Topic: Guided By Our Moral Compass
Text: 1 Timothy 1:3-11
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
Morals or morality has to do with principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.
A compass is an instrument containing a magnetized pointer which shows the direction of magnetic north. I happen to have a compass. I understand if you have a map and a compass you stand a better chance of not getting lost in the woods while on a hike or just taking a walk in an unfamiliar place. Compasses have other uses but for today’s sermon knowing you have a better chance of not getting lost if you have one.
Before we became Christians, we were like lost sheep without a shepherd. Sinful influences caused us to be lost or separated from God. In Luke 15:3-6 Jesus told this parable, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
Jesus refers to himself as the good shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep. We understand that those of us that are saved are the sheep Jesus is talking about. Once we are saved, how do we know what we are supposed to be doing to maintain our relationship with God? We need a moral compass to guide us, so we don’t get lost amongst all the temptations that are vying for our attention. The Bible is our moral compass. Everything we need to live a victorious life is found here. For those of you who are new to the faith, the Bible, because of its size can be a little intimidating. But for those of us that are spiritually mature, the Bible has become a daily reminder of who we represent on earth in the person of Jesus Christ.
This morning we are going to be looking at several principles that are key to living a Christian life. These principles are taken from the Bible, our moral compass.
The Principle of Love: At the heart of Christian moral living is the principle of love. Tina Turner sang a song, What’s Love Got To Do With It? Love has everything to do with it. From scripture we are told how much God loves us and how we in turn should love God and one another. This love is more than a feeling or emotion, but an active commitment to seek the well-being of others, even at our own expense.
Mark 12:30, 31
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus told us in John 15:12 that his command is this; Love each other as I have loved you.
This love we share with others is grounded in the belief that all human beings are created in the image of God and are thereby worthy of dignity, respect, and care.
You’ve heard me say on several occasions that God’s love for us never changes. Regardless of what we do, God’s love is a constant.
But when we know the love of God, we are better able to love, not just the ones that love us back, but even the ones that refuse to love us.
The Principle of Justice: Justice is defined as the moral and spiritual principle reflecting God’s character, emphasizing fairness, righteousness, protection of the vulnerable, and restoration in human relationships. Biblical justice goes beyond legal and societal rules, it is rooted in the character of God, who is described as just, righteous, impartial, and serves as the ultimate model for human conduct. This justice encompasses retributive aspects, wrongdoing, and restorative aspects, aiming to reconcile and restore relationships between individuals, communities, and God. Revelation 21:3-8
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Acts 17:30, 31
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
The Principle of Humility: Biblical humility is an attitude of lowliness, dependence on God, and a willingness to submit to His will — expressed through meekness, repentance, obedience, and service.
Philippians 2:5-8
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death —
even death on a cross!
What better example of humility for us then Jesus? If Jesus could leave Heaven, be made in human likeness, and humble himself and die on a cross for you and me, we should be able to listen to others, admit when we are wrong, and seek forgiveness when we hurt others. We should be compassionate, live a life of integrity, and be a good steward of the resources and gifts that God has entrusted us with, using them wisely for the good of all.
The Principle of Faith: Our moral lives must be rooted in faith. Having faith in God and his Word should permeate every aspect of our existence. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6a) Faith enables us to live a moral and ethical life.
Through faith, Christians are empowered to love and serve others, to be honest and just, and to live lives of integrity and compassion. Faith gives us courage to stand up for what is right, to be the voice of the voiceless, and to work for justice and peace.
How do we get our faith? According to Romans 10:17 faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 5:1 tells us being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
When you question your faith remember what Jesus told his disciples as recorded in Mt 17:20, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
There are so much more our moral compass provides for us. Like the role of Scripture.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Scripture provides the moral framework and guidance that we need to live a life pleasing to God. I decided for Christmas I was sending my children Study Bibles. My eldest son called last week with a spiritual challenge. I mailed him his Bible last week. God is answering the prayers Karen, and I have prayed for him for so long.
Prayer and worship are vital to Christians moral living. Individually, we need to spend time in prayer daily. Scripture teaches us to pray without ceasing. Worship brings the people of God together as a group to praise God and to support one another in our journey of faith.
The Holy Spirit at salvation takes up residence in all believers. The HS gives us power for moral living. Because of the Spirit we can live lives pleasing to God and overcome the obstacles and challenges that we face daily.
The Spirit also produces fruits in the lives of believers. Galatians 5:22, 23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. We don’t just get one or two of the fruit but all of them. The Spirit will point out to you who you can bless with your fruit.
The Principle of Forgiveness: In obtaining salvation, God forgives us of our sin. Jesus took our place by dying on the cross paying the debt we owed but could not pay. While hanging on the cross Jesus said this about the ones crucifying him, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
When you become a Christian forgiveness is not an option. Being able to forgive others also helps you love more deeply and see others as God sees them. There are benefits for the person that learns to forgive.
- Improved mental health – when you let go of negative emotions and resentment
- Stronger relationships – forgiveness can strengthen relationships by fostering greater understanding, compassion, and empathy.
- Spiritual growth – When we practice forgiveness we can grow in faith and become more Christ-like in our attitudes and actions toward others.
The Principle of Living a Life of Service: Living a life of service means being selfless and putting the needs of others before your own. It is about being a positive influence in our community and being an example of Christ’s love.
When you serve there is the potential of personal growth, making a positive impact on the lives of others, and spiritual growth. You can serve through volunteering, by doing acts of kindness, even becoming a mentor.
The Principle of Overcoming Temptation:
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
James 1:14, 15
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
The good news is that it is not a sin to be tempted. The challenge is not yielding to temptation. Temptation often comes in the form of attractive or pleasurable things that we desire. Satan, the ultimate tempter, will use our weaknesses and desires against us. How are we to resist temptation then?
- Through prayer
- Living a life of accountability – this is where Christian community comes in.
- Focusing on God’s plan for our life.
Our moral compass, the Bible, God’s Word has much more to teach us. Spend time reading it. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Study Questions
- How comfortable are you in using the Bible as your moral compass?
- Is it safe to say that some things you used to do you don’t do anymore because of your use and understanding of the Bible?
- The sermon addressed several principals for living a life guided by our moral compass. What other principles could have been addressed?
- What does love have to do with living a moral life?
- Where do you stand when it comes to justice issues like the crack down on illegal aliens in this country?
- Is there anything in your life you would be embarrassed by if Jesus paid you a visit?
- How easy is it for you too forgive others when they offend or hurt you?
- What kind of servant are you?
- What size is your faith?
- How well do you handle temptation?