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Thomas Lee Abshier, ND
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Moral Judgment

By: Thomas Lee Abshier, ND

 

Moral Judgment: The ethical standards of life are established by scriptural direction, cultural custom, and or our own sense of pain and reason.  The Scripture instruction on Truth should merge with our own personal evaluation of proper ethics.  But, since scripture is general, and metaphorical (told in parables rather than clear statements about what is right/wrong in specific situations) there can be debate among people who are all well meaning and dedicated to living Truth.  Thus, the need for compassion and understanding when discussing issues of right and wrong, and making requests for behavior based on moral/ethical grounds.  There are requests that are totally morally neutral, such as the issue of preferred colors for a room, or the flavor of ice cream, the arrangement of furniture.  Other life choices, tastes, desires, and preferences are less clear in terms of their moral tone, such as literature, art, music, cinema, and architecture.  These symbolic representations of life can be used to glorify one of the moral polarities.  The 10 Commandments represent the clearest and most strict definition of right and wrong from God.  Beyond that, the definition of Truth is more conditional, with the command to love God and treat neighbor as self being the general rule.  (Mark 12: 30  'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.  "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.")  As Christians, we try to follow the Bible, and stand for the Truth in its words, but the latitude given in the Bible makes a quick judgment almost impossible.  

a) Biblical Faith: Part of being a Bible believing Christian is to believe that the spirit of the Bible is True and that God inspired the Words of the Bible.  The letter of the Law can only be applied when the situation described in the bible matches the context of the original statement.  Every phrase, parable, command, and symbol in the Bible could be applied to various life situations with more or less relevance.  But, a particular Biblical pattern is applicable to life only to the extent that the spirits of the two contexts were similar.  Be careful in being dogmatic about doing and not doing, declaring right and wrong, etc.  It is easy to fall into a state of the Pharisee with his judgmental eye and critical heart of all who do not follow the law perfectly as he does.  Be loving and gentle in your confrontation and correction.  When you have the word of God as your source and standard, it is easy to believe that my words, my perspective, my thoughts, and my feelings are in fact True, and hence should be imposed upon others for their own benefit.

 

Moral Justification – Righteous Directive: When a man has been convicted of the righteous need to change his behavior, speech, priorities, perception, perspective, beliefs, or other way of thinking he now has the moral justification needed to authorize the will to proceed with single focus to the point of complete transformation.  The validation of righteousness gives a man God’s approval in resisting temptation, moving people, changing habits, and casting down spiritual principles.  The will can push against the various types of internal and external resistance, and eventually martial enough force to overcome obstacles that God has authorized moving.  This principle of Godly authorization trumps all other motivations and factors that may influence the will (i.e. fear, anger, lust, pride, fairness, and logic).  

 

The will is mediated by a center in the brain, just as are all other activities of logic, emotion, perception, and motor function.  But, all brain activities probably have correlates deeper in the spiritual anatomy in the intangible realms of soul, spirit, and the heavenly archetypes.  Thus, when discussing the will, we shall note and consider both the physical and metaphysical realms.  

 

The will is a combination of emotion and logic, plus an added sense of commitment to pursue the outcome of the desire.  When the personal will is aligned with God’s will, a new level of courage is possible, if there is a commitment to living in His will.  When we know that resistance is futile, that God’s will will prevail, and that God’s will is always the best mix of pleasure and expense, then we are given motivation by the ultimate reward for perseverance in doing what is right.

 

This line of reasoning is important for the person who confronted with personal transformation.  If the confrontation is True and Godly, but he recoils and rebels against making the changes because of the pain of the flesh, he may be enrolled if he can see the long view and the ultimate reward.  The challenge in all personal transformation is overcoming inertia, putting in the positive behaviors of the new and Godly habit, and resisting acting out the old ineffective, unrighteous, less profitable, and/or flesh driven behaviors.  

 

In short, by engaging in the logic, study of Law (scripture), and thoroughly understanding the specifics of the current situation, it is possible to come to a firm conviction of a best path for personal action, change, and new habit.  Having been well supported by the logic and conviction of Truth gives one a firm foundation upon which to base one’s personal will.  When a man knows a confrontation is True, and that all alternative paths are the slow road to righteousness, health, and happiness, he is motivated by the reward as well as by the avoidance of pain.  This gives him the focus and determination to push through all intermediate difficulties.

 

Don’t allow a Spiritual Beachhead: Anytime a sin is accepted as acceptable in any context the spirit of that sin is then authorized to use that precedent as legal authorization to take over the life.  Strive for Bonding: What is it to bond to another human being?  In general we are connected to another by adversity, common experience, and a connected fate.  Attachment disorder is a type of bonding that does not happen where young children are abused or neglected and do not seek help when needed, or stay close to a primary caregiver.  Bonding in the sense of marital bonding happens due to the satisfaction of needs.  A man may require beauty, sex, recreational companionship, and domestic help.  A woman may require conversation and support.  These items, when present, provide the sense of need meeting, and they fill the hole in the heart and that person becomes needed.  

 

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