We see the three different types of Christian morality that are formed in Ephesians 4:17-24. These different moralities are not wrong or right; they are just on different levels of spiritual maturity. In the text Paul refers to a reaction morality “that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,” a rejection morality “in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,” and a reflection morality “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” These are the three pieces that make up Biblical morality. All of the pieces are important in understanding a Christian’s response to ethics in society.
Related posts:
- The Pieces of Morality–Part 1
- The Pieces of Morality–Part 3
- The Pieces of Morality—Part 4
- The Pieces of Morality–Part 5
- Over Reaction to the Past
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About The Author
Matthew is originally from Nova Scotia, Canada. He has a beautiful wife named Charity and a precious baby named Gabrielle. He has graduated from the Brown Trail School of Preaching, Heritage Christian University with his Bachelors of Arts in Biblical Studies, Lipscomb University with his Master’s of Arts in Biblical Studies and his Master’s of Divinity at Freed-Hardeman University. He is presently working towards his Doctorate of Ministry at Harding Graduate School of Religion. His articles have appeared in the World Evangelist, the Highway to Holiness, The West Virginia Christian, The Christian Echo, The Firm Foundation, Church Growth, and the Gospel Advocate. He enjoys hockey, golf, boxing, and chess. In his spare time he enjoys reading numerous genres of books. Also, he is working on climbing all of the 14ers in Colorado. Matthew is the Pulpit Minister for the Castle Rock church of Christ.
We need to keep these verses in their context. There is a foundation for moraltiy and it is the gospel and its goal, revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus becomes the basis for not just the outcome of how we live but the means by which we come by that way of living. This is very much against the grain of culture where the ends justify the means (utilitarian ethic), a grain that seems to have shaped many who profess to be followers of Jeuss Christ.
Grace and peace,
Rex