👆Click and listen to this training as you get ready or drive somewhere.
When a reader turns from the opening introduction of Wayne Grudem’s Christian Ethics to Chapter 2, they encounter what might be considered the bedrock claim of the entire book: Christian ethics is grounded not in cultural consensus, utilitarian calculation, or philosophical speculation, but in the very moral character of God Himself. This chapter, titled “The Ultimate Basis for Ethics: The Moral Character of God,” is not just a prologue to ethical discussions but the anchor that holds every moral claim Grudem will make. For the reader, this is a sweeping and foundational truth: the reason Christians can know right from wrong, the reason they are called to obedience, and the reason morality has objective weight is because God is holy, just, faithful, loving, and good.
From the very first page of Chapter 2, the reader discovers that ethics is not arbitrary. It is not a shifting code of conduct determined by the powerful or a system of values crafted by cultural fashion. Ethics flows from who God is. To know what is right is to know God’s character; to obey God’s commands is to reflect His holiness. The chapter therefore gives the reader a profound vision of morality as nothing less than God’s own nature expressed in human life.
One of the most important things a reader encounters in this chapter is the insistence that God Himself is the ultimate standard of goodness. Grudem is careful to show that good is not something external to God—some abstract principle by which God is measured. Instead, God Himself is good, and His character defines what good is. This protects the reader from any notion that morality could exist independently of God. If God is the source and standard of goodness, then to ask, “What is right?” is to ask, “What reflects God’s character?”
The reader quickly sees that this is not an abstract claim but one grounded in Scripture. Throughout the Bible, God is described as holy, just, merciful, truthful, and faithful. Each of these attributes informs Christian ethics. For example, because God is truthful, lying is wrong. Because God is faithful, covenant-breaking is wrong. Because God is holy, impurity and sin are wrong. In other words, every ethical command is rooted in who God is. This gives Christian ethics an objective foundation and prevents it from being reduced to subjective preference.
For the reader, this insight is transformative. It means that when Christians wrestle with moral questions—whether about sexuality, honesty, justice, or compassion—they are not merely choosing between competing human traditions. They are discerning how to reflect God’s own nature in the world.
Flowing naturally from the truth that God’s character is the basis of ethics is the principle that the Christian life is about imitation of God. Readers encounter again and again the biblical call: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). This command captures the heartbeat of Christian ethics. God calls His people not only to believe in Him but to imitate Him.
Grudem explains that Christian ethics is essentially the pursuit of godliness—being conformed to the character of God. For the reader, this shifts the perspective on morality. Ethics is not primarily about following external rules; it is about becoming like God in thought, word, and deed. The Bible presents this as the essence of discipleship: to know Christ is to become like Him.
The reader learns that this principle of imitation is visible across Scripture. Jesus told His disciples to love their enemies “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:45). Paul told believers to forgive one another “as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). John declared that whoever claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). Ethics, therefore, is imitation of the divine.
This theme is not presented abstractly but practically. Readers are reminded that every moral choice is an opportunity to reflect or distort God’s image. In marriage, work, community, and church, believers are called to live in ways that mirror God’s holiness and love.
The reader also finds in this chapter a rich reminder that God’s moral character is unified. His justice does not contradict His mercy, His holiness does not cancel His love, His truthfulness does not undermine His compassion. God is consistent, and His character is whole.
Grudem emphasizes that this unity is vital for Christian ethics. If one were to overemphasize one attribute at the expense of another, ethics could become distorted. For example, if love were emphasized without holiness, ethics might devolve into permissiveness. If holiness were emphasized without love, ethics might become harsh legalism. But because God’s character is perfectly balanced, Christian ethics must also be balanced.