307 g business ethics

Marketplace facts: Ethics and the Holiness of GodMarketplace facts: Ethics and the Holiness of God

MARKETPLACE FACTS

BUSINESS ETHICS AND THE HOLINESS OF GOD

Module 307 G

Mario Denton

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Overall purpose of this series on Marketplace

To understand and learn from various marketplace facts so that you can: • Be more effective and anointed wherever you are in the marketplace.

• Adapt and benchmark your marketplace practices and principles discussed in this series.

• Use these material to facilitate the work of evangelism.




• Kent Humphries asked ten separate individuals, “Do you know any businessmen whose business ethics are consistent with Biblical teaching?”




• Their response? A blank stare . An awkward pause. And then, “No.” (Jeremiah 5:1) Their answer alerts him to the fact that it is a serious problem.




It raises a fundamental question, “Is it possible to be in business and remain ethical?”



Is it possible to be in business and remain ethical?”

• In his book “Just Business”, Dr. Alexander Hill states, “The foundation of Christian ethics in business is not rules but the changeless character of God...Behavior consistent with God’s character is ethical - that which is not is unethical.”



The three characteristics of God

The three characteristics of God we are to mirror in our business practices are His holiness, justice, and love



Focus on holiness. • God’s holiness is “the sum of all

moral excellence...absolute purity, unsullied even by the shadow of sin.”++ (See I Jn. 1:5; Hab. 1:13a)

• And that is to be the standard for our conduct in business



Focus on holiness. • “Like the Holy One who called you,

be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” (I Pet. 1:15)



Focus on holiness.

So, how do we know when our behavior in business is

holy? When it is ethical?



Behaviour One

When we are zealous for God.



#1 When we are zealous for God.

• “...Holiness is fundamentally about priorities. So long as business is a means of honoring God rather than an end in itself, the concept of holiness is not violated.

• What holiness abhors is when business or any other human activity becomes an idol.”



#1 When we are zealous for God.

• “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”(Matt. 6:24



Behaviour Two

#2 When we exhibit ethical purity



#2 When we exhibit ethical purity

• by (1) communicating the truth, and (2) by serving rather than exploiting others.(Matt. 5:37; Mk. 10:43-45)



Behaviour Three

#3 When our attitude and actions signify humility rather

than pride.



#3 When our attitude and actions

signify humility rather than pride.• “Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of

yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities...” Rom. 12:3a, Phillips



Behaviour Four

#4 When we are circumspect in our actions



#4 When we are circumspect in our actions,

• checked by the realisation of impending accountability.

“Holiness holds us accountable by rewarding moral purity and punishing impurity.” See Matt. 11:20-24; 25:46; Gal. 6:7, 8)



Reflect again on your current practices

Is it possible to be in business and remain ethical?



Prayer Focus• Father, In the name of Jesus, I

surrender myself to walk in the Word in the marketplace. Your word living in me produces the Life in this world.

• The word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It makes my way plain before me.

• I boldly and confidently say that my heart is fixed and established on the solid foundation – the Living Word of God! Amen



A new commandment I give unto you

That you love one another as I have loved youThat you love one another as I have loved youBy this shall all men know that you are my disciplesIf you have love one for anotherBy this shall all men know that you are my disciplesIf you have love one for another



Learning, application and commitment: James 1: 22-25

• “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

• Do what it says. • Anyone who listens to the word but does not do

what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

• But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does.” (NIV)



Learning, application and commitment

• One of the principles that I have learned from this lesson was …

• I intend to apply this principle in my marketplace by: …..

• With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will begin applying this truth immediately.



Jesus said: Take what I have given you and change the world!



AcknowledgementCHRIST@ WORK NEWSLETTER

Copyright NoticeFCCI- Limited permission to copy without altering text or profiteering is granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice. Copy is limited to member and/or

FCCI small group use.

Unauthorized use of FCCI, Christ@Work, Crown Companies, their trademarks or logos is strictly prohibited.

The “Facts of the Matter” is also available through the Internet: www.factsofthematter.org. R. Dwight Hill.

http://www.factsofthematter.org/



Let's keep the good marketplace vibes alive. Let's network.

Become a member of the Crown Companies Marketplace Coaching Forum.

Tel (w) + 27(0) 82 88 29903. e-mail address:[email protected]

Website: www.crown.org.za

Blessings from Mario Denton


307 g business ethics

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