For Christians, the sacrifice of self is fundamental to pleasing God and by surrendering to the sovereignty of Christ, we gain unmerited favor. We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, pleasing to God (Romans 12:1) as a demonstration of our faith. Our faith then, is credited to us as righteousness, which permeates throughout our lives in the form of moral obedience. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul teaches, “For by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Humanity’s pursuit of knowledge will never succeed in solving the most fundamental human condition. By placing faith in technological advancements to correct our existential problems, civilization is willing to risk its very undoing in the process. Humanism is now being displaced by transhumanism which simply cannot succeed in conquering death.
The challenge of eliminating death through transhumanism lacks any connection to morality, which is directly correlated to the root cause of death. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and that despite sin entering the world through one man’s disobedience, so also through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous and receive eternal life (Romans 5:12-21).
Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s transgression in the garden of Eden and interestingly, their wrongdoing was their desire for knowledge. Satan twisted God’s instructions in Genesis 3:4-5 and coerced the naive couple into eating the forbidden fruit. “‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'”
Collaboration between people in their quest for knowledge resulted in the attempt to build the tower of Babel. Because of ignoble motives that project brought about the scrambling of human language, thereby eliminating further collaboration on this and other endeavors of the period.
Flawed Logic
What was overlooked in the garden and in the design for Babel was the expanse separating man’s finite comprehension and perspective regarding knowledge, and God’s infinite wisdom. The flawed logic of attaining all knowledge and being like God is beyond any physical potential or probabilistic outcome and a tragic delusion imposed upon man by the father of lies. This delusion has persisted throughout human history.
Evolutionary thinking would suggest that ethical behavior is the result of mankind’s eminent intellectual abilities since morality isn’t necessary for the success or failure of a species. This is erroneous rationale based upon interdependence within social groups through collaboration. It implies a subjective morality that doesn’t align with human experience.
Succeeding because of identifying common ground is a noble thought, however, historians have documented that totalitarian leaders care little for morality, subjective or otherwise. Stalin, Mao, Hitler and now Putin and Kim Jong Un exemplify the extremes of subjective morality and the dangers of embracing moral relativism.
Furthermore, to suggest that the human mind is the result of an unguided, random, and mindless processes is not only counterintuitive, but it demonstrates an inherent unreliability to human reason that is self defeating and untrustworthy.
Dr. John Lennox likens the atheistic perspective of Darwinism to not only shooting oneself in the foot, but far worse, like shooting oneself in the brain. Not only does atheism undermine the very rationality used not only to do science but to construct any argument whatsoever.
Man’s ability to reason is not the product of evolutionary processes, nor is our sense of morality created by reason. Mankind was created with the ability to reason, and rationality reveals morality as presented by God.
Without God, human beings have no value. If all we are is competitors for food and space, fighting for the perpetuation of the species and our particular clan, there is no equality. Without an absolute, tangible baseline from which we measure morality, humans are merely animals and this is exactly what atheists believe. Without God, we have no claims of human rights or social responsibility.
In order to come to terms with morality and the conceptualization of God, we must first of all acknowledge His existence. Then we must acknowledge His sovereignty. And thirdly, we must respect His authority. Today’s society is enamoured with self. Particularly self determination and the notion that mankind can conquer anything it chooses. Essentially assuming their own divinity, however, impractical that may seem.
As cultural values change they become distorted and society drifts further from the transcendent moral code given by God. People fall into confusion as they look inwardly for answers that can only be found outside of themselves. The Judeo-Christian values that shaped most of modern civilization now infringe upon a perceived freedom to be whatever people want to be. Sadly, what is perceived as freedom is actually an addiction to self and in reality society has become enslaved to sin.
The Ethical Question
The notions of abolishing physical death and enhancing human happiness through genetic engineering are being circulated among scientists today. The ethical question that needs to enter into the discussion is who decides which genetic traits are better and worthy of strengthening and which genes ought to be eliminated. For example, who decides if Down syndrome babies deserve to live?
Where are wisdom and integrity when abortion kills 73,000,000 babies each year? Who determines the value of an unborn child? If the unborn can’t express their own value, and their parents place no value on them, are they without value and therefore expendable?
The moral argument stems from the lie that Adam and Eve were told in the garden of Eden. That morality is subjective and humans are able to decide good and evil. True morality originates outside of the human domain. This doesn’t mean that humans are absolved from immorality due to ethical determinism but rather, we are obligated to submit to an objective moral code.
Morality is not defined horizontally between humans but rather it is derived vertically between God and man. It is an objectively derived, non-negotiable and immovable standard. Morality does not change as its author does not change (Malachi 3:6) and reflects the mind of God and His loving intent for humans to live wholesome lives and benefit from His righteousness.
A righteousness that is not our own and a morality that can only come from God.
