How do you justify moral actions?

[rjs330]

Why does anything at all matter?

It doesn't. Nothing you do matters beyond the moment. Your eternity is set and you can do nothing about it. No matter how much good or bad you think you are doing.

Once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then everything matters.

 

[Unqualified]

It does matter and you have a purpose. You can be written out of the book of life.

Rev 3:5

 

[Stephen3141]

To the younger American generations, it may seem that "getting a reward" for living out righteousness,
somehow dirties the righteous life.

But, it is clear in the Bible, that God rewards the righteous, and punishes the unrighteous.
Some people may not like this arrangement, but it is reality.

The varied gifts of "grace" that God gives us,
are to allow us to live out righteousness.
This is a stewardship, and there is responsibility involved.
A lazy steward, is unrighteous.


40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Mt 10:40–42.

23 Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Lk 6:23.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him
New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011), Heb 11:6.

 

[stevil]

If everything is temporary and therefore in time will be forgotten, why does it matter if I do what is "good" according to the current culture?

Your reputation and the consequences of how you shape that.
Also the law and the consequences of breaking it
Also how people around you will react to things you do, e.g. if you present an immediate and dangerous threat to others then they are likely to take necessary actions to remove you as a threat.

So, quite frankly, it's all about the consequences, the real ones, the ones that happen here on earth.

For some people it is also the consequence of how they see themselves when they look in the mirror. Or perhaps how they perceive that their loved ones will look at them, given the actions and decisions they have made.