Moral Decision-Making in the Bible

I found the assigned passages very interesting this week, due to the fact that they all contained varying messages on the issue of moral decision-making, even though they were all found in the Bible. In my opinion, I have often heard people describe the Bible in a “black and white” manner where there was a clear right and wrong answer for every situation possible. However, the application of these four passages addresses virtue ethics, duty-based ethics, consequentialism, and the overall struggle of morality.
Romans 7:14-25 was perhaps my favorite passage, because I found it to be brutally honest and inspiring. Paul, who was an apostle, is openly admitting that even though he knows what the right thing to do is based on the teachings of Jesus, he often does not end up doing the right thing. He says, “ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” Paul is admitting that not only does he struggle with doing the right thing, but he struggles with the known presence of sin in his life. Paul’s struggle to do the right thing when it is not what he wants to do is a perfect example of the struggle that anyone goes through when faced with a difficult choice.
Even though Paul appears to be distraught in this particular passage, there is an inherent hope that he conveys in the final sentence.  Paul states, “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Paul recognizes that even though he may not do the right thing in the eyes of God, his sins are already forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Overall, I feel that this passage is a perfect representation of the struggle and salvation of every Christian living today. Based on the teachings of the 10 Commandments and other parables, we all have a pretty good idea of what Jesus viewed as inherently right and wrong. However, just because Jesus taught that lust is just as bad as adultery, and that we must love our enemy, it does not mean that every Christian (or any of them) follows these teachings 100% of the time. I believe that this passage is the overall basis for moral decision making in the way that we must try to model our behavior as closely after Jesus as we can, but to also remember that our sins have already been forgiven by a God who understands that human beings will never be perfect. The only part of these passages that I struggle with, is the knowledge that while some of Jesus’ teachings are still widely abided by (i.e. murder, adultery, etc.), there are teachings that only applied to the time period in which He was living that we widely ignore. Where do we draw the line and who decides what teachings still apply?