A British newspaper reported that one in eight of the population admitted they have no sense of right and wrong and therefore did not choose the right course of action.
The figure shot up to one in five when the question was asked in London, home to city bankers and Westminster politicians. And it is probably the same in North America, too — no educated conscience, denial of God’s given standard, the Ten Commandments.
Some churches teach that it is OK to obey eight or nine of the commandments, but don’t worry because God is love and will take everyone to heaven. Based on what the Bible teaches and its standards, there is not a chance of that happening.
Let me clearly state that God is doing all He can to save as many as possible. But He will only take to heaven those who are forgiven of their sins, love Him and live in harmony with His laws. By grace are you saved through faith, a gift of God, and not by works.
It is a gift, folks! But it has to be received. Once received, you are never the same again. Because of your conversion and your now saved condition, you will change and bring your life into harmony with His standard of righteousness, the Ten Commandments. Didn’t Jesus say, “If you love me, keep my commandments”? And the Psalmist wrote, “I delight to do thy will, O my God, and your law is within my heart.” (Psalms 40:8)
Some examples of ignoring God include greedy executives, bank executives, large industry CEOs, politicians who line their own pockets, gold plated incomes and pensions, lack of moral courage to stand for the right, outright deception and political expediency — living high on the hog at taxpayer’s expense.
Then there are the rapes, murders and the list goes on. One commentator, Max Hastings, wrote, “Bank robbers should bin their masks and become bank bosses. … The skills are the same.”
Worldliness and covetousness, which is idolatry, prevails through the working of Satan, until the law of God, the Ten Commandments, shall be made void. Satan is stealing a march upon us. The law of God, through the agency of Satan, is close to being made void.
Now let me personalize this. What are you doing today that you know you should not be doing? Are there any of us who has not let our minds wander to forbidden territory? The answer is no.
What should you be doing in your life that you are not doing?
According to the survey of 2,000 people, two-thirds of us think the moral standards of our nation are withering away.
Have you been propping up your foolish soul with the idea that your uneducated conscience is OK? Set your opinions and speculations aside. Let God speak plainly to your heart in His Word, the Bible.
“And [God] said to the human race, ‘The fear of the Lord — that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’ ” (Job 28:28)
Patricia Morgan, a researcher into morality, said people are now expected to make up their own mind on morality and added, “Perhaps it would be a good thing if people went back to church.”
Remember, the gift of God is eternal life. The response of those saved at the end, those who will inherit an eternity in heaven are described by Jesus as those “who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12 and 12:17)
Ian Cotton is the pastor of the Creston Seventh-day Adventist Church.
