Part 2 Moral Principles

1
Part 2Moral Principles

• With many moral questions the NT gives us some
  principles which can be applied to a variety of
  issues.

2
1 - Reveling

• Galatians 521 - envy, murders, drunkenness,
  revelries, and the like of which I tell you
  beforehand, just as I also told you in time past,
  that those who practice such things will not
  inherit the kingdom of God.
• 1 Peter 43 - For we have spent enough of our
  past lifetime in doing the will of the
  Gentileswhen we walked in lewdness, lusts,
  drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and
  abominable idolatries.

3
1 - Reveling

• Gill Excess in feed, nocturnal riotings in
  eating, drinking, dancing, singing, chambering,
  and wantonness
• Barnes Reveling denoting the licentious
  conduct, the noisy and obstreperous mirth, the
  scenes of disorder and sensuality, which attend
  luxurious living.

4
2 Evil Desire

• Evil Concupiscence (KJV)
• Colossians 35 - Therefore put to death your
  members which are on the earth fornication,
  uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and
  covetousness, which is idolatry.
• Thayer desire, craving, longing, desire for
  what is forbidden, lust
• Webster lust unlawful or irregular desire of
  sexual pleasure

5
3 Lasciviousness

• Mark 721-23 - 21For from within, out of the
  heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
  fornications, murders, 22thefts, covetousness,
  wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye,
  blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil
  things come from within and defile a man.
• 1 Peter 43 - For we have spent enough of our
  past lifetime in doing the will of the
  Gentileswhen we walked in lewdness, lusts,
  drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and
  abominable idolatries.

6
3 Lasciviousness

• Thayer Unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness,
  lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness,
  shamelessness, insolence
• ISBE Exciting disgust or displeasure. It
  evidently means conduct and character that is
  unbecoming, indecent, unrestrainedly shameless

7
3 Lasciviousness

• Evil Desire (Concupiscence)vs.Lewdness
  (Lasciviousness)
• Concupiscence is the desire for what is
  forbidden
• Lasciviousness is the conduct that produces this
  unlawful desire in others

8
4 Lust

• Matthew 528 - But I say to you that whoever
  looks at a woman to lust for her has already
  committed adultery with her in his heart.
• Strongs to set the heart upon, that is, long
  for
• Easton sinful longing the inward sin which
  leads to the falling away from God

9
5 Excess of Riot

• 1 Peter 44 - In regard to these, they think it
  strange that you do not run with them in the same
  flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
• Webster to revel to run to excess in feasting,
  drinking or other sensual indulgences
• ISBE Properly, unrestrained behavior of any
  sort, but in modern English usually connoting mob
  action, although such phrases as riotous
  banquet are still in common use

10
6 Carousing

• 1 Peter 43 - For we have spent enough of our
  past lifetime in doing the will of the
  Gentileswhen we walked in lewdness, lusts,
  drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and
  abominable idolatries.
• Some translations say banquetings

11
6 Carousing

• Barnes It means properly drinking and act of
  drinking then a drinking bout drinking
  together. The thing forbidden by it is an
  assembling together for the purpose of drinking.
  There is nothing in this word referring to
  eating, or to banqueting. The idea in the passage
  is, that it is improper for Christians to meet
  together for the purpose of drinking wine,
  toasts, etc.

12
6 Carousing

• Barnes The prohibition would apply to all
  those assemblages where this is understood to be
  the main object. It would forbid, therefore, an
  attendance on all those celebrations in which
  drinking toasts is understood to be an essential
  part of the festivities, and all those where
  hilarity and joyfulness are sought to be produced
  by the intoxicating bowl. Such are not proper
  places for Christians.

13
6 Carousing

• Gill Intemperance of every sort, by eating or
  drinking as gluttony, drunkenness, surfeitings,
  and all luxurious feasts and entertainments,
  attended with riotings, revelings, and obscene
  songs and which are here mentioned in the Syriac
  and Arabic versions, and which lead to
  lasciviousness, and every unclean lust.

14
7 Pleasure

• 2 Peter 213 - and will receive the wages of
  unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure
  to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and
  blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions
  while they feast with you,
• Strongs sensual delight by implication
  desire - lust, pleasure
• Webster sensual or sexual gratification

15
8 Sin-Pleasure

• 2 Timothy 34 - traitors, headstrong, haughty,
  lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
• Gill lovers of sinful pleasures, or the
  pleasure of sin, which are but for a season, and
  not God serving divers lusts and pleasure, and
  not God making a god of their belly sensual
  idolaters, delighting themselves in their carnal
  lusts, and not in the service of God.

16
8 Sin-Pleasure

• Barnes That is, of sensual pleasures, or vain
  amusements. This has been, and is, the
  characteristic of a great part of the world, and
  has often distinguished even many who profess
  religion. Of a large portion of mankind it may be
  said that it is their characteristic, that they
  live for pleasure they have no serious pursuits
  they brook no restraints which interfere with
  their amusements, and they greatly prefer the
  pleasures to be found in the gay assembly, in the
  ball-room, or in the place of low dissipation, to
  the friendship of their Creator.

17
9 Flesh vs. Spirit

• Romans 81 - There is therefore now no
  condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
  who do not walk according to the flesh, but
  according to the Spirit.
• 1 Peter 42 - that he no longer should live the
  rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of
  men, but for the will of God.
• Galatians 516 - I say then Walk in the Spirit,
  and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

18
9 Flesh vs. Spirit

• Thayer the sensuous nature of man, the animal
  nature
• ISV (1 Peter 42) so that he can live the
  rest of his time in the flesh guided, not by
  human desires, but by the will of God.

19

• We must not try to write the rules for others
  to observe these principles.
• Each individual (family, parents) must determine
  how, when, and under what circumstances to apply
  the Biblical principles.
• Observe the teachings of the Bible here.

20

• Colossians 216-19 - 16So let no one judge you in
  food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a
  new moon or sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of
  things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
  18Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking
  delight in false humility and worship of angels,
  intruding into those things which he has not
  seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19and
  not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the
  body, nourished and knit together by joints and
  ligaments, grows with the increase that is from
  God.

21

• Colossians 220-23 -20Therefore, if you died with
  Christ from the basic principles of the world,
  why, as though living in the world, do you
  subject yourselves to regulations21Do not
  touch, do not taste, do not handle, 22which all
  concern things which perish with the
  usingaccording to the commandments and doctrines
  of men? 23These things indeed have an appearance
  of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false
  humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no
  value against the indulgence of the flesh.

22

• Four Principles from Colossians 216-23
• Do not judge others or allow yourself to be
  judged by others. (16-17)
• 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink,
  or regarding a festival or a new moon or
  sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of things to come,
  but the substance is of Christ.
• Do not cheat others or allow yourself to be
  cheated by others. (18)
• 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking
  delight in false humility and worship of angels,
  intruding into those things which he has not
  seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

23

• Four Principles from Colossians 216-23
• 3. Do not reject Christ as head or claim to be
  head in His place. (19)
• 19and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all
  the body, nourished and knit together by joints
  and ligaments, grows with the increase that is
  from God.
• Do not write rules and require others to submit
  or submit to the rules others try to impose. (20)
• 20Therefore, if you died with Christ from the
  basic principles of the world, why, as though
  living in the world, do you subject yourselves to
  regulations

24

• Profanity

• How many bad words before you turn off the TV?
  Walk out of a movie?
• When do you say something about the profanity you
  hear at work?

25

• Profanity
• Stewardship

• What is a waste of money?
• Golf clubs, new TV
• Boat, new clothes
• Have you spent money that could have been given
  to the poor? (Matthew 269)

26

• Profanity
• Stewardship
• Thanks for food

• Pray out loud or silently in public?
• Pray before any food is eaten? (Deuteronomy
  810)
• Should children say the prayer?

27

• Profanity
• Stewardship
• Thanks for food
• Modest dress

• How short is too short?
• What is proper / not proper for church services?
• Are the rules different for Wednesday night than
  Sunday morning?

28

• Profanity
• Stewardship
• Thanks for food
• Modest dress
• Dancing

• Will I violate any of the principles?
• Will my actions cause others to lust?
• Will I be tempted to lustful thoughts?
• Will this lead to other sinful activities?

29

• Here is what many do on prom night

4 guys / 4 girls rent a limo, ride around to be
seen by their friends
Socialize with friends and drink Some punch
(non-alcoholic)
Have your photo taken to remember the event
Go to a fancy restaurant for dinner
30
Here is what many do on prom night
They change clothes and go to the movies
The rest of the night they go bowling
Then they go home, eat some breakfast and go to
bed.
31

• What do you think?
• Did they violate any of the Biblical principles
  we studied?
• ON THE OTHER HAND
• WHAT IF A Christian goes to the prom in indecent
  clothing, dances in a provocative way, touching
  and handling others in inappropriate ways, then
  goes to a place where alcohol is served, causes
  others to lust because of their dress and
  conduct, and engages in immoral or illegal
  activities?
• What do you think?
• Did they violate any of the Biblical principles
  we studied?

32

• Is it wrong because the Bible condemns it
  directly?
• Is it wrong because it violates some principle of
  the NT?
• Are there dangers involved?
• Should we forbid or caution?
• Can 2 different families arrive at different
  decisions about this?

33

• Is there a difference in attending a dance (punch
  and photos) vs. dancing?
• Is dancing permitted for
• Husbands and wives?
• Learning an art form ballet, ice, traditional?
• Exercise aerobics?
• Can dancing be wrong because of other things
  associated with it?