God and Ethics.

15. God and Ethics.

In a predominantly mystical approach, God is the inner­most truth of one’s own being; ethical action is its natural expression; higher truth is revealed to one who sincerely invokes it. In this approach, therefore, God is the inner controller, ethical life is natural and spontaneous, truth is experiential,and revelation is open to all. But in scriptures where mysticism is rudimentary , the ethics too is not much developed. God is conceived externally; ethics are commandments and injunctions from an external author­ity; moral laws are matters of exhortation and warnings. Here one’s obligations do not extend beyond one’s brothers in faith. In this approach, truth is credal, revelation exclusive, and salvation belongs only to the elect it is also indirect, and takes place only through a particular individual.