There seem to be so many gray areas when it comes to right and wrong. How can I tell what is absolutely right?

Exodus 20:1-17Then God gave the people all these instructions . . .

John 14:15“If you love me, obey my commandments.”

God has given us his Word, the Bible, which gives many clear and specific instructions about good and evil. We may sometimes find ourselves in situations where we must prioritize between more than one biblical teaching. Or we may find ourselves in situations that the Bible doesn’t directly address. Even so, the clear instructions in Scripture still provide a strong foundation for the decisions we must make.

John 14:17, 26“He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. . . . But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

John 15:26“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”

John 16:13“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”

Romans 8:5Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:11-12, 16No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us . . . For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

Galatians 5:16So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

1 John 2:27You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

God has given us the Holy Spirit who will help us live obediently and teach us absolute truth. Not only does he remind us of the truths found in God’s Word, but he shapes our minds and hearts to become more like Christ’s. As we grow closer to holding the same motives and priorities as God, making difficult moral decisions will grow more natural. Discerning moral truth involves more than memorizing the letter of the law—we must seek the heart of the Lawgiver. This is where the Holy Spirit leads us.