How do you make decisions?

How do you determine right from wrong?

“Do what you feel is right.” Have you ever heard that phrase or something like it? Is it really the right thing to do?

When Adam and Eve gave into temptation and fell into sin, they took all of us and creation with them. Ever since then, we have had a corrupt, sinful nature.

Sin, not Sins
We often think of our sinful nature in terms of our sins. We do thing that are wrong. That makes us sinners. The truth, however, is that we do things that are wrong BECAUSE we are sinners. Our “sins” are the fruit of our sinful nature. That’s why the Bible almost always refers to “sin,” not “sins.”

The problem is deeper than our sinful actions.

We have an innate desire to determine right and wrong. Often, we use our intellect and our feelings to make this judgment. However, what we need to understand is that every part of us is corrupted by our sinful nature, including our intellect, feelings, and sense of justice.

Our very minds and hearts have the sickness of sin. They are deceitful. Not that we use them to deceive others, but that they deceive us. We cannot rightly determine right from wrong because of the corruption of sin.

Looking Outside Ourselves
So, how do we know right from wrong? If we cannot look inside ourselves, we must look outside ourselves. Do we look to others? No, they are sinners, too. Do we look to philosophy or culture? No, they are formed by sinful people. There is only one source that is not tainted by sin.

We must look to God, specifically to His Word, the Bible. When we come across something we don’t like in the Bible, we must change, recognizing that this is due to the corruption of sin.

What hope do we have?

If we are corrupted thoroughly by sin and God will “give every man according to his ways,” what hope do we have? Thankfully, God’s Word doesn’t just tell us right from wrong. It tells of the One who came to save sinners like us. Sure, our hearts are corrupted by sin and our deeds produce the fruit of death, but He gives us a new heart.