THE CLAIM OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS

The claim of Christian ethics is that
all action takes place within the context of the truth that

God is, has always been and will continue to be LORD.

Moral action must be consistent with this truth.

An act is morally determined
by the freedom of the human actor to choose what to do.

The action taken determines morality;
actions are judged by what is done.

However, just "doing things" doesn't make a person Christ-like.
The end toward which humans have been created is to

become conformed to the character of Jesus Christ.

"Teleology" refers to ends
in a way that entails the idea of completion or ultimate purpose.
To understand how "teleogism" is not properly "teleological,"
consider the difference between "temporal" and "eternal" ends.

The phrase "ends justify the means"
usually refers to consequences within a human time frame;
however, Christian ethics makes the claim that

humans must consider their actions

within the eternal time frame of God's perspective.

God's ultimate judgment overrules everything,
determining what is to considered bad or good.

Covenant, as understood in the context of Christian ethics, involves

a relationship between Creator & creation:

the Creator proves responsibility by

promising to sustain all creation

and

enabling creatures with the freedom to respond as they are able;

the human creature is free to respond by
doing that which is consistent with the purposes of the Creator.

It matters that a person freely chooses to do things.
Doing things matter morally because

humans are conscientiously free to choose what things they do.

Animals do things, but they are not morally responsible

for what they can only do instinctively;

humans are morally responsible

because we can reason out our behavior rather than

just foolishly follow what Scripture refers to as "fleshly desires."

What we freely choose do matters morally

because we are then responsible for our decisions.

Becoming Christ-like is an act of grace
granted through what Jesus Christ, God incarnate, did
by living righteously, dying innocently on the cross,

then being resurrected as proof of God's favor.

As the model for Christian behavior,

Jesus Christ must remain the norm

for every believer in the Body of Christ.

Having accepted this in faith,
a person goes on to do things disciplined by the decision to

follow Christ's example

in wholly loving God and loving others as oneself.

Continually choosing to do things in this way

AND

joining together with like-minded others who do the same

conforms one more and more to the character of Christ

(consider Romans 12:1-2).

The Last Judgment

will review how well we lived our lives like this.