You’re Not Crazy To Believe That: The Foundation For Morality | Pastor Todd Johnson
We live in a world where morality often feels like a moving target. What’s considered wrong one year becomes acceptable the next. And in some cases, what’s celebrated in one culture is condemned in another. This cultural confusion leads many of us to ask: Is there any real, stable foundation for knowing right from wrong?
If you’ve ever believed the Bible offers a moral compass—something objective, unchanging, and trustworthy—you’re not crazy. You’re actually right on track. In fact, you’re holding onto one of the last remaining lifelines in a world that’s slowly unmooring itself from truth.
The Bible Reveals an Objective Moral Standard
Let’s begin in Hebrews 4:12, where we’re reminded:
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
This verse paints a picture of God’s Word not as passive ink on a page, but as living, active, and piercing. It cuts through cultural confusion and personal preferences. The Greek word for “judges” in this verse is kritikos, from which we get “critical.” It means to evaluate, to discern with authority.
That means Scripture doesn’t just suggest. It declares. It doesn’t merely advise—it defines. God’s Word tells us what is right and what is wrong, regardless of what the culture around us decides.
Morality Must Be More Than Opinion
If morality is just about personal opinion or cultural consensus, then who decides what is ultimately right? We’ve seen the terrifying results of this approach throughout history.
Let’s not forget:
- Sati: A Hindu practice where widows were expected to throw themselves onto their husbands’ funeral pyres.
- Human sacrifices: Practiced by the Aztecs, Incas, and ancient Canaanites, often involving children.
- Honor killings: Still present today in parts of the world, where women are killed for “shaming” the family.
What all these practices have in common is this: they were believed to be morally good at the time. They weren’t done in secret shame. They were seen as virtuous, courageous, even sacred.
This is what happens when humans try to define morality without a transcendent standard. Without an anchor, anything goes.
The Modern Threat: Secular Humanism
Some might argue that we’ve evolved past such barbarism. That we can use logic, empathy, and social consensus to define morality today. That’s the essence of secular humanism—the belief that we can be good without God.
But here’s the problem with that logic: if there’s no truth above us, then everything becomes subjective. What’s moral in one era may be seen as immoral in another. There’s no accountability, no permanence, no clarity.
Secular humanism borrows Christian values—justice, equality, compassion—but cuts them off from their divine source. It wants the fruit without the root. But as we all know, a cut flower eventually withers. And that’s exactly what we’re witnessing in Western culture today: a slow moral decay as the roots of biblical truth are being severed.
God’s Standard: Holiness
Fortunately, the Bible doesn’t leave us in moral confusion. It presents a clear, consistent standard: God’s holiness.
In Leviticus 11:44, God says: “Be holy, because I am holy.” This isn’t just a command—it’s a calling.
Holiness isn’t only about avoiding sin. It’s about being set apart, uniquely aligned with God’s character. It reflects His purity, His justice, His compassion, and His moral perfection.
That’s why, when Christians have pursued this holiness throughout history, the results haven’t just changed hearts—they’ve changed entire civilizations.
How the Bible Transformed Civilization
Let’s get specific. Here are four major cultural shifts driven directly by the biblical pursuit of God’s moral standard:
1. The Abolition of Slavery
For much of human history, slavery was considered normal—even economically essential. But Christian leaders like William Wilberforce in the United Kingdom and Frederick Douglass in the United States saw slavery through the lens of Scripture.
Galatians 3:28 teaches: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
This biblical truth lit a fire that ultimately dismantled centuries of bondage.
2. Hospitals and Compassion-Based Institutions
In ancient cultures, the sick and poor were discarded. There were no hospitals or welfare systems. But the early Church, inspired by Jesus’ love for the marginalized, cared for orphans, widows, and lepers. Over time, this birthed the first hospitals, hospices, and schools for the poor—many of which were explicitly Christian in origin.
3. The Elevation of Women
In a world that often viewed women as property, Jesus dignified women. He spoke to them, healed them, and included them in His ministry. His example laid the foundation for reforms that would eventually lead to legal and cultural recognition of women as equal image-bearers of God.
4. Modern Legal Systems
Ideas like “innocent until proven guilty” and “equal justice under the law” didn’t evolve randomly. They came from biblical principles, especially in the Old Testament. Micah 6:8 says: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Justice—fair, impartial, and compassionate—has biblical roots.
What Happens Without the Bible?
When we abandon the moral foundation of Scripture, we don’t become more advanced. We become more confused. When morality becomes relative, anything can be justified—especially by those in power.
And here’s what’s frightening: when the foundation is gone, even evil becomes impossible to define. If there’s no God, then there’s no standard. No wrong. No evil. Just opinions.
We’re already seeing this play out in the erosion of truth in our society. What used to be considered common sense now gets labeled as “offensive.” Morality becomes a popularity contest. Truth becomes personal. And the Bible? It’s seen as a relic, even oppressive.
But here’s the good news: God is still the anchor. His holiness, His Word, and His truth remain as solid and trustworthy as ever.
Final Thoughts: The Bible Is Still Our Best Moral Guide
Let’s not forget what Hebrews 4:12 told us: God’s Word judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. It cuts through deception. It exposes falsehood. It leads us to truth.
You’re not crazy to trust it. In fact, in a culture drifting away from truth, you’re one of the few who’s still grounded.
The Bible has proven over and over again that it’s more than just a religious text. It’s the very thing that has lifted humanity out of darkness and into dignity. It’s transformed lives, reformed societies, and given voice to the voiceless.
So yes, objective morality exists. And His name is Jesus.