Basic Bible Doctrine (Part 16) – Christian Duty

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1. Christian Duty
   1. So you know and understand who the true God is, what the true word of God is, how to study and understand the Bible, that men by nature are totally depraved and condemned under sin, that Jesus Christ saved His elect eternally by grace alone, that belief and obedience of the gospel saves God’s children temporally, and that believers ought to be baptized and added to a true church that worships God in spirit and in truth.
      1. At this point, if you understand and believe all of the above, you should be a baptized member of a true New Testament church.
      2. If you’re not, why not?
      3. If you are, what now?
      4. What does God require of us? What is our duty to Him?
   2. It can be summed up in one sentence: “Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc 12:13; Deu 10:12-13).
      1. Duty – 1. a. The action and conduct due to a superior; homage, submission; due respect, reverence; an expression of submission, deference, or respect.
      2. Whole – II. Complete, total 6. a. Having all its parts or elements; having no part or element wanting; having its complete or entire extent or magnitude; full, perfect.
      3. His commandments are not grievous (1Jo 5:3).
      4. Jesus’ yoke is easy and His burden is light (Mat 11:28-30).
   3. The greatest commandments which encompass all the others are to love God above all and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mat 22:37-40).
      1. Loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, strength, and understanding means loving God:
         1. Emotionally (the heart is the seat of emotion).
         2. Spiritually (with the soul).

• Intellectually (with the mind and the understanding).

1. Physically (with the strength).

1. Loving our neighbor as ourselves.
   1. Simply put: treat others as you would have them to treat you (Luk 6:31).
   2. This is the Golden Rule.
2. These two commandments contain all the rest (Mat 22:40).
   1. The other commandments are all contained in these.
   2. If you love God supremely, you won’t have any gods before him, worship idols, or use His name in vain.

• If you love your neighbor as yourself, you won’t dishonor your parents, kill your neighbor, commit adultery with his wife, steal from him, lie to him, or covet his possessions.

1. To keep these two commandments is more than all whole burn offerings and sacrifices (Mar 12:32-33).

4. God desires obedience, justice, judgment, mercy, and knowledge more than offerings and sacrifices.
   1. To hearken to and obey the word of the Lord gives God more delight than burnt offerings and sacrifices (1Sa 15:22-23).
   2. “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” (Pro 21:3).
   3. God desires mercy and not sacrifice (Hos 6:6).
      1. Mercy rejoices against judgment (Jam 2:13).
      2. The merciful are blessed and receive mercy (Mat 5:7)
   4. God desires knowledge of God more than burnt offerings (Hos 6:6).
      1. God commands us to get knowledge and wisdom (Pro 8:10; Pro 4:5,7).
      2. God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hos 4:6; Isa 5:13).
   5. There is only one bodily sacrifice that is acceptable to God under the New Testament: your body (Rom 12:1).
   6. We need to not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed from it (Rom 12:2).
   7. God’s general requirements of us are few: do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly (Mic 6:8).
   8. The weightier matters of the law that Jesus says should be done are judgment, mercy, faith, and the love of God (Mat 23:23; Luk 11:42).
   9. Practical Christian duty – here are just a few things we need to do as Christians.
      1. Read your Bible (Psa 119:11,97).
      2. Pray (1Th 5:17).
      3. Go to church (Heb 10:22-25).
      4. Communicate with your brethren and get together regularly (Mal 3:16; Psa 119:63; Act 2:46).
      5. Love your brethren (Joh 13:34-35).
      6. Prefer your brethren over yourself and people of the world (Rom 12:10).
      7. Be a good friend (Pro 18:24; Pro 17:17).
      8. Be kind to one another and forgive one another (Eph 4:32).
      9. Know and communicate with your pastor (1Th 5:12-13).
      10. Support the ministry (1Co 9:13-14).
      11. Comfort your brethren (1Th 5:11).
      12. Comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, and condescend to men of low estate (1Th 5:14; Rom 12:16).
      13. Esteem others more highly than yourself (Phi 2:3).
      14. Give to the poor (Gal 2:10; Rom 12:13; 1Ti 6:17-18).
      15. Help those in need (Luk 10:30-37).
      16. Be diligent at work (Rom 12:11; Col 3:23).
      17. Submit to your husband (Eph 5:22-24).
      18. Love and cherish your wife (Eph 5:25, 28-29).
      19. Provide for the sexual needs of your spouse (1Co 7:3-5).
      20. Train and teach your children in the ways of God (Eph 6:4).
      21. Discipline your children (Pro 22:6; Pro 13:24).
      22. Be a good citizen; obey just laws and rulers (1Pe 2:13-14).
      23. Be honest and trustworthy (Eph 4:25).
      24. Stay out of debt (Rom 13:8).
      25. Take care of parents and aged family members (1Ti 5:4).
      26. Abstain from all appearance of evil (1Th 5:22).
   10. If we do the things that we have learned, received, heard and seen in the scriptures, the God of peace shall be with us (Phi 4:9).