“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.” Jeremiah 23:5-6
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Fair play, unselfishness, courage, good faith, honesty, truthfulness, and a respect for human life—what do these have in common? For centuries, many called them the Laws of Nature. Today we’re more likely to file them under “human nature” or “the moral law.” And they often become a stumbling block in conversations with atheists: when you ask where “right” and “wrong” come from, the reply is, “Everyone knows what’s right or wrong!” I suspect people who stop there haven’t thought very deeply about the question.
Not everyone knows how to fix a car engine by simply “knowing.” I can’t walk into an operating room and perform brain surgery—yet we often assume we can define morality without reference to its Creator. You and I can list skills we do and don’t have; some overlap, others don’t. I’m terrible at math and good at writing. My friend is the polar opposite.
Universal Morals
Why do we universally condemn lying, cheating, and murder? Why do we instinctively admire courage and honesty? And why do we sense those virtues aren’t just preferences, but standards we ought to live up to?
“You find out more about God from the Moral Law than from the universe in general just as you find out more about a man by listening to his conversation than by looking at a house he has built…we can conclude that the Being behind the universe is intensely interested in right conduct.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Deep thinking isn’t exactly the “in thing” these days. Our attention is shaped by ten‑second videos and endless scrolling. But let’s slow down for a moment and consider where this human hunger for righteousness comes from.
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” – Psalms 89:14
When God created the earth and called it good—very good—he set the standard for what “good” means. He is perfect in righteousness. Imagine there were only one potter in the entire world—and there would only ever be one. Every pot, plate, cup, or vase he makes, he declares perfect, without defect. Who would we be to dispute him? He alone makes pottery; he alone knows it.
But if you’re honest, you’re already imagining an imperfect pot—some blemish the potter “must have” missed. The unskilled, non‑potter quietly assumes he knows better than the expert. Isn’t that what we so often do with God? And isn’t that why we’ve drifted from moral laws that were once widely recognized—broken, yes, but still acknowledged as real and good? Instead, we increasingly encounter what Scripture describes: “those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). In modern terms, we call that being “gaslighted.”
Our Touchstone
When we pretend there is no Creator, we can also pretend there is no touchstone for righteousness. We can flip morality on its head. We can treat human life as disposable. But in the end, there is no escaping the truth so many try to avoid: God is the standard of perfection and righteousness.
That truth is also what separates us from Him. Sin bends our hearts toward pride—toward living beyond the gifts God has given us. We’re told, “Who are you to judge?” Our answer should be, “We won’t—but he will.”
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.– James 4:12
And friends, here is the beauty of the gospel—the love behind it, and the reason God sent his only Son. He knows the truth behind Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount:
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20
Oh, those “righteous” Pharisees. On the outside they worked hard to clean up their acts and appear holy. On the inside, they were soiled—just like us. They refused (and many still refuse) to see that the only way to stand before a perfect God is for God Himself to provide the sacrifice for our sins. Only through Him—the true standard of righteousness—can we be clothed in white.
The moral law, written on our hearts, isn’t something dreamed up by a politician, preacher, or parent. It is God’s imprint on our hearts and minds—a direct reflection of who He is. And He is very, very good.
“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” – Deuteronomy 32:4
