Articles
A Lost-Virtue: Virtue
It probably looks a little odd to read the headline title of this article, but let us consider for a moment what virtue is. By the dictionary definition, virtue is “moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.” [Random House Unabridged Dictionary] The Greek word translated as virtue in the New Testament has essentially the same meaning [courage is implied], so there is no real difference in what it meant in the first century, and what it means today. In previous articles, we have noted the lost virtues of self-control and respect and make no apologies for calling those attributes virtues; they are, in fact, demonstrations of moral excellence.
So, while there are many things that could fall under the description of some attribute as a virtue, it is the matter of virtue itself that must now be considered as an attribute that seems to be going by the wayside. It seems that our society is less and less interested in displaying and demonstrating — or even desiring — moral excellence. If anything, it seems that we, as a society, are content to pursue our base instincts and desires, and have an entire industry [entertainment] that appeals to just that. Quite often, we hear complaints about, and insults hurled at, those who are honestly striving for and promoting moral excellence, as if it was some terrible thing! Who would have imagined just a few decades ago that our society would have such a disdain for moral excellence and for those who think it is what our society needs more than ever?
It is a sad, downward-thinking trend that our society tends to think that fulfilling one’s deepest desires [and by that, they mean fleshly desires and lusts] is the very meaning of life. Do a little search on the Internet with the question of What is the meaning of life? and you will find that, almost exclusively, the answer is, “To be happy!” With that being the belief, and by a wide margin, should we be surprised that some people think that the immediate and constant satisfaction of their fleshly desires is what will make them ‘happy’? There is no moral excellence in that; it is a downward spiral into moral depravity.
But, lest you again think this is just the rambling of some ‘old fogy’ who is longing for ‘the good old days,’ let me now say that our current societal trends are nothing new, either. There have been multiple periods in the history of mankind, and at various locations throughout the world, where this was also the case.
The World Before the Flood. We are all likely familiar with the story of the worldwide flood, and we may remember that it was brought on by the condition of the world that existed prior to its occurrence. Prior to its coming upon the earth, it was said “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5), and, “the earth was filled with violence…and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Gen. 6:11, 12). Noah’s life and whatever teaching and warning he was able to do in the intervening 120 years (Gen. 6:3; 2 Pet. 2:5) resulted in only his family being saved. Why? The world was not interested in moral excellence! Only Noah was seen by God as “a just man, perfect in his generations” (Gen. 6:9) and he alone was identified by God as “righteous” (Gen. 7:1).
The Israelites. We could spend two or three articles’ worth just on the legacy of the Israelites’ repetitious actions that betrayed their pledges of faithfulness to God, but let’s note just a couple. First, there is the time when in the wilderness, when Moses went up on the mountain to receive the Law from God, and when he delayed, the people came to Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him” (Exod. 32:1). Even after seeing the great power of God demonstrated in the devastation of Egypt by the 10 plagues and by His great deliverance through the Red Sea, the people quickly turned away from God and descended into idolatry, dancing, and a lack of restraint (Exod. 32:19-25). They would revert to those base impulses throughout their wanderings, and many times after they had settled the land of Canaan — too many times to list here. Sadly, many times they were led back into sinfulness by those who led them as their king. At times, it was said “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Jdgs. 17:6; Jdgs. 21:25); you can believe that what they believed was “right” was not something God would approve! Why? Because they had no interest in moral excellence! They sought, and they often practiced, moral depravity.
Today? Though most people would describe themselves as ‘good people,’ the sad reality is that our society is slowly devolving into more and more depravity, either by practice, promotion, or by our quiet tolerance of it, or our unwillingness to condemn it for what it is. Fewer and fewer people in this country identify as believers, and many who do identify as believers confess their ignorance of what ‘sin’ is, as defined by God, and are influenced more by society, the entertainment industry, and mainstream media than by God’s word. This is a society that welcomes practices and lifestyles God has called an abomination, and shuns and ridicules those who try to encourage a high moral standard!
So, what do we do, if we honestly seek true virtue? We obviously are not going to get the world to change overnight, or possibly in our lifetime, so what difference can we make? What should we be doing? Some might be tempted to just give up trying, and others might even fall for the old “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” strategy. Such thinking belies the reality that such a mindset comes from a deceived mind; the worldly ways will not win, in the end, friends and brethren. We would do well to stand with the Lord now, else we will not be standing with Him when He comes again! So, what should we do?
Add to Your Faith. Peter admonished the early disciples to not remain stagnant or ‘content’ in whatever level of spiritual maturity they were, but “giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue” (2 Pet. 1:5). Note that this is where we must begin, when adding to [strengthening] our faith; as C.S. Lewis once said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” That ‘courage’ he speaks of is moral courage, part of the meaning of the Greek word translated here as virtue. It is with moral courage and a desire for moral excellence that we will dare to have these other virtues as a part of our very character as disciples of Jesus Christ, and dare to exhibit them without fear or shame, and to promote and encourage such attributes in others — also without fear or shame.
Far too often, we allow the world around us to dictate our actions and whether we speak up or not; brethren, how will the world know their actions are sinful if we do not speak up? This requires moral courage and a life that demonstrates moral excellence! Instead of cowering in a corner or being afraid to point out bad behavior when it is obvious, we should show some moral courage and speak up [lovingly] so the world will know whose side we are on!
Virtue may be uncommon, but it need not disappear completely. Let our conduct be such that God is glorified through us and because of us (1 Pet. 2:12). — Steven Harper
