Sermon Tone Analysis

Evidences for the existence of God - the Moral Law.

!! Definitions

/Morals/: conforming to a standard of what is right and good.

*/Moral Absolutes.

/*Before the absolute nature of morality can be understood, morality must be defined.

Several things are meant by a moral obligation.

First, a moral duty is good in itself (an /end/), not merely good as a means.

Further, it is something we /ought/ to pursue, a duty.

Morality is /prescriptive/ (an “ought”), not merely descriptive (an “is”).

Morality deals with what is right, as opposed to wrong.

It is an obligation, that for which a person is accountable.

An absolute moral obligation is:

an /objective/ (not subjective) moral duty—a duty for all persons.

an /eternal/ (not temporal) obligation—a duty at all times.

a /universal/ (not local) obligation—a duty for all places.

An absolute duty is one that is binding on all persons at all times in all places.

Geisler, N. L. (1999).

/Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics/.

Baker reference library (501).

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

!! Biblical Data (Morals)

* Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

(ESV) 1 Cor 15:33

* In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.

Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, (NLT) 2 Pet 1:5

* And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of a crime or of moral evil, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews.

(HSCB) Acts 18:14

* And because they did not think it worthwhile to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.

(HSCB) Rom 1:28

* Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

(HSCB) Phil 4:8

* Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil excess, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.

(HSCB) James 1:21

* Instead, he must be a lover of strangers, a lover of goodness, sensible, honest, moral, and self-controlled.

(ISV) Titus 1:8

* For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character, your moral character with knowledge, (ISV) 2 Pet 1:5

!! Biblical Data (The Law)

* Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

(KJV) Ro 13:8

* Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

(KJV) Mt 5:17

!! Biblical Data (The Law Within)

* Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed/ it/ unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,/ even/ his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (KJV) Ro 1:19-20

* Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

(KJV) Is 7:15 and Is 7:16

!! Analysis - God's Moral Law

The Ten Commandmants

The Sermon on the Mount

Old Testament ceremonial law

!! Quotations

* Philosopher Immanuel Kant had many strange ideas about God, but he was absolutely right when he said, “The moral law within us and the starry heavens above us” drive us to God (cited by William Barclay, /The Gospel of Matthew/, vol. 1 [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], 208).

MacArthur, J. (1995).

/Alone with God/.

Includes indexes.

Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

* Former atheist C. S. Lewis argued that, in order to know there is injustice in the world one has to have a standard of justice.

So, to effectively eliminate God via evil one is to posit an ultimate moral standard by which to pronounce God evil (/Mere Christianity/).

But for theists God is the ultimate moral standard, since there cannot be an ultimate moral law without an Ultimate Moral Law Giver.

Geisler, N. L. (1999).

/Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics/.

Baker reference library (56).

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

* As one scientist quipped, you can lead a skeptical astronomer to order but you cannot make him think Geisler, N. L. (1999).

/Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics/.

Baker reference library (106).

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

* Commenting on Ro 1:20 and Ro 1:21, Calvin concludes that Paul “plainly testifies here, that God has presented to the minds of all the means of knowing him, having so manifested himself by his works, that they must necessarily see what of themselves they seek not to know—that there is some God” (Calvin, 2).

Geisler, N. L. (1999).

/Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics/.

Baker reference library (111).

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

* Moral Argument for God.

*Most arguments for the existence of God, such as the cosmological argument and teleological argument, are from the ancient world.

The ontological argument comes from medieval times.

But the moral argument has modern ancestry, emanating from the works of Immanuel Kant.

Geisler, N. L. (1999).

/Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics/.

Baker reference library (498).

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

!! Christian Apologetics

*/Kant’s Moral Postulate.

/*Kant strongly rejected traditional arguments for God’s existence (/see/ God, Objections to Proofs for).

He did not, however, reject belief in God.

Rather, he believed that God’s existence is a practically (morally) necessary /postulate/, even though we cannot /prove/ it.

Kant’s argument from practical reason for God’s existence, from his /Critique of Practical Reason/, can be stated:

1.     Happiness is what all human beings desire.

2.     Morality (viz., categorical imperative) is the duty of all human beings (what they ought to do).

3.     The unity of happiness and duty is the greatest good (the /summum bonum/).

4.     The /summum bonum/ ought to be sought (since it is the greatest good).

5.

But the unity of desire and duty (which is the greatest good) is not possible by finite human beings in limited time.

6.

And the moral necessity of doing something implies the possibility of doing it (ought implies can).

7.     Therefore, it is morally (i.e., practically) necessary to postulate: (a) a Deity to make this unity possible (i.e., a power to bring them together), and (b) immortality to make this unity achievable.

A simpler form goes:

1.

The greatest good of all persons is that they have happiness in harmony with duty.

2.     All persons should strive for the greatest good.

3.     What persons ought to do, they can do.

4.     But persons are not able to realize the greatest good in this life or without God.

5.     Therefore, we must postulate a God and a future life in which the greatest good can be achieved.