“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

1. Renewing Your Mind Romans 12:1-2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

2. Renewed View of Morals No place in America is so obviously in need of a renewal – note change in our lifetime! Life has changed all around us, as though we were sleeping and now suddenly awakened. Contrast: “The gradual conforming of the man more and more to that new spiritual world into which he has been introduced, and in which he now lives and moves; the restoration of the Divine image; and in all this, so far from being passive, he must be a fellow-worker with God” (Trench, Syn of NT, 65-66)

3. NT Christians Had to Learn It Early Christians came from pagan lives 1 Pet 4:1-4 “wasted enough time” Idolatry, social customs and national leaders promoted licentious and wicked behavior Living in wicked environment made it seem natural – “everybody is doing it.” Example: family in Corinth on “holy day” But Christians must see life differentlyActs 3:19; 2 Pet 2:9; 19; 3:11

4. What is “Morality?” • There are two basic philosophies of morals or ethics: • One adheres to an objective standard of right and wrong. These may be the principles one encounters in the Ten Commandments, the wise proverbs of Ben Franklin, or other principles of living. • The other views right and wrong as fluid and changing depending on the situation and the desired outcome. This is the philosophy of much of “postmodern” society.

5. Moral Relativism • Moral relativism is the view that ethical standards, morality, and positions of right or wrong are culturally based and therefore subject to a person’s individual choice. We can all decide what is right for ourselves. You decide what’s right for you, and I’ll decide what’s right for me. Moral relativism says, “Its true for me, if I believe it.” • Ex: One generation casts off another’s rules. • Children reject their parents values which are Bible based.

6. Is Moral Relativism Neutral? • Moral relativism has steadily been accepted as the primary moral philosophy of modern society, a culture that was previously governed by a “Judeo-Christian” view. While these “J-C” standards continue to be the foundation for civil law, most people hold to the concept that right or wrong are not absolutes, but can be determined by each individual…thus, anything goes…Words like “ought” and “should” are rendered meaningless. • Acts 17 – Epicureans – “If it feels good, do it.” • Song: “How can it be wrong when it feels so right?” Honky-tonk-country-rock-rap….

7. Innate Morality? • The Natural Law tradition, from the Greeks to the present day, explicitly holds that all rational persons know what kinds of actions morality prohibits, requires, discourages, encourages, and allows. …Even religious thinkers in this tradition such as Aquinas, hold that morality is known to all those whose behavior is subject to moral judgment, whether or not they know of the revelations of Christianity. But compare: Romans 2:16; 7:7

8. What Difference Does It Make? • It is vital that you understand these two ethical positions and the consequences that have come about because they affect your health and safety, they affect crime, government, they affect your future. Our secular schools are probably not teaching objective moral standards. You will not observe objective moral standards on network TV programs. It is vitally important that our families and our religious institutions re-establish basic objective moral principles. • Do you understand why certain things are right and others are wrong? Do you accept an objective standard?

9. Results of This Confusion • Every day in the United States of America: • 4,219 teenagers contract std’s • 2,329 teenagers unintentionally become pregnant • 908 teenagers who didn’t intend on becoming pregnant obtain abortions. • 1,000 adolescents begin drinking alcohol • 500 adolescents begin using illicit drugs • 16,000 crimes are committed on school campuses

10. What Effect Does This Have? • A ripple effect on society because of teen-age pregnancy: Only 50% complete high school and more than 50% of them are on welfare. They themselves become child abusers and their children, when they grow up, have 82% incidence of teenage pregnancy. 8.6 billion dollars are spent every year for the financial and health care support of teenage mothers. The sexual revolution of the 60’s has affected another dimension of health care…

11. What Effect Does This Have? • …In 1955 alone, 10 million cases of Chlamydia, 2 million cases of gonorrhea, 1 million venereal warts, .5 million genital herpes and 90,000 syphilis were diagnosed. The plague of AIDS is adding a new twist to our fears. 200,000 cases (out of date figures, tr) have diagnosed in the U.S. alone, out of which 50% have already died. • Africa is now the most affected nation and is causing world-wide economic loss in addition to the human toll and the countless orphans it has created.

12. Without God, There is No Moral Standard Debate among sociologists as to existence of moral standard apart from revelation Without divine standard, whose rules do we follow? Yours, Mine, Atheists, Societies? Obviously, man has capability of great good, great evil (Hitler), but who is to say what is good or evil for all time for all people? Giving up knowledge of God allows man to descend into gutter Rom 1:20-32

13. Identifiable Change Agents of Morality Journalists and mass media (biased, liberal) Supreme Court (unable to define pornography, limits religion) Television (vast wasteland of immorality) Churches (liberal, tolerant, accept all sin) Political parties (cater to blocs for votes) Social Mores – such as easy divorce, alternate life styles, acceptance of perversions Inability of most to stand against pressures

14. “Slouching Toward Gomorrah” (Bork) “Thirty years ago, Clinton’s behavior would have been absolutely disqualifying. Since the 1992 election, the public has learned far more about what is known…as the ‘character issue’. Yet none of this appears to affect Clinton’s popularity. It is difficult not to conclude that something about our moral perceptions and reactions has changed profoundly.” (Modern Liberalism and the American Decline, Robert H. Bork)

15. Needed: A Renewal of Bible Teaching of Purity “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness” Gal 5:19 “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints” Eph 5:3 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” 1 Thes 4:3; Col 3:1-9

16. Needed: A Renewal of Bible Teaching of Purity “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death, their blood shall be upon them” Lev 20:13 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their woman did change the natural use into that which is against nature; and likewise also the men” Rom 1:26f

17. We Are in a Culture War Liberal thinkers have made a conscious assault on morality, substituting secularism Rejecting the Bible and ancient rules of conduct, a “new morality” is substituted. Humanism invaded every level of schools and tossed out God and morality Supreme Court has changed “freedom of religion” to “freedom from religion.” Illegal to teach “Intelligent Design”

18. Culture War - Continued Rock and Roll music spelled out rebellion and immorality – Result, “Aids” Rom 1:26-7 The 60’s were known for domestic upheaval, drug use, promiscuous sex, abortions, etc. 2004 election introduced candidate who was from that generation of “flower children” that fought authority and discarded medals This characterizes our culture today Immorality has gone “uptown”

19. Where Are These “Flower Children” Today? “They went into politics, print and electronic journalism, church bureaucracies, foundation staffs, Hollywood careers, public interest organizations, anywhere attitudes and opinions could be influenced. And they are exerting influence.” (Ibid, 51). Consider Jane Fonda, Howard Stern, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, The Beastie Boys, Gangsta Rap, homosexuality, out of wedlock babies, rampant divorce, etc.

20. There will be Consequences to this Immorality Isa 1:10-16 “I have had enough” Jer. 3:20-21 “they have perverted their way” Ezek. 23:35 “bear the consequences” Ezek 18:4“the soul that sins shall die” Even pagan nations see us as flagrantly sinful; America is at a crossroads! We are in a spiritual and moral crisis and many are not even aware!

21. “New Freedom” is Enslavement – 2 Pt 2:19 “Freedom from religion” insures atheism Humanism fights revealed religion“Education is thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every American school is a school of humanism. What can a theistic Sunday school’s meeting for an hour once a week and teaching only a fraction of the children do to stem the tide of the five-day program of humanistic teaching?” (Humanism, a New Religion, C. F. Potter)

22. Even How We Mark Time Is Changing The Birth of Jesus Christ changed the dating system of our calendars B.C. = “Before Christ” A. D. = “Anno Domini” (in the year of our Lord Now, publications are ignoring Jesus and using B. C. E. = “Before common era” C. E. = “common era”

23. George Washington’s Farewell Address - 1796 “ It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be sustained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality cannot prevail in exclusion of the religious experience.”

24. What Can We Do? Remember that God still rules Hab. 2:20 There is a seasoning influence to righteousness Matt 5:13-16 Pray fervently 1 Thes 5:17; Jas 5:16 God will not ignore sin Amos 2:4-5 Remember the Judgment 2 Pet 3:5-13 “Be Not Conformed” “Be ye Transformed”