It was the 1850s, and the major thing happening in the United States was the debate between Stephen Douglas and a backwoods attorney named Abraham Lincoln. Douglas was “pro-choice” on slavery and argued that the Supreme Court had spoken in the Dred Scott decision (1857) establishing that owning slaves was a basic constitutional right. Douglas said that he himself was opposed to owning slaves and that he would never own a slave. Yet, he argued that it was a slave owner’s right “to choose” to own a slave.

Abraham Lincoln stated, “No one has the right to choose to do what is wrong.”

This is a simple principle, a principle which is still sound today. But for some reason today, we think that people have the right to choose to do what is wrong.

In trying to overcome this, many today argue that we don’t have a set standard of what is right or what is wrong, that it is up to the individual to decide what is right or wrong for them. But consider where this thinking will eventually lead. Suppose a man thinks it is right for him to kill another on the basis of gender, race, or just because he chooses to kill, and likes to do it. Is it wrong for them to do so? Using the above mentioned argument, then it is all right for a man to kill another. Further, let us suppose that another chooses to steal what someone else has—again, is it wrong for him to do so? Not according to the above argument. Brethren, friends, there is a standard of right and wrong—that standard is the Bible.

The atheist often argues against the existence of God by saying that if God exists, and He loves as Christians claim, then how do you deal with the subject of suffering. Yet, by what standard does the atheist say that suffering is “bad” or “wrong?” That implies immediately a standard that says something is bad or wrong, and where does the atheist find that standard? From within himself? Who is to say that is right or wrong?

This thinking has muddled our society to the point today that people have a right to choose to sin. From the arguments made concerning the right to “choose” to kill a baby in a womb, to the arguments made by homosexuals demanding that their rights be observed as well.

But Christians know that we don’t have the right to choose—we made a choice that affects all other decisions—a choice to be Christians and serve the Lord. When we made that choice, we also affirmed our choice to let God’s Word and God’s Word only (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:15–16) be our standard of authority. It was upon this basis that Abraham Lincoln made the statement that he made.

Will we stand for the Word of God and the standard He has set down? I hope so.