A man bought a vehicle from a ministry at his church. The car was sold "as is" and the transmission broke within two months of the purchase. The cost of the repair was as much as the vehicle itself. This man was informed by various church members to contact the director of the cars ministry before fixing the problem at another automotive shop. He decided to contact the ministry to see if they could help him in any way and the director of the ministry agreed to meet him. The director of the cars ministry informed the man that the vehicle was sold "as is" and there was nothing the ministry could do to help him. The director simply said, "This is the world of used cars. Sometimes you get a car that lasts for years and years. Sometimes you get a car that last two months. That's the way this business works."
The man doesn't have a leg to stand on in terms of how the used car business works. If something is listed "as is" the car dealership is always off the hook in terms of their responsibility for fixing the vehicle.
Ought a cars ministry handle things better than a used car dealership?
DOCTRINE #46: MORALS VS ETHICS
Morals are a set of principles and laws that result in profitability in the long term regardless of culture. Ethics are a set of principles and laws that are accepted as correct by a specific culture at a specific time in history.
Question: Do you believe you are more focused on what is moral or what is ethical?
Next Doctrine: Doctrine #47
Table of Contents
If you need it, here is the support from the Word of God...
SCRIPTURE
"1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.
3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore?
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault it in thine own people.
17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.
18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 and they said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22 And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all." (Exodus 5:1-23)
(Moses made a request for Pharaoh to let the people go into the wilderness to sacrifice to God for three days. This request was not immoral, but it was unethical. The children of Israel were under the rule of the Egyptians and were slaves; they could not make any requests because their decisions were not their own. Pharaoh was offended by the request of Moses, so Pharaoh punished Moses. This started the cycle of justice which allowed God to move on Moses' behalf for the rest of the story.)
"1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom;
2 and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage.
3 Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
6 Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict.
10 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:1-10)
(Daniel's praying was moral and unethical. Daniel knew that the writing was signed, and after that he went into his house to pray. The king threw him in the lion's den. God was able to move for Daniel and against the people who created this law because they were thrown in the lion's den.)
"1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me,
6 and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." (Exodus 20:1-17)
(The Ten Commandments are moral. They result in value or avoidance of punishment from God during any time period. Even though we do not live under the Law, it is still written on our hearts. Think about it, is it moral to kill, commit adultery, steal, or lie?)
"19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse king: thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed: neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together." (Leviticus 19:19)
(The Law was also made up of ethics. This verse was ONLY true for the time of the Law. We saw in Doctrine #38: Sin that Moses, Abram, Moses' dad, Judah, and Jacob violated the Law before it was the Law. Towards the end of these sixty Doctrine, we will see why God made certain requirements of people that were ethical and certain that were moral. For now, notice that most of the confusion people have with obeying God has to do with not understanding what is/was ethical and what is moral.)
"1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.
2 If any man thinketh that he knoweth anything, he knoweth not yet as he ought to know;
3 but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him.
4 Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one.
5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many;
6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.
7 Howbeit there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
8 But food will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak.
10 For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
11 For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
12 And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ.
13 Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble." (1 Corinthians 8:1-13)
(Under the Law, eating meat sacrificed to idols was unethical and against God's Law. The WHAT was wrong regardless of the HOW/WHY. Now, eating meat sacrificed to idols is not, in and of itself, immoral or unethical. The HOW/WHY determines the morality. Saying that we all have knowledge is another way of saying that we all know ethics. Ethics are a WHAT. How did Jesus distingish between morals and ethics?)
"1 And there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem,
2 and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands.
3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders;
4 and when they come from the market-place, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.)
5 And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?
6 And he said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, But their heart is far from me.
7 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
8 Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.
9 And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition.
10 For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death:
11 but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God;
12 ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother;
13 making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.
14 And he called to him the multitude again, and said unto them, Hear me all of you, and understand:
15 there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man." (Mark 7:1-15)
(The Pharisees stated Jesus was unethical. Jesus showed He was moral and they were immoral because they were ethical; they followed a man-made tradition that they even invented a name for: Corban. This tradition appeared to be godly ("given to God") but was actually selfish and violated the only one of the Ten Commandments that was a principle. Jesus called them hypocrites because their SAY didn't line up with their DO. Jesus further explained the difference with an example. Jesus stated that eating the food, in and of itself, was an effect, a WHAT and therefore didn't make you immoral. It was your causes (HOW/WHY) behind the effects that come out of you that determine if you are sinning. The difference between morals and ethics was what caused Jesus to be crucified. The Pharisees crucified Jesus because He was unethical, yet the Pharisees tried to convince themselves Jesus was immoral, just like Pharaoh with Moses. Jesus stated the Pharisees' ethics made the Word of God of none effect. They focused on what man saw as right instead of what God sees as Right, and then tried to convince themselves they were focused on God when they were really justifying themselves. The outside of a person may appear to be close to God (WHAT) but, if they are like the Pharisees, their hearts (HOW/WHY) are far from God.)
"1 For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ,
3 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
4 This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
7 rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:
9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
10 and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
11 in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;
14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross;
15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:
17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
18 Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increasing with the increase of God.
20 If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
22 (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh." (Colossians 2:1-23)
(Paul also focused on eating to show the difference between ethics and morality: between a man-made tradition and God's Doctrine. Also, Paul talked about circumcision and how circumcision was not something that was physical, but spiritual instead. Again, a physical act that could appear to be "godly" was not profitable because the causes weren't focused on God. The hands of men do not determine your morality; God determines if you are moral.)
"17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent." (Romans 16:17-18)
(Again, Paul stated that people following ethics can cause division with those following morals. We learned that smooth and fair speech is a Right WHAT, but it can cause division if it does not have a Right HOW/WHY. The innocent believe that those whose speech is fluent must have the same heart as well, because smooth and fair speech can be misinterpreted as maturity. How many preachers focus more on entertaining stories within their teaching rather than the Doctrine itself?)
"1 Let as many as are servants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine be not blasphemed.
2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but let them serve them the rather, because they that partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. These things teach and exhort.
3 If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but doting about questionings and disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain." (1 Timothy 6:1-5)
(Paul stated to Timothy that morality leads to godliness. Ethics leads to thinking morality can be used to profit yourself monetarily, like Jesus said the Pharisees did with Corban. Have you ever heard anyone talking about "prosperity gospel"? Well, you can gain value and spend it now on physical things because God is Just, but if that's what you believe than you think as a man and your mind is corrupted. Corrupt people do not have the mind of Christ.)
"1 I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2 preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:1-4)
(Ethics are deception. People feel empowered to justify ethics as right in the short term to the point they will be comparative to support their man-made belief. If you have itching ears you are comparative with the Doctrine that you hear and you will only hear those teachings that fill your own lusts. Ethics are based on the time we live in, and men desire to control people through what is ethical. Think of two kids playing a game outside and making up rules as they play so that they will win.)
"1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;
3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.
6 If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now:
7 but refuse profane and old wives' fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness:
8 for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come." (1 Timothy 1:1-8)
(The Holy Spirit said SPECIFICALLY that during the end times people will justify ethics based on man-made fables in place of God's moral Doctrine. Do we see this now? Do you think that people in church would be more offended by someone smoking or by someone being taught man-made tradition?)
"1 But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:
2 that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience:
3 that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;
4 that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed:
6 the younger men likewise exhort to be sober-minded:
7 in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works; in thy doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity,
8 sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.
9 Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying;
10 not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world;
13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:1-14)
(Notice, the ethics vs. morals perspective was the purpose of this passage that gave the definition of grace. Sound Doctrine is moral, regardless of the time. It is always moral to allow God to instruct us, to teach us, to give us wisdom and understanding. HOW He has done it in the past and HOW He will lead us in the future is something that we will discuss in later Doctrines.)
"11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;
16 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:11-16)
(Paul's meaning of life verse covered man-made ethics causing us to be tossed to and fro, while God's moral Doctrine resulted in eternal profitability and growth for the Bride.)
God sets measures for what is moral or immoral, because He is Right and He is Just. Our thinking, man's thinking, at best can only be ethical, because our way of thinking is naturally comparative. God is Holy, we are not.
When we understand God's way of thinking, we allow God's grace to flow through us and give us wisdom. If God's measures are Holy, how ought we to respond when people take from us? If we are ethical we would decide to take back. We see this often in children. What would it look like for us to be moral when others take from us?
