All talk about of values, morals and ethics is meaningless without a scale or continuum of values and lack of them, as well as an ultimate judge. We understand this cardinal principle as members of society (and the whole human race) who just have to “get along” with one another despite our very many differences.
We accept that precise and commonly-accepted to definitions are needed for units of measurement and judgment in our daily affairs. There are international standards for virtually every aspect of human existence, including to measure time, the three physical dimensions and their derivatives, weight, temperature and light. There are also groups of life-forms, which the Bible calls “kinds” (Genesis.1:21, 24-25) following a template or standard.
Besides the physical universe of “things”, there is man’s moral plane of existence where there are standards by which human societies avoid perpetual and unending chaos and conflict within and among themselves. Cardinal among these values are truth (as opposed to error), right (as opposed to wrong), good (as opposed to evil) and beautiful (as opposed to ugly). In the broken, imperfect world in which mankind exists, and given individual free-will, there are often disagreements about these values but a grudging agreement that life would be so much better if there were consensus about these values.
If the Bible is worth anything at all, it ought to be valued as a book which describes human existence “as it is”. Few can refute or rebut its description (in some detail) of life’s futility (or “vanity”) “under the sun” in the book of Ecclesiastes. Fewer still would dispute the Bible’s depiction of mankind’s wrongdoings at every turn. The Holy Book’s overall assessment of man’s very best efforts, in Proverbs 14:12; 16:25 and Jeremiah 10:23- 24 is unchallengeable for every age and every civilization. And, none can doubt the many harmful effects of the inversion of values, as we are warned in Isaiah 5:20, 23 thus “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter..... who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man.”
The whole duty of man on earth is to do good works, his reason for being created (Ephesians 2:10). For this duty, he will be judged by his Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). In the words of 2 Corinthians 5:9-11 “... we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men .....” The result of this evaluation of our works while in the flesh will determine our destiny for eternity, as our Lord taught clearly in His parable of the separation of the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). Where else but in our present imperfect world would we have the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick and imprisoned for us to minister to,- even as we ourselves groan under the weight of the bondage of corruption (Romans 8:18- 25)? But a day of reckoning, and of accountability awaits us.
By the grace of God, He Himself has explained in Ezekiel 18:1-32 and 33:10-20 in considerable detail the terms of His judgment upon sinners. Indeed, He speaks emphatically about His fairness and gives a thoroughly-convincing reasoning as regards who will die in sin and because of sin and who will not despite having sinned. One striking aspect of the Father’s judgment is that it is based on works of righteousness considered until the end of our fleshly days, with time for repentance of previous unrighteousness. There is room for the sinner’s change for the better and divine forgiveness but also for the faithful to be unrighteous.
If a more comprehensive explanation were needed, we have the benefit of Romans 1:16 to 2:16, read along with Romans 11:22-23. In these passages the inspired apostle Paul builds upon the basis of judgment found in the Ezekiel passages of scripture. Paul explains the role of human free will in rejecting clear evidence of the existence of God’s “eternal power and Godhead”, earning God’s wrath (Romans 1:28-23). Consequently, God gave up sinners to a whole list of unrighteous acts and conduct which they knew brought death but nonetheless practised and even approved those who similarly sinned (Romans 1:28-32). In return for God’s forbearance and longsuffering, such sinners rejected the call to repent, inviting wrath, tribulation and anguish (Romans 2:3-11). Such sinners will have their unrighteousness revealed on Judgment Day, when their very conscience will have a part in accusing or excusing themselves (Romans 2:12-16). Romans 2:12-16 states clearly that even people not God’s chosen in the Old Testament days are without excuse if they try to avoid their duty to pursue and practice righteousness as God has determined for mankind. There is no escaping the fact that God is kind as well as severe when it comes to dealing with sinners and sin (Romans 11:22-23). All told, it remains up to sinners to choose to enjoy Divine forgiveness by their repentance of sins and obedience to the gospel, much as King David himself repented of gross sin without excuse (2 Samuel 12:13), being prepared to receive earthly consequences along with God’s forgiveness.