Constant Character

Psalm 15:4

In the 1960s, an Episcopal priest named Joseph Fletcher developed a theory of Christian ethics, known as “situational ethics.” He said that the highest biblical law was selfless (agape) love, and the other lesser laws could be disobeyed if necessary in the pursuit of love. Therefore, the ends can justify the means. And one’s circumstances or situation can determine which of God’s laws one keeps. This unbiblical approach to God’s laws can also lead to “circumstantial character”—character that is dictated by one’s circumstances. If God says He does not change, and if it is God who lives in us, it’s hard to see how we could be justified in changing who we are—our character—as a response to our circumstances. Character has often been described as what people do when they know no one is looking. Because God’s eyes are always open, our character needs to be constant before Him.