Introduction

A minister writes, "When my wife, Patty, and I were in Japan a few years ago, our hosts suggested we take a free afternoon to visit what was then the fastest growing church in the world. So three Japanese pastors crowded themselves, Patty, and me into a small Toyota and headed for a hilly area just outside downtown Tokyo.

After winding through crowded streets, we turned onto a beautiful tree-lined drive leading to imposing black gates marking the entrance to the headquarters of the PL Kydoan (The Perfect Liberty Church). Since only members of this Buddhist sect could be admitted, we had to content ourselves with peering though the gates.

Rich green lawns stretched as far as the eye could see, blending into a distant, sprawling golf course. From the front gates the drive meandered toward an elegant white mansion surrounded by artistically sculptured Japanese gardens. Except for the pagoda roof, it might have been mistaken for Jefferson's Monticello or Washington's Mount Vernon.

Within the gates, we learned, was a "town" of 3000 residents. Perfect Liberty Church boasted the most complete recreational facilities in all of Japan, along with such wonderful landscape delights as artificial lakes, cherry trees, and waterfalls.

While we gazed at the grandeur of the complex, called, "paradise" by its founders, our host explained the simple theology of the Perfect Liberty Church: We are all children of God who find The Way to eternal peace and welfare by freely exercising our individuality. Since "all of life is art," one can find free creative expression in prayer, golf, or group sex. The important thing is total freedom for individual expression, which results in complete joy and fulfillment. Perfect Liberty Church also offers a utopian vision of the future. In time, it promises, as the moment spreads, all evil will disappear and humanity will live in perfect liberty and harmony. No wonder it is the fastest growing religion in Japan, winning almost a million followers in the first decade of existence.

It is also the richest religion, for Perfect Liberty Church teaches that giving is a prerequisite to salvation. Worshipers bring "treasure bags" to the altar, and they are always overflowing. When you can buy happiness, why be stingy?

During our flight back to the States, I read some literature I'd picked up on the PLC. Periodically, I would nudge Patty with a "Look at this!" and pass her a booklet containing some outrageous statement.

"What nonsense," I said at one point. "Imagine this! They're saying that you can do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy. And they call that Church!" [ Colson, Charles "The Body" Word Publishing 1992 Page 39f]

Interesting.....

Tai Collins, the former Miss Virginia who allegedly was involved in a tryst with a U.S. Senator and then posed nude for Playboy, can enthuse over the church she has recently joined. Her volunteer work there, she says, is "very fulfilling". When asked if it would affect her nude modeling, she replied, "I don't think so. I mean there's a lot of people in my church that have been in Playboy." [ Ditto, page 45]

Interesting....

I'm reminded of the prophetic words of Isaiah in 5:18-23....

Where faith in God is not evident we occasionally find there are no clear cut moral distinctions. The definitions of what is right and wrong have blurred. What used to be absolutely wrong without question is now common place.

One has said it this way, "If there is no God everything is permissible." What has began to trouble me more is the thought that even If there is a God, many have began to feel everything is permissible.

The average person comes to church today to feel good. "Feeling good" is important. That's not all the Church is about.

	We are about "truth
	We are about what God says
	We are about knowing there are right things and there are wrong things!
	We are about knowing the difference.

RIGHT IS ALWAYS RIGHT

WRONG IS ALWAYS WRONG!

By way of reminder, I'd like to share what I'm afraid have become old fashioned ideals. Maybe in someways, we ought to be an old fashioned congregation!

I. Wrong Is Always Wrong - Even If We Don't Get Caught.

It's really taxing on our spiritual honesty to live a double life.

The other day I was riding with a friend on the freeway eating a sandwich and realized I wasn't wearing my seat-belt. I put it on just as a State Police was passing us. But I didn't get caught!

The philosophy of our time seems to be: Do what you will, it's okay, as long as you don't get caught! As long as no one see's it, or is hurt by it.

As long as....

	The game warden doesn't find out
	The teacher doesn't know
	The boss is in the dark
	My parents never know
	Or, the preacher or one of the elders never find out!

This is so popular because we can get away with it.

Remember this will you? Memorize it or highlight it in your bible....

The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. Proverbs 15:3 (NIV)

Another passage like this is Hebrews 4:13...

He knows about everyone, everywhere. Everything about us is bare and wide open to the all-seeing eyes of our living God; nothing can be hidden from him to whom we must explain all that we have done. (TLB)

We may think we are clever, but the truth is, God knows. God always knew:

	Where Jonah was
	Why Israel lost at Ai. He knew Achan's sin
	How Ananias and Saphira spent their money
	What David had done, even though no one else did.

Wrong is always wrong - even if you are not caught!

It is true some call good evil, some feel everything fun is wrong. God alone is able to determine what is wrong and He has made it clear in His book.

Rather than seeking to get away with something wrong - it seems to me what we need is a re-awakening of respect for God and His Word as the absolute authority in our lives.

Wrong is always wrong - Even If you Don't Get Caught

But there's more!

II. Wrong Is Always Wrong - Even If It's Done For A Good Cause.

It is Satan's job to blur the truth. (It seems to me he works overtime in this area.)

It's has been illustrated this way "I would never steal anything, because stealing is wrong and forbidden by scripture. But, if my children were hungry, I would steal enough to take care of them."

This sounds almost righteous, especially if your a parent and your kids are hungry, and maybe you would steal under such circumstances.

The point of this message is not about stealing - it's about what is right and what is wrong - and mark this done...

Right and wrong are not redefined simply because of circumstances. If something is wrong - it is wrong regardless of the circumstances. No where do we find an honorable purpose allows wrong doing.

Consider the following

I Jn 3:4 "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." (NIV)

I Jn 5:17 "All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death." (NIV)

Let's look at an incredible OT illustration.

The story is found in 2 Samuel 6. It's the account of Uzziah.

The ark of the Covenant was being transported on an oxen cart. This was not the correct way to move the ark, and may factor into the later events. The Ark of the Covenant, the most sacred piece of furniture in the Old Testament shifted and was almost upset when Uzziah reached out to steady the ark to keep it from being damaged. What he did looks like a very noble thing. However, the Bible says "the anger of the Lord burned against Uzziah, and God struck Him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God."

Many were angry, including David. The anger was directed toward God. Why did Uzziah die from touching the ark? Because God had forbidden it to be done!

It was wrong for Him to do it, even though in his mind it was for a right purpose. (Numbers 4:15-20)

Maybe this might help us understand...

Right is defined as any motive, principle or act that is in harmony with the divine will and the nature of God.

Wrong is defined as any motive, principle or act that is not in harmony with the divine will and nature of God.

Right and wrong are not determined by circumstance, but by the will and nature of God.

Wrong is still wrong - Even if you don't get caught.

Wrong is still wrong - even if it's done for a good cause.

But, there's more!

III. Wrong Is Always Wrong - Even If it Doesn't Bother Your conscience.

This may have been a better argument some years ago than it is today!

Psychologists are hypothesizing there are many people who do not have a conscience, that inner guide usually trained to keep us from doing wrong.

Serial killers who have no remorse. Seen in young people who are killing other young people.

Our conscience can be a good indicator of right and wrong. But on the other hand a conscience is like a computer - it only beeps a warning at the lines we have drawn.

The conscience is a tool of education. If it is trained to accept right and wrong from a biblical point of view - great. But such is not always the case.

Billy Graham has said, "Most of us follow our conscience as we follow a wheelbarrow. We push it in front of us in the direction we want it to go." ⁽¹⁾

Our conscience cannot be a true indicator of right and wrong unless it is trained by the Word of God.

It is possible our conscience has been trained by standards other than the Scriptures. The great thing about a conscience is that it is flexible. It can be formatted, like a disk and new data entered. It can be retrained.

Some of you may even now be in the retraining phase of your conscience, bathing it in the Word of God. That's great!

Consider this passage...

Heb 5:14 "You will never be able to eat solid spiritual food and understand the deeper things of God's Word until you become better Christians and learn right from wrong by practicing doing right." (TLB)

Wrong is always wrong - Even if you don't get caught!

Wrong is always wrong - Even if its done for a good cause

Wrong is always wrong - Even if it doesn't bother your conscience

But, there's more!

IV. Wrong Is Always Wrong - Even If Others Are Doing It.

Perhaps one of the poorest excuses for doing wrong is right here!

If God clearly states something is wrong - then it doesn't matter if our entire society and the Churches recognize it as right - IT IS STILL WRONG! Nothing can ever change what God says is wrong!

God does not bring right and wrong up for a vote. If it is right, it will always be right regardless of who is doing it. But if it is wrong, it will always be wrong, regardless of who is doing it!

As in Isaiah's day, confusion abounds as the lines between right and wrong have clouded. If there was ever a time to return to the Word of God as our only source of inspiration and truth - now is that time.

In our time many people are doing many wrong things...

Our source for right and wrong is not the lifestyles of our friends or peers, our parents, or even our Church leaders - it is the Word of God - here is truth!

As parents, peers, friends, and Church leaders, we need to set the example of right. That burden is on our shoulders - no one of us is an island. No one of us is without influence. Everyone of us is an example.

So guard your steps, become an example of right living. Others are always watching!

Wrong is always wrong - Even if you don't get caught!

Wrong is always wrong - Even if its done for a good cause

Wrong is always wrong - Even if it doesn't bother your conscience

Wrong is always wrong - Even if others are doing it!

But, there's still one more!

V. Wrong Is Always Wrong - Even If It Is Commonly Considered Acceptable.

What today is called acceptable - was yesterday referred to quite clearly as sin.

Adultery is now called by a nicer sounding word - an affair.

Living together before marriage is referred to know as a trial commitment

Premarital sex is simply called love.

Murder is now called abortion or euthanasia.

Homosexuality is now an alternate life style.

They have become acceptable - they have become expected - and society is anticipating the Church will fit into this new age.

Consider this...

The Law of Moses had this counsel for us...Exod 23:22 "You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert {justice;} (NAS)

What kind of guidelines should we look to in scripture to not be carried away into sin just because it is considered acceptable?

1Thes 5:21-23 Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Test everything - don't be in too much of a hurry to be a follower

Hold on to the good - there is reward there

Avoid every kind of evil - stay away from it. If in doubt, check it out!

Wrong is always wrong - Even if you don't get caught!

Wrong is always wrong - Even if its done for a good cause

Wrong is always wrong - Even if it doesn't bother your conscience

Wrong is always wrong - Even if others are doing it!

Wrong is always wrong - Even if it is commonly considered acceptable

VI. Personal Application

There will always be a "Perfect Liberty Church Mentality"! Isaiah dealt with it in Israel, and we deal with it today. There will always be:

	A Voice suggesting wrong can be right!
	A Blur of the lines
	A Confusion in these times
	A Cloud over the issues

It will be up to us as a congregation, up to our elders and preachers to proclaim truth and lead us toward truth. Not opinion. There are myriads of them. Not personal convictions, for they too are numerous. But what God teaches as Right and Wrong.

As we grow as a congregation the temptation will be there to become more permissible and less doctrinal. Or we might say, a little more like the Perfect Liberty Church of Tokyo. However, in our lives, and in our congregation, we must not allow the lines to blur. The Bible must remain not only in our pulpit, the center of our Elders' meetings, but also the focus of your homes.

3 Thoughts as we close....

#1. There is no way in the world to make wrong right! However, if we have been practicing wrong in our lives, we can repent, changing our lives, and put ourselves back on track!

#2. We need to hold the standards of truth very high. Not opinions but truth! I am not interested in holding high anyone's opinions as to right and wrong!

#3. Is there some area of your life this evening, where you've justified doing the wrong thing, the sinful thing, and now realize it's time to come clean. Time to refocus where the lines in your life have blurred.

1. Paul Harvey News Associated Press 6-21-90

Alan Walker is editor of The Preacher's Corner and Minister of Evangelism at the Mt. Vernon Church of Christ in Springfield, OR. He may be reached at adwalker@pond.net.

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