Just and Righteous Obedience to Parents

Rightness

(Ephesians 6:1)

These days, it has become increasingly difficult to speak about what is right or wrong. Each person has a different sense of what is right, and the standards come to vary depending on the times and cultures. If someone speaks loudly, they are often considered right; if something resonates with emotion, it is treated as truth. But what truly is right? We must clearly identify where the standard comes from.

1. The Source of Rightness
People make judgments about what is right and wrong, and based on those judgments, they decide how to act. These judgments come from the conscience, and conscience is connected to moral duty. But is this conscience and duty merely a product of social agreement or evolutionary development? The Bible says no. In the human conscience, God’s nature is reflected, and the standard of rightness and integrity was originally established by God. Many of the things we regard as right ultimately have their source in God’s righteousness.

2. The Truth Behind Our Motives
Even when people speak and act in ways that appear good, their hearts are often filled with selfishness and pride. They may think they are doing what is right, but their judgment may stem not from God, but from personal interest. True rightness must be acceptable to God even in its motivation. God does not look at appearances—He looks at the heart. He judges the attitudes and desires that lie behind the words we speak. Our righteousness—even in our motives—must reach the standard of God.

3. The Trap of the Majority
Just because many people agree does not mean something is truly right. At times, the opinion of the majority tramples on the truth and isolates those who follow their conscience. Truth is not determined by majority rule—what God declares righteous is what is truly right. When people ignore God’s will and judge right and wrong based on public opinion or emotion, they cannot please God. The standard of rightness lies in God’s righteousness, and we must stand on it.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim