Do Christian really need ethnics when it comes to making a decision in life? Well I thought so it was a common sense thing but it was not. When I started to study the different types of ethnical system that we are about to discover below:
- Unqualified Absolutism
- Graded Absolutism
- Conflicting Absolutism
- Situationism
- Generalism
- Antinomianism
Honestly most people including myself would never have thought that by discovering the way others or our own decision as Christian would actually equip us to better understand how we make wiser decision. By understanding the various kind of approach to an issue , it helps Christian to make ethnical decision when it seems really hard to comes to a conclusion in some cases.
In an example of a mother who get rapes most people including myself would conclude that it should be abort to avoid further emotional damages for the victim. However based on the various ethnical systems above, the outcome of the final decision can be handled differently by the various ethnical system that help to make a wiser decision.
I realize although not all systems are perfect and there never will be one because of the complex variations in every situation is unique to each case or person. As a Christian giving advice to others, we have to be careful not to implant our thoughts into others where it may also lead to the victim blaming us if the outcome did not result in a favourable matter. Therefore, it would be wise to apply such systems to aid the person we are helping but yet allow the final decision to make by them instead.
For situation regarding in our own personal life , applying such system do give us a wiser choice on tough decision in life. Although at times and situation it maybe hard to decide but I strongly believe that the Holy Spirit can be also be a useful aid to making our decision as well.
Three Principles of Christian Ethics
- Christian Conscience
- Christian Freedom
- Christian Motives
In a moral sense, I felt it was very important in making sense of anything in terms of the conscience if the decision we make is it moral and right? Are we sometimes as Christians too quick to judge others or voice out before taking the extra time to pray about it first before giving advice. We got to be more sensitive and objective in such situation when it comes to helping others and have good consciences when it comes to making the decision of the matter.
In where I live in Singapore, we have the freedom to practice our faith with God openly but it is not always the case for some in countries where people cannot do so. Therefore, I felt a sense of thankfulness in every thing I have and that indirectly helps me makes wise decisions in life not only for myself but also giving advice to others. It also reminds me of the great redemption by God through Jesus that we are able to seek for forgiveness because of his great love. That great love has been shared to billions of people around the world and we as Christian should be thankful for the freedom we have in Christ to share and save others who yet to know Christ.
Lastly, the motives we have in decisions we make at church or at work should always point toward the desire to serve Jesus. It is unfortunate that today, we live in a generation that people who claim to be “Christians” serve more for themselves than others. While it is not wrong to seek help from God but it should not be the main reason why we believe in Christ. Jesus said in the Bible in Matthew 16:24 that every Christian who wish to follow Him have to first deny themselves and that’s a powerful command I know not many are willing to do.
Therefore by the grace of God, I like to encourage you to take that step of faith to say “YES” to that call and be grateful for what God have given to you and desire more of Christ instead of your own needs.