ANSWERS TO LIFE’S PROBLEMS                          EAST BAY FELLOWSHIP

(Series, #3)                                                                                           May 20, 2007

THE PROBLEM OF ETHICS

TEXT: James 3:13-18

INTRODUCTION

· Ethics are, by definition “a set of principles of right conduct”.  It comes from the root Greek word ethos which has to do with “character”.  (yourdictionary.com)

· Be careful-- watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.   1 Pet 5:8 (TLB)

· Ethical problems are those places where hell roars in our ears and seeks to paralyze us.

1) WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR?

· Selfish Ambition

· Disorder

· Every Evil Practice

2) WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR?

· Harvest of Righteousness

· Environment of Peace

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”   Matt 5:9 (NIV)

3) HOW DO WE GET GOOD ETHICS?

· Seek and exercise wisdom in daily decisions

· Seek help in overwhelming circumstances

CONCLUSION

· “…only 30 percent of those who took an ethical stand faced any negative consequences.”    Lee Strobel, God’s Outrageous Claims, Zondervan 1997