Christian, Baptist and Ethics
Jimmy Porter“Do you know a good Christian realtor in the Jackson area?” asked one of our Mississippi pastors. He was inquiring on behalf of his son who had just been accepted into dental school. He desires a Christian realtor because he expects that person to be honest, fair, and just.
Shortly afterwards in another conversation an elected official indicated his Christian profession did not necessarily influence his decision in matters related to the well being of his constituents. He felt no moral or ethical obligation to care about citizens who were being exploited by others.
The above comments got me to thinking how easy it is for us to separate our behavior from our beliefs. Webster defines a Christian as one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ and conforms to a Christian ethic. Ethic is defined as a discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation.
The word Baptist defines a person who is a member of an evangelical Protestant denomination marked by congregational polity and baptism by immersion of believers only. Therefore, you can be a Baptist and not be a Christian. You can also be a Christian and not be a Baptist. But you cannot be a Christian and not have a Christian ethic.
When he or she says they belong to the Christian faith then they must allow Christian principles to influence their actions and attitudes. John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) Even the Old Testament prophet, Micah, understood the expectations of Almighty God when he wrote, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
Some years ago I was introduced to the Rotary civic organization. Their motto is “Service above self, he profits most who serves best”. It is a worthy ideal to say the least. But what caught my attention was the “Rotary 4-way Test”. The test was developed by Rotarian and entrepreneur Herbert J. Taylor during the Great depression as a set of guidelines for restoring faltering businesses and was adopted as the standard of ethics by Rotary in 1942.
These four questions serve as the ethical standard for the business behavior of Rotarians. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? And finally, will it be beneficial to all concerned? Not a bad standard at all, is it? Those questions need to be on every pastor and every politician’s desk.
Jesus mandated that we are to be the “Light and Salt” for our world. He demands a higher standard of ethics for those who claim to be His disciples. Christian behavior should be the standard for evaluating all other types of behavior. A Christian never has the luxury of leaving his/her ethics at home.
In every action I take it is my duty to ask, “Why are you making this particular decision?” What is my motivation? As a preacher, am I acting on scriptural teachings or am I trying to appease powerful members of the congregation? As a politician am I voting my Christian ethic or am I voting to get re-elected or am I voting to appease the ones who throw the most money my way? Am I selling my vote or does my vote at least measure up to the “Rotary 4-way Test”?
No matter your vocation, if you are a Christian then there is a standard of behavior expected of you by your Lord and by your fellowman. I want to say again, “You can be a Baptist and not be a Christian”, “You can be a Christian and not be a Baptist”, but “You cannot be a Christian and not have a Christian ethic”.