Take God's 'moral high ground'

(Based on a book by Tim Keller titled, “Counterfeit Gods.”)
 
The three definitions of the word “moral” from Merriam Webster Dictionary are interesting:  1) concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior. 2) based on what you think is right and good. 3) considered right and good by most people; agreeing with a standard of right behavior.
Agreeing on what is “moral” is challenging. The word “morality” by the standard of these definitions is either defined by “Me” or by the “Majority.”
So if I don’t think something is right, I feel no obligation to act in that way.
If the majority of people think something is right, and I don’t, I am perceived as immoral for acting differently.
The challenge with the lack of an objective standard of morality is that morality is constantly shifting. If I can convince a majority of people something is moral, I feel empowered to shame those who don’t agree. The ones who can claim the “moral high ground” can look down on those who disagree or act differently.
However, often those on the moral high ground succumb to blindness to their moral failures. They champion the one area in which they are doing well and condemn as judgmental those who would point out a moral failure, claiming the accuser has no right to impose their standard of morality on them.
Morality will always be a confusing issue as long as it is subjective and not objective.
That is why God, in his love for mankind, codified the moral code for the world in the Ten Commandments. He outlined not just for Israel, but for all people, what morality was. He outlined in ten statements what love for God and love for people entailed.
As Christ followers this is always our standard of morality.
But let me caution you not to make morality your idol. Don’t allow the outward obedience of the law overshadow a humble heart before God’s law. Morality becomes an idol when it leads us to overlook our sins and look down on others.
Remember that while you may be doing better at one area of Christian morality than others, you aren’t comparing yourself to others; you’re comparing yourself to God. When that happens, this truth from Romans 3:22 speaks to us: “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by h is grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Always remember that only God can claim the moral high ground. Yet even in that position, he chose to extend grace to you. You stand right with God only because God hose to make things right with you. He covered all your immorality (sin) with the perfect morality of Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Jesus, my perfect substitute when I sin and act immorally. Lead me to pray, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Lead me to live always in view of your mercy as a living sacrifice to you. Amen.