The kilogram is a unit of measurement in the metric system. Until 2019, there was an object called the “IPK,” or “International Prototype of the Kilogram,” stored in a vault in Paris, France. That cylinder, made of a platinum-iridium alloy, represented the exact weight of a kilogram and was established in 1889 as the standard for all kilograms. It was discontinued because studies were showing it was not as stable as once thought. Every 40 years, it was used to calibrate six other identical units that other nations used for calibration. Now it’s based on something more stable, but it’s not actually an object. The lesson, however, is that you need one single reference point for something like a unit of measurement. Without that one point, there would be many issues, and that has been a topic; for example, NASA has lost several satellites, probes, and equipment because one person used one unit of measurement while another used a different one. For things to work, everyone needs to use the same unit calibrated to the same point.
In the same way, humanity has a unit that can only have one reference point; otherwise, the unit makes no sense. That would be the unit of Good. (Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19). Jesus was called “Good Teacher” probably by someone who did not fully understand what they were saying. The Lord’s response was quite striking. “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.” This one statement by Christ—the one that does only what the Father has told Him to do (John 5:19)—identifies that there is only one standard for what is good and, in the reverse, what is bad, or, more accurately, morality.
To a Christian, this does not sound particularly striking, but after all the study of laying the foundation for God’s desire for a relationship, this is a key element. God resorted to writing down some of the commandments, but there is no way to cover every aspect of life and every situation in writing. God’s design was relationship, where He and He alone would direct individuals in what good is through the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28, Galatians 5:16). That is why the “Law” (as in the Mosaic law) does not apply to a Christian directly. Instead of something written down that can be misinterpreted, watered down or found a way around, we get our morality directly from God. Paul’s writings talk a lot about that; he has harsh words for the Corinthians because they were not living in the Spirit and still wanted written directions. A good example of that is Paul’s explanation of meat sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians 10, yet the Jerusalem council in Acts 21 concluded with a message to avoid it. Paul’s point was that there is nothing wrong with the meat, just as Peter was challenged in Acts 10 in a similar situation. Paul concluded that it was entirely up to the individual’s relationship with God. Just as Paul continued to follow Jewish rituals (1 Corinthians 9:20), not because of anything to do with salvation or his relationship with Christ, but because he wanted to reach the people he was called to go to. That morality was directed by God through the Holy Spirit, not because of some written set of rules.
That leads to a rather deep issue. What then about human morality, or our sense of right and wrong? If we are to get our sense of right and wrong directly from God through the Holy Spirit, what happens when we feel God is not directing us in a “good” way? What does that mean when we pass by someone who needs the hands and feet of Christ, yet the Spirit says, “just walk by”? Does that violate God’s goodness? Well, it may come as a surprise, but Christ did walk by. Matthew 13:58 says He ended up walking by because of unbelief. Jesus did not often engage with or go after religious leaders. He was very selective about who He helped and who He engaged. Remember, He only did what the Father directed. For that caliber of direction, a relationship is required. There would be no written rule to direct someone to that detail. That was the primary issue with the Mosaic Law, and we see how fast it became corrupted, lost, and ignored by Israel.
That puts what God says to an individual—what is good for them and what is bad for them—above anything else and individualized. We see that in the Old Testament, with the Nazarite vow, which has some odd rules but was only applied to those who were called to it. Sure, God has some obvious blanket commandments to follow, but ultimately, He is the one who directs right and wrong. An elephant in the room is that God commands “Do not murder,” yet He commanded Israel to eliminate entire societies, including women and children, those we would consider innocent. Since God is good, that means the act was good, even though our sense of right and wrong would dictate otherwise.
God the Father, being the only fixed reference point for right and wrong—or morality—has a much deeper, far-reaching meaning. As we have studied, God created humanity for a relationship at creation, with God as the foundation and unmovable rock, and good came before that. If I go a totally different direction and ask a profound question, what is it about God that people hate? Jesus made it clear in John 15:18 that it’s not people, but God that they hate. But why? You can come up with many reasons, but I believe it can all be narrowed down to one core reason. I believe it’s the same reason Lucifer had when he was thrown from Heaven. He decided to reject God as the basis for good. He also wanted the ability to be the core “good” and thus define what is good or bad. I get that from the conversation between him and Eve in Genesis 3:5. The reason was not for Eve to have some yummy fruit, the real temptation was for man to be like God (just like Lucifer, he also knows good from bad, just like God, except like us falsely defines it), knowing and being the reference point for what is good and evil. No longer would Eve need to consult God on what is good; she would know herself from her own conscience what is good or bad. That would give her control—not God—over her life. That one act established the reason God needed a way to reestablish the relationship and restore what was lost —the connection between God and man — and the fact that God is the source and definer of “good.”
That is why Christianity is defined (or should be) by relationship, not by morality. Christ made it clear in Matthew 7:23 that it’s those who know Christ, not those who practice morality, or what they define as morality. Religion in general focuses on morality, and that verse makes it clear that being good by a written standard is not what good is; good is following what God is saying through the Spirit to an individual, and that requires a relationship.
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