Right and Wrong

Is there such a thing as right and wrong? That may sound like a silly question until you realize how often people, who point out that something is wrong, are accused of being judgmental. The accusation goes something like this: Since none of us has the right to determine what is right or wrong, it is wrong for you to judge someone else’s behavior. They do not seem to notice that in order to make such a statement, they had to make a judgment as well.
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Lets face it, we all make judgments about what is right or wrong. The question is: on what basis do we make those judgments? If we each make up the rules about what is right and wrong, then we are going to have a lot of disagreements. Imagine if we were to play a game of checkers, and each player could change the rules whenever he decided. It would be complete chaos and soon no one would want to play anymore.
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I fear our country has come to such a place when it comes to debates on morality. Once the Bible has been rejected there is no firm basis for where to go on matters of right and wrong. Abortion and gay marriage are just a couple of the issues that come up. It is sad to say that even some churches have abandoned the Bible on such issues as to not seem judgmental. Where will this lead? If we cannot let God speak through His Word, how do we determine if anything is right or wrong?
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What if you think stealing is wrong, but you have something that your neighbor wants? What if your neighbor says he does not see anything wrong with him taking it, and that he is offended that you would judge him? Of course you would say that you have the law on your side, and that you would call the police. But what would happen if the authorities decided that there would no longer be laws against stealing? That would then make stealing legal, but would it make it right? Of course not. Stealing is wrong, whether it is made legal or not.
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Aren’t we judging when we say stealing is wrong? Of course we are. We are judging based on the clear teaching of right and wrong found in the Bible. The 8th Command says, “Thou shalt not steal.” Further it is made clear in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” -When we make laws against stealing, we are legislating morality. Imagine if morality were not allowed into any legal decision. In effect, we would then be legislating a lack of morality. Only the most depraved would advocate such a move. Still we are back to the same dilemma. Who gets to decide what is moral? Whether those decisions take place in the government, the church, or the home, who decides?
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It would be tempting to say that regardless of what the government or even the church decides, we still get to determine the morality in our homes. Let me state it differently, you get to determine how you behave in your homes, but that does not necessarily make it moral no matter what your belief. True morality- the ideas of what is right and wrong- comes not from our beliefs, not from our law, not even from whether or not a church advocates something. True morality comes from God.
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“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Acts 4:19
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.