WHO DECIDES WHAT IS WRONG?

Right and wrong exist because reality itself has meaning

Every day, people speak in moral terms. Words like unfair, wrong, cruel, and unjust appear in ordinary conversations. A child protests unequal treatment. A nation condemns violence. Individuals feel guilt even when no one else knows what they have done. These reactions reveal something important. Moral awareness operates as an internal compass. It does more than express preference. It evaluates actions as truly right or truly wrong.

If morality were merely personal opinion, disagreement would carry no weight beyond taste. One person might prefer kindness while another prefers cruelty, and neither could claim the other was mistaken. Yet human experience refuses this conclusion. When confronted with abuse, exploitation, or betrayal, people respond with moral seriousness, not casual disagreement. Something deeper is being violated.

Scripture affirms this universal awareness. Romans 2:15 explains that God’s law is “written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness.” Conscience does not create moral truth. It recognizes it.

The Problem With Self-Made Morality

Many modern voices encourage individuals to define morality for themselves, presenting this autonomy as the highest form of freedom, yet this approach quietly dissolves the very foundation that makes moral judgment meaningful in the first place. Once moral truth becomes a matter of personal construction, no action can be universally condemned or affirmed, because every individual’s perspective holds equal authority, leaving no stable ground upon which justice can stand.

History provides sobering illustrations of this danger, since societies have repeatedly justified practices that later generations recognized as profoundly wrong, including slavery, systemic oppression, and exploitation, all of which were defended through prevailing cultural standards until individuals appealed to moral truth beyond cultural agreement. Those who fought against injustice did so by asserting that certain actions violated an objective moral order, even when the surrounding culture approved of them, demonstrating that moral progress depends upon standards that transcend human consensus.

Without such transcendent grounding, moral language loses its substance and becomes merely an expression of preference, similar to liking one color more than another, which leaves humanity without any meaningful basis for defending dignity or opposing evil.

Why Human Dignity Requires More Than Biology

The conviction that every human life possesses inherent worth stands at the heart of justice, compassion, and moral responsibility, yet this belief cannot be fully explained by material processes alone, because biological systems operate through survival and adaptation rather than moral valuation. If human beings were nothing more than complex arrangements of matter shaped entirely by natural forces, concepts such as dignity, responsibility, and moral obligation would have no objective foundation, and value would inevitably become tied to strength, usefulness, or social contribution.

Yet human experience consistently resists such conclusions, since people recognize the worth of individuals regardless of physical ability, intellectual capacity, or social status, extending care to the vulnerable and protecting those who cannot protect themselves. This persistent recognition points beyond material explanation toward a deeper source of value.

Genesis 1:27 provides the foundation for this understanding by declaring that humanity was created in the image of God, which means that human dignity reflects the nature of its Creator rather than the fluctuating assessments of society, and this truth anchors moral worth in something permanent rather than something fragile and temporary.

God's Character as the Moral Reality

Christianity presents morality as rooted in the character of God Himself, which means that goodness does not arise from arbitrary rules imposed upon humanity, but flows from the very nature of the One who created all things. Truth exists because God is truthful. Faithfulness holds meaning because God is faithful. Love carries authority because God is love.

This understanding explains why moral truth remains stable even as cultures change, since its source lies in an unchanging divine nature rather than in human opinion, which shifts across generations and circumstances. Psalm 145:17 expresses this beautifully by affirming that the Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works, revealing that morality reflects His consistent and trustworthy character.

Because moral truth flows from God’s nature, it carries both authority and purpose, guiding human life toward flourishing while protecting against the destructive consequences that arise when moral boundaries are ignored.

Conscience As Witness Rather Than Creator

Conscience plays a vital role in moral awareness, serving as an internal witness that alerts individuals to harmony or conflict between their actions and moral truth. Yet conscience itself does not create the standards it recognises. Its reliability depends upon alignment with truth beyond itself, since human perception can be shaped by culture, habit, and personal justification.

Scripture acknowledges this complexity by describing how conscience can become dulled or distorted through repeated disregard. As expressed in 1 Timothy 4:2, it speaks of consciences that have been seared. This condition explains why individuals sometimes justify actions that once would have troubled them deeply, gradually losing sensitivity to moral reality.

For this reason, conscience requires illumination, and Scripture provides that light by revealing moral truth clearly and consistently. To allow individuals to realign their perception with the reality that originates in God. Psalm 119:105 describes this beautifully by saying that God’s Word functions as a lamp to the feet and a light to the path, guiding human understanding toward clarity.

Why Moral Law Points Beyond Humanity

The existence of moral law naturally raises the question of its origin, because laws do not exist independently of minds capable of establishing them. Philosophers such as C.S. Lewis observed that the universal human tendency to appeal to fairness and justice suggests that moral law reflects something real rather than something invented, since people expect others to recognise these standards even when doing so brings personal disadvantage.

This expectation makes sense if moral law reflects the nature of a moral Lawgiver whose character defines goodness itself, providing an objective foundation that transcends individual preference.

Without such a source, moral law would dissolve into competing opinions, leaving humanity without any stable framework for justice or accountability.

Moral law therefore functions as a signpost, directing attention beyond human invention toward the divine reality from which it originates.

Moral Authority As Protection Rather Than Limitation

Some view moral authority as restrictive, assuming that freedom requires independence from external standards, yet this perspective overlooks the protective purpose of moral truth. Boundaries exist to preserve what is valuable, much like the banks of a river guide water safely forward rather than allowing it to spread into destructive chaos.

God’s commands reflect this protective intention, providing guidance that safeguards relationships, preserves dignity, and prevents harm that would otherwise bring lasting damage. Deuteronomy 10:13 explains that God’s instructions are given for human good, revealing that moral authority arises from care rather than control.

Within this framework, freedom does not mean the absence of structure, but the ability to live in harmony with the reality for which humanity was created.

Christ As The Visible Expression Of Moral Truth

Jesus Christ reveals moral truth with unmatched clarity. His life embodies the character of God in human form, demonstrating perfect integrity, compassion, justice, and love. His actions expose the emptiness of hypocrisy while restoring those burdened by guilt and failure, showing that moral truth exists not merely to condemn wrongdoing but to restore what has been broken.

John 14:6 records His declaration that He is the truth, which means that moral reality finds its fullest expression in Him. His life provides the clearest picture of what goodness looks like when lived without distortion, and His sacrifice demonstrates the depth of God’s commitment to redeem humanity.

Through Him, moral authority becomes personal rather than abstract, grounded in the One who created life and entered history to restore it.

Why This Question Shapes Every Ethical Issue

Every moral question ultimately depends upon the answer to this foundational issue. Because decisions about sexuality, justice, human dignity, and cultural values all require a reliable standard against which they can be measured. When morality is treated as human invention, it becomes unstable and vulnerable to distortion, yet when grounded in God’s character, it provides clarity, stability, and hope.

This understanding allows individuals to navigate a changing world with confidence, knowing that moral truth reflects the same divine nature that created humanity and sustains existence itself.

Moral truth does not originate from human preference. It flows from the character of God, whose nature defines goodness and whose wisdom guides humanity toward life.