Based on 3 John (New King James Version)
“The Elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth. I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true. I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.”
What is right and what is wrong? I remember back to my earlier college days when I took some philosophy. I remember our professor starting to challenge us (not in an attacking way, to be very fair to him) by making us question where is it that humans get their morality from. He brought up hard questions, trying to get folks to contemplate on where do their own ideas come from and why. He posed a very hard question one day. He asked, “If there are five different people that are in an isolated situation where you could only save one of them, how would you choose who to save and why?” Needless to say, many did not know what to say. What is right and wrong? That’s a tough question in today’s society. In essence, it’s very subjective. Folks have all kinds of different opinions, and I believe that is where the challenge starts: Opinion. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion. That’s the beauty of freedom. Having an opinion is a precious right, but not at the expense of reality; and that is where a multitude of different issues come to the surface. Everyone has a different opinion on reality. Among those that are more scientific, their opinion rests on that which you can prove physically, and that is how right and wrong is somehow determined. Other folks may structure their opinion on surroundings, circumstances, or feelings. For instance, a person’s opinion may be affected by the way wrong and right affects a loved one; so they assume as right what a loved one is doing, despite the fact that it may truly be wrong. The wrong is justified through “love”. So what is wrong or right? To level the field, let’s establish that God is real; that He is a reality.
The first point is to understand that a person should be able to see what they believe themselves by how they live their life. One of the greatest problems that we face as a people is that we don’t contemplate our own actions, and why we do what we do as individuals. It seems ridiculous, but it’s true. That was the great value that I got out of my brief encounter with philosophy. It didn’t make me waiver in my faith; it actually made me think on the “why”. I heard this once, “Understanding the why is power”. Without having a valid answer to “why”, a person is just living, but there is no life in their living. So the Word of God says: “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:16-20. No matter how much a person says they believe something; what matters is what they are doing, their actions.
God challenges man to understand the why for his own good. And as God, He tries to bring “why” to the light; whether it’s good or bad. So right and wrong is truly an ever deeper question than what many believe it could be. The Lord posed this truth to people: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. So right and wrong actions are not everything to God. What God is after is the “intent of the heart”; the why. Because even doing the “right thing” may be done for the wrong reason, and that within itself invalidates the good action that is done in the eyes of God. God explains that right and wrong is more centered on living a reality with Him; living a genuine and personal relationship with Him by not just believing in Him (because demons believe and actually tremble before Him – something many people don’t do, even though they profess to believe in God), but by desiring to please Him by following His Word. And as the loving Father He is, what He teaches us through His Word is for our own good, so that we can become the masterpiece that He wants us to be; and are able to withstand anything that comes our way. For it is written; “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27.
So right and wrong is centered on loving God and doing what He teaches us to do. And the way to determine that is by observing yourself; face to face; and observing others; face to face. For it is written: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:3-6. So, are you living a true faith in Christ, actually doing what He taught? Lord bless! John