Is Morality Missing in Our Ministries?

“All of life is moral,” says Albert Mohler, “there is no dimension of life that does not involve moral principles and moral consequences.”  It is true: we are moral beings that live by moral codes, and suffer from moral repercussions.  Even the immoral and the amoral live under the weighty system of morality.  There is no escaping it.  Those who refuse to acknowledge ethical, biblical, and moral principles are subject to natural law regardless of their acceptance of it. Someone’s denial of gravity is made possible by the very gravity they deny.  In short, morality is imbedded in a person’s DNA, whether they admit it or not.

So the real issue is not the existence of morality, it is the engagement, or perhaps, the embrace of morality. Though relativism is logically self-defeating, it has done its damage in society at large.  Truth to you, the relativist says, may not necessarily be truth to me.  This misconstrued, misdirected, and delusional worldview has captured the heart of the mighty millennials thus changing the moral landscape of our times.

Furthermore, and sadly, such ambiguous reasoning has infiltrated the lofty courts of clergyland.  We reluctantly and rarely applaud those who lead without personality, charm, communication giftedness, or accelerated degree.  We want our leaders to razzle, dazzle, entertain, and move the masses.  Integrity is too often an afterthought.  We have traded character for charisma, accountability for ability, and morality for might.  Morality is a fleeting discussion, an outdated virtue.  Give us buildings, give us entertainment, give us stuff.  The closer we get to the coming of Christ, the faster the religious community marches to the mantra of moral-less men.  Such a path may lead to visually-stunning, intellectually-thrilling, and physically-imposing ministries, but will it take us to God?

We need truth.  Not just from men who have learned it, but from men who live it…in every dimension of life.