“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.”
Moral Law Defined
The moral law may be defined as a rule of action prescribed by God to mankind concerning their duties to Him and to each other.
Natural Religion
From the earliest periods of the world’s history, among all people, in every part of the earth, mankind have recognized and worshiped a Being whom they regarded as superior to themselves, possessing attributes of infinite wisdom, power, and knowledge. This Being they call God.
They derive their knowledge of Him through the traditions of their ancestors and the works of His creation. The following is a sublime description of God as seen through His works:
“He hath made the earth by His power; He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion. When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures.”
“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”
He is the Superior Power who made us and prescribed the laws by which we are governed. To enable us to understand our relations to Him, He has conferred upon us mental and moral faculties, thus making us superior to all His earthly creatures.
Other animals possess bodies and bodily powers similar to ours. They are also gifted with a wonderful faculty called instinct, which enables them to preserve their lives, promote their comfort, and increase their kind; but they have no knowledge of right and wrong.
Man’s Endowments
The mind of man enables him to perceive and know, by all that is in and around him, that there is a Being superior to himself. He can recognize himself as the lord of creation, and yet he feels that there is One who surpasses him immeasurably in all the elements and attributes of greatness.
This Creator has conferred upon him a faculty to perceive his relations, reason to reflect, judgment to determine, and a will to execute, and, in addition, an inner sense which enables him to understand right from wrong.
Right and Wrong
Human actions are divided into two classes with reference to their moral quality: the good and the bad. In performing the good, we do right; in following the bad, we do wrong. Right and wrong are the subjects of the moral law.
Some actions have no moral quality in them, as it cannot be said they are either right or wrong. In such cases conscience does not urge us to act or refrain. Thus, if I choose to visit a friend today or tomorrow, conscience is silent. But if my friend is sick and I have promised to go, then I am bound to do so. Conscience says, “to go is right; to neglect the duty is wrong: therefore go.” Conscience not only instructs but urges us to do right, and its voice should never be slighted.
Differences in Judgment
As persons differ in appearance, so they differ in mental and moral powers. There are differences in education, habits of thought, circumstances of life, and social relations, which often lead to different judgments concerning right and wrong.
Men are often unable to see things in the same light and therefore do not agree in their conclusions. Each believes sincerely in the correctness of his opinion. What then is the duty of each? It is the duty of every man to follow his own conscientious convictions of right.
Obedience to Law
As God has given each man faculties to perceive, to reason, to judge, and to will, He will hold him accountable as a moral and intelligent being for the violation of His laws. We are responsible to God for the use and the abuse of all our powers of mind and body.
To arrive at correct conclusions concerning truth, it is our duty to seek instruction that will enable us to understand our relations to God and man, striving to discover and practice what is right.
If we violate the laws of health by intemperance, disease will follow. If we transgress the laws of the mind, we may suffer mental ruin. If we disobey God’s moral law, He will as surely punish it as He does the violation of physical laws.
The Penalty for Violated Law
If a man drops a lighted match into a keg of gunpowder, the explosion that follows reveals the consequence of his imprudence. If he pricks his flesh with a pin, the nerves immediately report the injury. These are examples of the certain and immediate results of violated physical law.
But violations of moral law do not always bring immediate punishment. Nevertheless, punishment will come. It is written:
“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
Because punishment is delayed, men are tempted to think it will not come at all.
The Moral Law Vindicated
God does sometimes execute the penalties of moral law in this world. The boy who disregards the warning, “Look not upon the wine when it is red,” may suffer loss of character, health, friends, and fortune, and may end in ruin.
He who lies once may become a habitual liar; he who steals once may become an abandoned thief. This is a terrible punishment even in this life.
CHAPTER QUESTIONS
- What is the subject of this chapter?
- Paraphrase the lesson.
- Define moral law.
- Whom do mankind recognize as their superior?
- How do mankind generally derive their notions of God?
- What is meant by tradition?
- Repeat the description of God as seen in His works.
- Who made the world?
- How does He utter His voice?
- What do the ascending vapors produce?
- Why should all the earth stand in awe of God?
- Who prescribes laws for the rain, lightning, and storm?
- How is man superior to the rest of God’s creatures?
- What is instinct?
- Have animals a sense of right and wrong? Why?
- How does man know there is a Superior Being?
- How many kinds of moral actions are there?
- Has God prescribed good laws for us?
- Should we obey them? Why?
- What are the subjects of moral law?
- Are there any actions that have no moral quality? Give an illustration.
- What does conscience say concerning good or bad actions?
- Are any two people entirely alike?
- Do all men agree exactly in their notions of right?
- What, then, must each man do?
- Why are we accountable to God for our actions?
- If we do right, what will God do? If wrong?
- To whom are we responsible for the use of our powers?
- How shall we learn God’s will concerning us?
- If we violate natural laws, how are we punished?
- Give an illustration of the penalty of a violated law.
- Do God’s punishments follow immediately? Why?
- Why are men careless of God’s law?
- What is written about the sentence against evil doers?
- Are the laws of morality ever vindicated in this world? Give an illustration.
- What may become of one who violates the law which says, “Look not…”?
- What may occur to him who lies once?
- What may occur to him who steals once?
The lessons published on this site are freely available to read. If you wish to move from reading to formal study — with graded assessments, academic records, and the support of the Academy — you may enroll at any time. Enrollment is open year round, to students of all ages.
