The Christian's Duty

What is our duty according to God?

Lesson 21 of 28 • Print / save PDF

Loving God is at the center of the Christian obligation. The mandate to love God with all of one's heart, soul, mind, and strength is a manifestation of this love and is accompanied by obedience, trust, and devotion (Mark 12:30). According to John 4:23-24, we are to worship God in spirit and in truth, giving Him honor, adoration, and thanksgiving for all of His qualities, deeds, and character.

Obedience to God's Word as it is made known in the Bible is essential to the Christian life. Christians are obligated to read, consider, and live by God's precepts (Psalms 119:11; James 1:22-25), with the goal of conforming their thoughts and behaviors to God's will.

1. 1.WHO are the true Christians?

   Bible⇒ John 1: 12, 13.

2. 2.Has the Christian any duty or obligation to meet?

   Bible⇒ 1 Timothy 6: 12 .

   The faith which justifies is the faith which works. Those who say, and do not, are not men of faith. The obedience which is pleasing to God is the fruit of that faith which takes God at His word, and submits to the working of His power, being fully assured that what He has promised He is able also to perform. This is the faith which is reckoned for righteousness. See Rom. 4: 21, 22." — "Bible Readings for the Home Circle," p. 137.

3. 3.Is a fighting life an easy one?

4. 4.Who is the enemy that we must meet?

   Bible⇒ James 4: 7.

5. 5.What weapons do we use in this warfare?

   Bible⇒ Ephesians 6: 13-17; 2 Corinthians 10: 4, 5.

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7. 6.What is it that the devil is always trying to get us to do?

   Bible⇒ - To disobey God. Disobedient spirit is of Satan. Ephesians 2: 2. Disobedience the first sin. Romans 5: 19.

8. 7. Does God expect His children to obey Him?

   Bible ⇉ Isaiah 1:19; Hebrews 5: 9

   1. To disobey means death. Genesis 2: 17.
   2. Obedience the mark of the chosen ones. Exodus 19: 5, 6.
   3. Obey, blessing; disobey, curse. Deuteronomy 11: 26-28.
   4. Life and death; obedience and disobedience. Deuteronomy 30: 19, 20.
   5. Obedience, highest form of worship. 1 Samuel 15: 22.
   6. Change our ways,to obey. Jeremiah 26: 13.
   7. Obedience the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12: 13.
   8. Jesus taught obedience; by it we express our love. John 14: 21; John 14:23, 24.
   9. Obedience a gospel requirement. Acts 5: 29.
   10. Holy Spirit given to obedient. Acts 5: 32.
   11. Gentiles become Christians by obeying in word and deed. Romans 15: 18.
   12. Obedience frees from sin. Romans 6: 17, 18.
   13. The blessing. Revelation 22:14.

9. 8.How do we reveal our attitude toward God?

   Bible ⇉ Romans 6: 16

10. 9.What enables us to obey?

    Bible ⇉ Philippians 2: 12, 13

    The righteousness of God, which is obtained by faith in Christ, brings with it the life of God, which is inseparably connected with righteousness ; and the life of God, which is bestowed upon man as a gift through his faith in Christ, is a life of righteousness, — the righteousness, or right-doing of Christ." — Id., p. 117.

11. GENERAL NOTE : In the last days a message will go forth which will be ' meat in due season ' to the people. This must be the warning concerning the Lord's soon coming, and the preparation necessary to meet Him. Because such a message was not always preached, is no evidence that it is not now to be proclaimed. In his farewell address to the Pilgrim Fathers on their departure from Holland for America, John Robinson said : The Lord knoweth whether I shall ever see your faces more ; but whether the Lord hath appointed that or not, I charge you before God and His blessed angels to follow me no farther than I have followed Christ. If God should reveal anything to you by any other instrument of His, be as ready to receive it as you ever were to receive any truth by my ministry ; for I am very confident that the Lord hath more truth and light yet to break forth out of His Holy Word. For my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the reformed churches. who are come to a period in religion, and will go no farther than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go any farther than what Luther saw ; and the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not all things. This is a misery much to be lamented ; for though they were burning and shining lights in their time, yet they penetrated not into the whole counsel of God, but were they now living, would be as willing to embrace further light as that which they first received.' "— Id., p. 134