As an anchor of the soul

Constantly updating your own "personal" morality seems to almost be a fad these days. To even consider being bound by the ethics of 30 years ago is preposterous sounding and totally out of date. Obviously the morality that our fathers and mothers lived by can't possibly be applicable to us today. No they say, times have changed and our morals must update with them. The morals of people change nearly as quickly as the technology changes. After all, science has become a god to some of the more educated unbelievers of the world. I say it has become a god because it determines truth to them. If the great god science can not prove something, then it is not to be believed.

Christianity on the other hand does not advocate a constantly changing truth (or even a "personal" true at all). We have certain things spoken by God that are unchanging and aren't open to updating. This doesn't mean we aren't constantly at work applying these principles to the new problems and technologies science provides. It is good and right that we should apply the unchanging truth about stealing to downloading music over the Internet without permission, stem cell research and such things.. These are good and right applications, but our truth is not changing.

I was reading in Hebrews the other day and 6:19-20 jumped out at me.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (NKJV).

The truth of Jesus Christ (this hope) acts like an anchor to our souls. The idea is of a ship being held securely in place by its anchor. As the wind blows around, the ship stays more or less in the same place. This is of course the same kind of idea presented in Ephesians 4 where we are instructed not to be like children--blown about by every wind of doctrine.

Another metaphor the scriptures use of this idea is the planted tree verses the chaff blowing about--Psalm 1:3-4

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.(NKJV)

There is nothing commendable about having a constantly changing ethic. Christians need to be ever in study of God's word, for this is the rock on which we must build.

One last note: Christians are not against science as science. We just don't make it into our god. Christians see science as exploring and learning about God's creation. How it works, what laws God has set in motion, as well as how to benefit people with it (technology really as applied science). We are not about taking things back to the age of bronze. This is all a part of God's original commandment to Adam to have dominion over the earth and subdue it. We are commanded to make advancements in all areas, but we must also be careful to adhere to morality and do things righteously. We don't make advancements at the expense of thousands of babies or by stealing. Christians are about being righteous as well as educated, about being conformed to the image of God as well as discovering new things about God's creation, about using medical advances to help save people's lives as well as studying what God has said. Ideally, Christian should be the most well rounded people on earth as they should consider all aspects of a thing rightly with regard to our creator.