Q39. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
Q1. Why are the principles of faith, in the Shorter Catechism, treated of, before duties of obedience?
A. To show, that man's duty cannot be rightly performed, unless it flow from a belief of these principles, as the root and spring of it, Heb. 11:6.
Q2. What do you understand by man's duty?
A. That which he owes to God, out of love and gratitude, Luke 17:10.
Q3. What is it that man thus owes to God?
A. Constant and universal obedience, 1 Sam. 15:22.
Q4. From whence does our obligation of obedience to God arise?
A. From his universal supremacy, and sovereign authority over us, as rational creatures, Lev. 18:5, who depend entirely upon him, for our "life, and breath, and all things," Acts 17:25.
Q5. What motive or excitement have Christians, above others, to the duties of obedience?
A. They have the revelation of God's free love, mercy, and grace in Christ, bringing salvation to them, which should teach them to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world," Titus 2:12.
Q6. What is the only rule and measure of our obedience?
A. The revealed will of God, Isaiah 8:20.
Q7. Why is our obedience limited to God's revealed will?
A. Because it is necessary that God should signify to us, in what instances he will be obeyed, and the manner how our obedience is to be performed; otherwise, it would rather be a fulfilling of our own will than his, Micah. 6:8.
Q8. Where has God revealed his will, as the rule and measure of our obedience?
A. In the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, 2 Tim. 3:16.
Q9. What is the difference between God's secret and revealed will?
A. His secret will is reserved to himself, as the rule of his own procedure; but his revealed will is made known to us, as the rule of our faith and obedience, Deut. 29:29 - "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."
Q10. Is it not agreeable to the revealed will of God that we give obedience to the just commands of our lawful superiors?
A. Yes; for thus we are commanded, 1 Pet. 2:13 - "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake."
Q11. What is the difference between the obedience we should yield to God, and that which we should give to our lawful superiors?
A. We should obey God for himself, or out of regard to his own authority, as the very ground and reason of our obedience; but we should obey our superiors, only in the Lord; or, as their commands are agreeable to his will, Eph. 6:1 - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."
Q12. What is our duty, when the commands of superiors are contrary to the commands of God?
A. In that case we ought, without the least hesitation, "to obey God rather than men," Acts 5:29; Dan. 3:18.
Q13. Why ought God to be obeyed rather than men, when their commands are opposite?
A. Because, "God alone is the Lord of the conscience, James, 4:12, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in any thing contrary to his word," Acts 4:19.54
Q14. What is the nature of that obedience which is acceptable to God?
A. It is such as flows from a vital union with Christ, and faith in him, as the principle of it, John 15:4, 5; is performed in a due manner, Psalm 5:7; and aims at the glory of God, as its highest and ultimate end, 1 Cor. 10:31.
Q15. What encouragement does God give us to essay a universal obedience to his revealed will?
A. That he requires nothing of us in point of duty, but what he promises strength and furniture for the performance of, Ezek. 36:27 - "I will - cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."
Q1. Is obedience to God's will the duty of every man?
A. It is unquestionably the duty of every man to obey the will of God, so far as he has made it known to him; Micah 6:8. He has showed you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Q2. On what account is man's obedience due to God?
A. It is due to him, FIRST, as he is our Creator, in whom we live, and move, and have our being; Acts 17:27, 28. SECONDLY, As he is our Benefactor, from whom we receive all our mercies; Deuteronomy 28:47. Because you served not the Lord your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore shall you serve your enemies, which the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things. THIRDLY, As he is our Lord, and lawgiver; James 4:12. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.
Q3. Is obedience due to none but God only?
A. Yes; subjects must obey their lawful magistrates; Romans 13:1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God; The powers that be are ordained of God. People their ministers; Hebrews 13:17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account. Children their parents; Ephesians 6:1. Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. But not as they are to obey God.
Q4. What is the difference between our obedience to God's commands, and men's?
A. We are to obey God, chiefly and supremely, for his own sake, but creatures secondarily, and for God's sake; 1 Peter 2:13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of men for the Lord's sake. And Ephesians 6:1. Children obey your parents [in the Lord,] for this is right.
Q5. What must we do when the commands of God and men fall cross to one another?
A. In that case we must yield our obedience to God, and not to man, whatever we suffer for it; Acts 4:19. Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God judge you.
Q6. Why must we obey God rather than man?
A. Because God is the supreme and sovereign Lord of our consciences; and no creature has power to command our obedience but in and from him; Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.
Q7. Have the people liberty to compare the laws of God and men, and judge how they agree or differ?
A. Yes; their judgment of discretion is both commanded; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 15. I speak as to wise men; judge you what I say. And commended; Acts 17:11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Q8. What is the only rule for our obedience to God?
A. The will of God revealed in the scriptures is our only rule of obedience; Isaiah 8:20. To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Q9. But if a man have a voice, a vision, or a dream, seeming to hint the secret will of God, may he not obey it?
A. Yes; if it be consonant to the revealed will of God in the word, otherwise not; Deuteronomy 29:29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed, belong unto us, and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Q10. What is the first instruction from hence?
A. That it is highly sinful and dangerous to disobey the known will of God in anything; Romans 1:18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Luke 12:47. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Q11. What is the second instruction?
A. That is a blessed man, who conscientiously labors to obey the will of God, so far as he can discover it; John 13:17. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them. Galatians 6:16. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy.
Q12. What is the third inference?
A. It is highly sinful and dangerous to command others, or obey commands from others, which are not according to God's command; Hosea 5:11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment. Jeremiah 7:31. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. Of the Moral Law
Q1. Does God require duty of men?
A. Yes: Now, O Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, Deut. 10:12.
Q2. Of every man?
A. Yes: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear, Matt. 13:9.
Q3. Has he authority to require duty?
A. Yes: If I be a master, where is my fear, Mal. 1:6.
Q4. Is it fit he should rule us?
A. Yes: For we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture, Ps. 100:3.
Q5. Is it fit we should obey him?
A. Yes: For the borrower is servant to the lender, and the fool is servant to the wise in heart, Prov. 22:7; 11:29.
Q6. Ought we therefore to inquire what our duty is?
A. Yes: Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, Ps. 119:33.
Q7. Has God made known his will concerning our duty?
A. Yes: He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel, Ps. 147:19.
Q8. Are we to obey it?
A. Yes: Thou shall obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments, Deut. 27:10.
Q9. Is that obedience the condition of our acceptance?
A. Yes: Obey my voice, and I will he your God, Jer. 7:23.
Q10. Is obedience to God reasonable?
A. Yes: It is our reasonable service, Rom. 12:1.
Q11. Is it easy?
A. Yes: For his commandments are not grievous, 1 John 5:3.
Q12. And will it he acceptable?
A. Yes: For to obey is better than sacrifice, 1 Sam. 15:22.
Q13. Must our obedience to God be sincere?
A. Yes: Fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity, and in truth, Josh. 24:14.
Q14. Must it be universal?
A. Yes: Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments, Ps. 119:6.
Q15. Must it be with delight?
A. Yes: I delight in the law of God after the inward man, Rom. 7:22.
Q16. Must it be constant?
A. Yes: Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long, Prov. 23:17.
Q17. Must God's commands take place of men's?
A. Yes: We ought to obey God rather than men, Acts 5:29. and 4:19.
Q18. Should we therefore labour to know the will of God?
A. Yes: Understand what the will of the Lord is, Eph. 5:17.
Q19. Are we to study his secret will?
A. No: For secret things belong not to us.
Q20. But his revealed will?
A. Yes: For things revealed belong to us, and to our children, that we may do all the words of this law, Deut. 29:29.
Q21. Is obedience to God's revealed will the whole duty of man?
A. Yes: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man, Eccl. 12:13.
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The Ten Commandments
The moral law and what God requires of man
Q39. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
Q40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.
Q41. Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.
Q42. What is the sum of the ten commandments?
A. The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves.
Q43. What is the preface to the ten commandments?
A. The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Q44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
Q45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q46. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.
Q48. What are we specially taught by these words, 'before me', in the first commandment?
A. These words, before me, in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.
Q49. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Q50. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.
Q51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.
Q52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.
Q53. Which is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Q54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Q55. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
Q56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.
Q57. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q58. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to himself.
Q59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbath.
Q60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
Q61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
Q62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath day.
Q63. Which is the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Q64. What is required in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Q65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.
Q66. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
Q67. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.
Q68. What is required in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life, and the life of others.
Q69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour, unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.
Q70. Which is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q71. What is required in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.
Q72. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.
Q73. Which is the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.
Q74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbour's, wealth or outward estate.
Q76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Q77. What is required in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's good name, especially in witness bearing.
Q78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbour's, good name.
Q79. Which is the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.
Q80. What is required in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbour, and all that is his.
Q81. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.
Q82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.
Q83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Q84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.