ANSWERS IN THE BIBLE TO PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH.  # 9.

THE PROBLEM OF MORALITY.

WHAT IS MORALITY?  Morality refers to man's conduct or standards and
practices of daily living.

IS THE CHRISTIAN LIFE A HIGH STANDARD?  Jesus said, ":Be ye therefore
perfect, even as you Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Mt. 5:48).  Only
God is perfect.  He has the highest and holiest standeard of all.
But Christians seek to be like God.  They constantly strive for High ideals
and principles.  Christianity has the
highest moral standard of any religion.

MUST A CHRISTIAN LIVE A PERFECT AND SINLESS LIFE?  No one is without sin.
"If we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 Jno. 1:8).
Christians, therefore, cannot expect to be
sinlessly perfect, for there is none righteous, no not one (Rom. 3:10).
 No, man cannot be perfect as God is
perfect but man can be perfect to the extent that God expects of him while
upon this earth].

HOW CAN WE BE SAVED IF WE CANNOT BE PERFECT [AS GOD IS PERFECT ] ?  1 Jno.
1:7 says, "But
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanseth us from all sin."  Man cannot be righteous in his own
deeds; he cannot be saved by his own
goodness.  But by walking in the light of God's Word, a Christian can be
cleansed by the blood of Christ from
all sin.  Because a Christian trusts in Christ's blood, he partakes of
Christ's righteousness.  His sin is forgiven
by the wonderful sacrifice of Jesus.  He is saved by trusting in God.  He
cannot be saved by trusting in his own
works or boasting of the righteousness of his own deeds (Eph. 2:8,9).  He is
saved by God's goodness through
faith.  [ The grace of God has appeared to all men, teaching us, that
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking
for the blessed hope and appearing of
the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.  (Titus 2:11-14).
So, the grace that saves us is the grace that teaches us; we are taught by
the Word of God.  The Word of God requires of us activites of God's
making.  Unless we do what He requires of us we cannot be saved.  Yes, the
grace of God has appeared unto
ALL men bring salvation.  But that salvation comes at a price, not only by
the blood of Christ, but the required
conditions God places on man through His inspired Word, the Bible ]
Imperfect man can be saved by faith in the cleansing blood of Christ as he
walks in the light of God's Word.

HOW IS MORAL LIVING CONNECTED WITH SALVATION BY FAITH IN CHRIST'S BLOOD?
Sinful man can
only be saved by faith in Christ who justifieth the ungodly and counts man's
faith for righteousness (Rom. 4:5).
But faith comes from the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).  By obeying Christ in
following His commandments we
prove or show our faith (Jas. 2:17-26).  Faith which does not obey the Word
of God is not saving faith; it is a dead faith (vs. 26).  Christians walk in
the light of God's Word which shows their living faith in Christ, whereby
He cleanses them by His blood.  In this way, moral living, or living by the
great moral standard of God's Word, is
related to a Christian's faith which is his means of salvation in Christ's
blood.

IF A MAN REFUSES TO KEEP [ ALL OF ] CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS, DOES HE REALLY
LOVE THE
LORD?  Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (Jno. 14:15).  1
Jno. 2:3-6 says, "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His
commandments.  He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But who so keepeth
His word, in him verily is the love of
God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.  He that sayeth he abideth
in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked."  By a Christ - like
walk, Christians show that they know Christ and are in Christ.  Only
by abiding in Him by keeping His commandments do we actually love the Lord.

[ MANY PROBLEMS ARE INVOLVED IN THE MORALS OF MAN:  In dealing with these
problems, on should
be specific instead of just generalizing.  In our further study along this
line, we will deal with many problems of
morality specifically.  We trust that you will bear with us and study along
with us in this important theme ]