The late philosopher Francis A. Schaeffer once said that people and cultures often unknowingly live on “borrowed Christian values.”
What Dr. Schaeffer means is that the Creator God of the Universe, the God of the Bible, long ago sovereignly determined right from wrong and what attitudes, values, principles, behaviors and practices, and therefore lifestyles, served humanity best. God in essence said, “This is good for you, do and act this way” and ultimately defined the standards by which much of humanity lives to this day.
Since the Garden of Eden, though, we humans have for the most part ignored God’s way and tried to create our own better “reality.” But there’s a problem with this. The degree to which sinful human hearts depart from the Holy and Omniscient God’s best counsel, is the degree to which we “live on lies” making for ourselves a stressful and unwholesome [ungoldy] world.
So what does this mean? Quite simply, it means Christian values as revealed in the Word of God are not simply “spiritual” but are eminently “practical.” They don’t just promise good things... they don’t just make your inner life more peaceful... they work in everyday life.
Christian values practiced around the globe, often displayed by a small minority living in difficult conditions under oppressive governments, demonstrate the eternal significance of every human being. Christian values help to promote cultures of sharing, giving, caring, and fairness among hostile ethnic groups, not hostility, reprisals, destruction and death. Christian values express love for all, rich and poor, men, women, and children, the healthy and unhealthy. Christian values affirm marriage and fidelity in marriage, which in turn helps to create strong families and strong societies. Christian values teach honesty, integrity, work ethic, initiative and creativity. Societies and economies built upon such values tend to flourish and prosper.
Christian values support law and order based upon human rights, legal, ethical and moral government, and personal and public morality. Christian values create foundations for peace, liberty and economic opportunity.
Christian values appreciate the separate responsibilities before God of both His Church and the government. Christian values advance the civil liberties and religious freedom of all human beings. Christian values encourage education, research and innovation, and stewardship of natural resources.
While recognizing the existence of evil, the necessity of criminal justice, and at times armed conflict, Christian values teach non-violence and aspire to peace among all men and women. Christian values are given by God for all times, countries, and cultures, so they recognize no favorites but the blessed, who pursue Christ and Christian living wherever they may be.
While Christian values exercise a profound spiritual impact upon all who embrace them, they also can exercise a far-reaching practical and secular impact upon people, families, cultures, and societies within and across global boundaries.
Christ, the Savior of Humanity seeks to show all humans the right way to live. His Way is the right way and brings peace and harmony to a world filled with strife.
"For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." 1 Peter 1:23
