Our Foundation

Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe ... the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

—Immanuel Kant, philosopher

Why does humankind feel guilt or remorse? Why do people have a sense of fairness or unfairness, justice or injustice, unselfishness or selfishness, courage or cowardice, right or wrong, distorted as they may be? To be sure, we add our shades of gray to these concepts, corrupting their purity through our self-interest. Nevertheless, how can anyone even compare these contrasting ideas without some internal standard by which to compare them? When we feel betrayed or cheated or lied to, something within us tells us a standard of behavior has been violated. When someone takes something that belongs to us without our permission, we are upset. Even a gang of thieves after a heist feels that their rights have been violated when they do not receive what they consider their "fair share." And when an innocent man is accused of or punished for something he didn't do, his sense of injustice is keen.

Each of us has a moral code ingrained within us, even though we do not always act in accordance with that code. C. S. Lewis, scholar and author, wrote, "First, human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and really cannot get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all the clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in." Lewis went on to write that human beings are "haunted by the idea of a sort of behavior they ought to practice, what you might call fair play, or decency, or morality, or the Law of Nature" and "that they did not in fact do so."

Moral impurity and spiritual corruption are the result of incremental compromise through a slow erosion of standards, a growing carelessness about details, a gradual blurring of distinctions, and poor moral discipline. One commentator said that the safest road to hell is a gradual one: the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turns or milestones or signposts.

So where does this embedded sense of right and wrong come from? Lewis argues that it is not simply cultural, as it is universal:

Some people say the idea of a Law of Nature or decent behavior known to all men is unsound, because different civilizations and different ages have quite different moralities. But this is not true. There have been differences between their moralities, but these have never amounted to anything like a total difference. If anyone will take the trouble to compare the moral teaching of, say, the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Hindus, Chinese, Greeks and Romans, what will really strike him will be how very like they are to each other and to our own.

Back to the question: where does this implanted sense of right and wrong come from—what is its source? Simply put, it came from our Creator. God has communicated His existence, His nature, His moral standards, and His plan of salvation to us. Nelson Bible Dictionary clearly articulates this fact. The quote is rather long, but worth every word, as our foundation is based on its truths:

God is a personal Spirit distinct from the world; He is absolutely holy and is invisible to the view of physical, finite, sinful minds. Although people can never create truth about God, God has graciously unveiled and manifested Himself to mankind. Other religions and philosophies result from the endless human quest for God; Christianity results from God's quest for lost mankind. God has made Himself known to all people everywhere in the marvels of nature and in the human conscience, which is able to distinguish right from wrong. Because this knowledge is universal and continuous, by it God has displayed His glory to everyone. Some Christians think that only believers can see God's revelation in nature, but the apostle Paul said that unbelievers know truth about God: The unrighteous must have the truth to "suppress" it; they "clearly see" it; knowing God, they fail to worship Him as God; they alter the truth; they do not retain God in their knowledge; and knowing the righteous judgment (moral law) of God, they disobey it. The reason the ungodly are "inexcusable" before God's righteous judgment is that they possessed but rejected the truth which God gave them. What can be known of God from nature? God's universal revelation makes it clear that God exists, and that God, the Creator of the mountains, oceans, vegetation, animals, and mankind, is wise and powerful. People aware of their own moral responsibility, who know the difference between right and wrong conduct and who have a sense of guilt when they do wrong, reflect the requirements of God's moral law (the Ten Commandments) that is written on their hearts. What is the result of divine revelation in nature? If anyone lived up to that knowledge by loving and obeying God every day of his life, he would be right with God and would not need salvation. However, no one loves God with his whole being and his neighbors as himself. People worship and serve things in creation rather than the Creator. The problem does not lie with the revelation, which like the Law is holy, just, and good; the problem is with the sinfulness of human lives. The best human being (other than Jesus Christ) comes short of the uprightness God requires. When Christians defend justice, honesty, and decency in schools, homes, neighborhoods, businesses, and governments, they do not impose their special beliefs upon others. They merely point to universal principles that all sinners know but suppress in their unrighteousness. As valuable as general revelation is for justice, honesty, and decency in the world today, it is not enough. It must be completed by the good news of God's mercy and His gracious gift of perfect righteousness. Nature does not show God's plan for saving those who do wrong: that Jesus was the Son of God, that He died for our sins, and that He...