The Bible is Our Guide

The last verse in the book of Judges reads: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (21:25). Is it always good for people to do what they believe is right? Some people believe that stealing is all right, while others believe that it is sinful. Some people believe that nothing is wrong with killing innocent children through abortion, while others are convinced that abortion is absolutely wrong. Some believe that say­ing curse words is fine, while others don't curse and try to convince others to stop doing it.

Who's right? If there is no standard, no guide to determine objectively what is right and wrong, could we know for certain who is correct and who is incorrect? If there is no guide for righteousness, then one person's opinion that stealing is right is just as good as another person's conviction that stealing is wrong.

Fortunately, God has never left the human race without the ability to understand the difference between right and wrong. From the time of Adam and Eve, men and women have been able to choose to do right, and God has never made the rules of obedience too complicated. Today we have the Bible, which God gave to mankind to show us which things are right and which things are wrong.

But someone might ask: "How can we know that it's wrong to use cocaine, when the Bible doesn't even contain the word "cocaine?" Or, "How can anyone really believe that watching certain movies or particular things on television is wrong, when there's nothing in the Bible about television?" Or, "Why should I believe that abortion is wrong, when the Bible writers didn't even use the word "abortion?"

The truth is, the Bible contains general and specific inspired information that allows us to know how we should live in order to please God (and how to answer questions like those mentioned above). God didn't have to list every possible sin for us to know the difference between wrong and right actions. The Bible is the only perfect guide for every spiritual and moral decision (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17).

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