Should a Christian Have Objective Morality?

Introduction

In modern Western culture, morality is often treated as a subjective or relative choice—"what is true for you may not be true for me." In this view, right and wrong are determined by individual feelings or cultural consensus.

For a Christian, however, this concept of moral relativism is fundamentally incompatible with the nature of the Christian God.

The Christian faith asserts that all moral truths are objective—fixed, universal, and eternally binding—because they originate from the unchanging character of the Creator.

1. The Source of Morality: God’s Character

The Christian belief in objective morality stems directly from the nature of the triune God: God is not simply the one who commands the good, but the one who is the good.

• God is the Standard of Goodness: The ultimate standard for morality is God Himself. Since God is holy, righteous, and unchanging (Psalm 145:17), the moral laws He gives must also be fixed and universal. When the Bible commands us not to lie, it is because God is the God of Truth and cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

  • Scripture Says: "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does" (Psalm 145:17).

• The Moral Law is Written on the Heart: The existence of a common, objective moral framework is demonstrated by the human conscience. The Apostle Paul teaches that all people, regardless of whether they have the written Bible, possess a foundational knowledge of right and wrong, showing that the moral law is universally binding.

  • Scripture Says: "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness..." (Romans 2:14–15).

2. Why Subjective Morality Fails

The Christian worldview views moral relativism not just as incorrect, but as ultimately destructive because it provides no genuine foundation for justice or human rights.

• The Problem of Authority: If morality is merely subjective, then who decides what is right? A culture? A king? An individual? Subjective morality ultimately breaks down because it provides no authoritative basis to condemn any action, even things most people instinctively feel are evil, such as genocide or torture. If morality is only a matter of opinion, then one opinion is as valid as another.

• The Necessity of Universal Rights: The concept of universal human rights—that every person, everywhere, has inherent worth and deserves protection—only makes sense if those rights are based on an objective truth (that all humans are created in God’s image, or imago Dei). If worth is subjective, then a society could vote to remove the rights of a minority group, and no external moral standard could condemn them.

3. Living Out Objective Morality: The Command to Be Holy

For the Christian, acknowledging objective morality is not just a philosophical exercise; it is the foundation for a life of discipleship and holiness.

• The Pursuit of Holiness: Since God is holy and unchanging, the Christian's ethical goal is to reflect that character in their own life. This is the command to be holy, as He is holy, which involves actively conforming one's choices to God's objective standards, rather than following one’s own changing desires.

  • Scripture Says: "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15–16).

• Moral Clarity in a Confused World: Objective morality provides the Christian with moral clarity. When cultural norms shift (as seen in the previous lessons on self-centeredness or sexuality), the believer does not need to guess; they have a fixed reference point—the eternal Word of God—to guide their decisions.

Conclusion

A Christian must believe in and adhere to objective morality because God’s character provides the only fixed, universal standard for what is good. This belief is what grounds our human rights, fuels our desire for holiness, and gives us the moral clarity to navigate a confused world.

When a Christian lives according to this objective truth, they are simply reflecting the perfect, unchanging righteousness of the Creator.