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We often hear from almost-True Christians™ that because the Holy Bible presents an absolute and universal moral code, we may not change it to fit any particular situation. That is a gross oversimplification of Biblically correct morality. The fact is that Biblical morality often depends on the situation, as the following examples show.
Killing
Even happy-clappy liberal false Christians may remember the following verse from Sunday school:
Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill.
However, God often commands His followers to kill. A complete treatment of God's holy genocides would be too long for this sermon, but the following will give you a flavor:
Numbers 31:17-18: Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Also, contrary to what criminal-coddling liberals tell you, some sins are so heinous that God commanded the death penalty for them:
Num. 15:32-36: And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Lying
We know that liars are hellbound:
Rev. 21:8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
However, the Bible shows us that lying is sometimes a good thing. Perhaps the most famous example is Rahab the harlot:
Joshua 2:1-7: And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they [were]: And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
The Bible, far from condemning her for lying, has this to say about her:
Hebr. 11:31: By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
James 2:25: Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way?
Scripture says that she was justified by what she did. That's a strange way of condemning someone, as I'm sure you'll agree.
Taking someone else's property
We know that we must respect others' property and not take it by force or fraud:
Exodus 20:15: Thou shalt not steal.
Mark 10:19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
But God also commanded this:
Exodus 3:21-22: And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put [them] upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
Exodus 11:2: Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.
Now, what do we call borrowing something from a trusting lender with the intent, not of returning it, but of despoiling the lender?
Killing
Even happy-clappy liberal false Christians may remember the following verse from Sunday school:
Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill.
However, God often commands His followers to kill. A complete treatment of God's holy genocides would be too long for this sermon, but the following will give you a flavor:
Numbers 31:17-18: Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Also, contrary to what criminal-coddling liberals tell you, some sins are so heinous that God commanded the death penalty for them:
Num. 15:32-36: And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Lying
We know that liars are hellbound:
Rev. 21:8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
However, the Bible shows us that lying is sometimes a good thing. Perhaps the most famous example is Rahab the harlot:
Joshua 2:1-7: And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they [were]: And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
The Bible, far from condemning her for lying, has this to say about her:
Hebr. 11:31: By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
James 2:25: Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way?
Scripture says that she was justified by what she did. That's a strange way of condemning someone, as I'm sure you'll agree.
Taking someone else's property
We know that we must respect others' property and not take it by force or fraud:
Exodus 20:15: Thou shalt not steal.
Mark 10:19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
But God also commanded this:
Exodus 3:21-22: And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put [them] upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
Exodus 11:2: Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.
Now, what do we call borrowing something from a trusting lender with the intent, not of returning it, but of despoiling the lender?
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