief in complete “equality” among ethical systems, in a cultural context. This belief system can be summed up with Friedrich Nietzsche’s statement, “You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, it does not exist.”

This worldview has had a large impact in our current society, and I would argue, along with Darwinian evolution and Humanism in general, it has played a large part in the degradation of Western moral thought and practice. When God’s standards are abandoned, deprivation necessarily follows. However, the purpose of this article is not necessarily to examine our current ethical situation in society, but to point out a few of the broader philosophical implications of moral relativism, and to offer the Christian apologist some cases against the belief system in general. At the conclusion of this article, I will present a case the Christian apologist may use in defense of his own beliefs in an absolute moral standard.

Cases Against Moral Relativism

The four cases against moral relativism I will present are the reformer’s dilemma, the problem of contradiction, the problem of arbitration, and the problem of moral progress. The reformers dilemma takes into consideration instances of individuals that find and seek to correct moral deficiency within the culture of which they are a part. However, if cultural relativism is true, then by definition the culture will always be in the morally right, and the reformers will always be in the morally wrong. If culture is the ultimate standard or arbiter of what the morally good is, and how its citizens ought to behave, than any concept of right and wrong that is contrary to the cultural norm, even if it originates from an individual within that culture, is necessarily false. Therefore, individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr., by virtue of going against the cultural norms of their time, were morally wrong. In fact, the claim must be made that all cultural reformers are morally wrong. This appears to strongly contradict our moral intuitions, as it seems to make sense to ask whether the basic principles of one’s society are morally praiseworthy or blameworthy. If cultural relativism is true, then there is no room to examine one’s own culture, and what’s more, doing so is actually considered immoral.

The problem of contradiction points out the logical inconsistencies of moral relativism. It is a logical contradiction to say that both A and not-A are true at the same time. Consider two competing ethical claims: one person says that lying is morally right, and another person says that lying is morally wrong. It is a logical contradiction to say that lying is both morally right and not right at the same time. Thus, moral subjectivism is a logical contradiction. Moral subjectivists try to get around this logical contradiction by claiming that what people really mean when they make ethical claims is that they personally approve or disapprove of said behavior. The logical contradiction therefore disappears. However, so does any meaningful disagreement, and we find ourselves with an inability to arbitrate between competing ethical claims. The denial of an independent standard of morality disallows any outside source of authority, and thus any arbitration between competing claims is impossible. In addition, the moral subjectivist is forced to make the very bold claim that I do not know what I mean by what I am saying, when I say it. In so doing, the subjectivist has placed himself as a moral authority over my claims.

The problem of moral progress is a problem similar to the Reformers Dilemma, and conflicts with our moral intuitions in a similar manner. If moral relativism is true, then there can be no real moral progress. if there is no ultimate standard for morality, than individuals or cultures can only change their moral codes from one to another. They can never adopt better moral codes. A society can never actually progress, for progression implies a movement towards some higher standard or goal; a higher standard that the moral relativist claims not to exist. Therefore, the moral relativist would be unable to claim, for instance, that women’s suffrage movement in the late 19th century, or the civil rights movement of the Sixties, changed our society for the better. Our society is no better or worse had those changes not occurred; it has simply changed. To measure moral progress, you must have a standard.

None of these problems are, strictly speaking, conclusive demonstrations that moral relativism is false. However, taken together, they give the strong inclination that something is not quite right with relativism. To accept moral relativism, one must be prepared to ignore a great deal of evidence against it, ignore one’s own moral intuitions, and accept as morally correct some very heinous ethical claims and practices. The Christian apologist should be able to point out such inconsistencies to the relativist, and juxtapose the relativist worldview against the consistent, firmly grounded moral truths revealed to us by God. I will present such a worldview below, one that is based in Scripture and holds that the Christian God is the ultimate standard of morality. 

God as Standard

The Christian should take the stance that all of ethics depend on God. The Christian should take the stance that, because we are creatures created in the image of God, our moral obligations are directed firstly to our Creator God, and secondly to other human persons. It is our unique position as beings created in God’s image that obligates us to behave morally towards one another. A wrong action taken against the image of God is ultimately a wrong action taken against God Himself (Genesis 9:5-6). It is because of this that we are obligated to behave morally towards one another, even in the absence of Special Revelation.

Our moral obligations, based on our obligations to God as our creator, are also expressed to God’s creatures through His general revelation. This is the revelation of God’s character and attributes in His created order. What God created he called good, and He has created a natural order of things, based on and flowing from His good character. He has given man, as His image bearers, the ability to discern His character from the natural order, and as such, man is given no excuse for acting contrary to His character: that is, immorally (Romans 1:18-20).

God, as creator, has authority over all His creation, including the moral conduct of His creatures. This moral authority is expressed in His Law-Word, the Holy Scriptures. As God is creator, His word is absolutely morally binding, regardless of what His creatures may feel or think about it. It is still the direct commands of God that hold final authority in our lives. However, the commands of God are not arbitrary, as commonly expressed in the Euthyphro Dilemma.

A full exposition of the Euthyphro dilemma is beyond the scope of this article; I hope to offer a much more in depth response to the dilemma in the future. However, the Christian may respond by asserting that firstly, there is no ultimate goodness outside of or apart from God, and secondly, that God’s commands do not “create” goodness. Goodness is defined by God’s character, and God’s commands are both “in line” with, and expressions of, His good character. God’s commands are both morally good, and morally binding. They are morally binding because they are the commands of our creator. And they are morally good because goodness is based exclusively on God’s character.

Conclusion

Our primary moral obligation is to God, as our creator. We understand our obligations to our Creator God through the means of His revealed Word. Our secondary obligations are to our fellow human persons, as beings created in the image of God. The Word of God is the final authority on our human obligations to each other, but God has also given us, through general revelation, a revelation of His good and moral character, in order that no man may make an excuse for acting contrary to that character.

The Christian worldview provides one with a solid grounding for, and standard of moral action. Without a transcendent Creator-God to serve as our basis of morality everything becomes permissible, and deprivation inevitably follows. By denying God as standard, we forfeit said solid ground, and are forced to look towards other, much shakier foundations for our actions. Our foundation is sure. However, professing to be wise, humanist man has degraded into foolishness (Romans 1:22), and, taking council in themselves (Psalm 2:2), have set themselves against God, and become like the dust before the wind (Isaiah 17:13).