Christian Ethics

Christian Ethics Lessons 9 & 10 (Test 5)

 

1.           Ten assumptions are as follows:

a) Man is highest form of life in the universe.

b) Man is essentially a part of nature.

c) Man alone gives purpose to the universe.

d) Group standards provide validation of right or wrong.

e)The good life is for man's happiness and satisfaction of his desires.

f) Evil exists but sin is outmoded.

g) Improvement comes through man's own efforts socially, economically or politically.

h) Man is totally dependent on group resources.

I) Man's existence ends with his death.

j) Christ is solely an historical figure around which the church has been organised.

2.           A man may be respectable and law-abiding but is not a Christian as his primary insight is humanistic and not Bible-centred as the source of insight.

3.           Moralism is to define a person as a Christian because he possesses the required Christian virtues. Fractionalism is to take one aspect of Christian experience and treat it as the whole experience.

4.           The Christian virtues are shown in the Beatitudes:

Those who are humble in spirit.

Those comforted by God in their mourning.

Those who are unpossessive but have God's richest gifts.

Those eager in the quest for righteousness.

Those who are merciful.

Those who are pure in heart.

Those who are peacemekers.

Those faithful under persecution.

Those able to endure scorn for the Kingdom's sake.

5.           Christian virtues according to Paul are:

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

6.           These virtues are the 'fruit of the Spirit' from the indwelling presence of God; secondly, they are the fruits of a whole personality; and thirdly, there is no law against such attributes.

7.           Other portrayals of Christian virtues are in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 13.

8.           Calvin says that original sin is hereditary and a corruption of our nature in that even infants have the seed of sin within. Sin has possessed all the powers of the soul and impiety in man has seized both his mind and his very innermost heart.

9.           a) Is it ever right for a Christian to kill his fellow man?

b) Should a Christian ever lie, steal or cheat?

c) How should a Christian view or respond to the sins of the flesh?

10.       The message of Good Friday and Easter is that God has been victorious over sin because God so loved the world that he gave his Son for our redemption. This is our total Christian faith.