Question 45:
What is the duty which God requires of man?
Answer: The
duty which God requires of man is the obedience that comes from faith.
Day
1: Introduction and Definition
Hebrews 11:1
Our lessons for this week turn a corner
from the works of the Covenant of Grace that God has mercifully bestowed upon
us to the actions that God requires of us.
As I pondered the essence of this week’s catechism, a simple truth came
home to me that gets to the heart not just of this catechism, but to all of
Christian service.
Obedience is what we strive for
from our own children. We often make the
mistake, however, of trying to teach obedience to our children in specific
matters: chores, school work, responding to us with respect, picking up their
rooms, just treatment of their siblings, etc.
Although we must teach obedience in these things, we cannot start with
these individual outcomes. What we are
really after is the obedience of our children in all things. Would it not be an easier task to simply
teach obedience to authority in all things rather than taking a potshot
approach to a myriad of disciplines?
You may answer, “Yes, this is a
great perspective,” but the next question will be “How is such an approach to
obedience taught to our children?” Our
catechism answers this question for us: “obedience that comes from faith.” There must be this great trust in the lives
of our children for our authority for there to be lasting and comprehensive
effect in their lives in all things. Thus,
the next logical question comes to mind, “How do we generate such a faith in
the lives of our children?” This was the
point that Ted Tripp was conveying in the Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Conference. We must strive to do a work
in the heart of our children based upon the truths of God’s Word.
This is exactly how God has dealt
with us. He demands obedience not just
to His laws and commands, but ultimately He requires obedience to His authority
in all things. How does He accomplish
this in the lives of sinful men? He
performs a work of faith in our impure hearts that changes our “hearts of stone
into a hearts of flesh.” We by this work
come to realize that God not only is to be trusted in all things, but
that He can be trusted in all things.
Note that we work in our children not to have faith in us, rather we
must guide them to have faith in God who has rendered His authority to us as
their parents.
Today let’s very briefly look at
a familiar passage on faith not included in our list of scriptures, but is
essential to understanding the nature of the faith that God’s works in us to
produce obedience to Him in all things.
Hebrews 11:1 gives us this definition of faith, “Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Greek word for faith (pistis) in this context means conviction
to the truths of God’s word; belief in the nature of God as Creator, Sovereign,
and Savior through His Son Jesus Christ; and trust in the ability of God to do
daily in our lives as He has promised.
The writer of Hebrews then gives
us two practical working definitions for faith as it pertains to the
perspective of men’s hearts in the economy of God’s eternal kingdom. The first definition that we have for faith is
“the substance of things hoped for.” The
word for substance in the Greek is hupostasis
meaning the foundation that is placed underneath a structure. This word is actually a compound word of the
Greek words for underneath and foundation, thus we see that the definition is
strengthened to mean a foundation by which something exists, is true, is real,
and is tangible. In this phrase, “the
substance of things hoped for,” hupostasis
is connected to the Greek word for hope (elpizo, present, passive, participle). Thus, faith in this first definition is the
present realization of our hope of salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus.
The second definition given to us
in this verse for faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” The word for evidence in the Greek is elegchos. This word is a legal term meaning that an
accusation has been brought forth with sufficient evidence for conviction. In other words, it is proof or conviction or
evidence of what is true. Faith is the
evidence of things (pragma). This Greek word for things conveys the idea
of things that are done or accomplished or simply exist. The phrase in Hebrews finishes by qualifying
these things as “not seen.” The word in
the Greek for seen (blepo) refers to
things seen with the eye, but carries the idea (in the negative, i.e. “not
seen”) that it cannot be seen or examined and proved by physical sight. Thus, faith in this second definition is the
present evidence that God has accomplished for us what we cannot see with the
physical eye.
Combining these two definitions
we see that faith is a deep foundational conviction in the things that God has
accomplished in Christ Jesus for us that are yet to be fully realized, but
secured in a way and by One whom we have never laid our eyes upon. We see from this scriptural definition that
the very essence of faith cannot be garnered by human means, but rather exacted
by a work of God upon the human heart.
Once this faith has been established, it becomes the catalyst by which
we trust and obey God in all things.
1.
We must see that obedience does not
begin with the command, but with the condition of the heart. This is the difference between
self-righteousness and righteousness through faith. As parents, we must first examine our own
lives as to what type of righteousness is being made manifest in our own
lives. Secondly, we must be careful to
discipline our children not just to conform to our rules, but to be
heart-conditioned by the truths of God’s Word.
2.
Explore with your children what they
believe about God. Press them to give
evidence to support their beliefs. This
will lead to the ultimate evidence that can only be explained by faith. They may not have made any public profession
of faith, but you can use these opportunities to encourage them in evidences of
saving faith in their lives. At the
same time, lead them to see the desperation of trying to obey the commands of
God under their own power.
Day
2: Obedience through Love
Paul is addressing the church at
Paul spends much of this letter
defending justification by faith alone that we studied a few weeks ago
(Galatians 3:5-9). Paul is pointing out
that to adhere to the Law as a means of salvation (in part or whole) is to be
in bondage to the Law (Galatians 4:8-11).
The Law merely plays a part in salvation as the taskmaster that drives
us to Christ. But as Paul further points
out, when faith has come, we no longer need to serve under the taskmaster
(Galatians 3:24-25).
Paul goes on to make his point by
using the two sons of Abraham as symbols of being under Law verses being under
faith (Galatians 4:21-31). Hagar being a
servant girl herself gave birth to a son, Ishmael. But he was not the son of promise, but the
son of bondage according the Law given at
Paul goes on in chapter 5 to
admonish these believers in
Paul stresses this truth in our
focal verse 6. Circumcision is of no
relevance to Christ. He is neither
impressed nor unimpressed with it. We are
all one in Christ as we are and any distinction of nationality or ethnicity is
made by the fact that if we are of Christ then we are of Abraham’s seed of
promise, regardless of circumcision (Galatians 3:26-29, see also John 8:31-47). The Greek word for avails is ischuo, speaking to power and
ability. Circumcision (represented by
adherence to the Law) has no power unto salvation or works of
righteousness. Only power is found by
faith (pistis) working through
love. A changed heart of faith means
that the believer is empowered (Greek for work = energeo, to put forth power).
The means of this power is love.
The love of God to send His Son for our sins (John 3:16). And the love that we have for Him that
compels us to serve not out of bondage, but out of the deepest sense of awe and
gratitude (2 Corinthians 5:14).
Today’s truth is very
simple. We cannot get the cart before
the horse in trying to please God by obedience to the law. Those who are of Christ will obey His
commands, however, their obedience will thrive and dwell in the presence of
love (1 John 5:3-4, John 15:8-9). Love
brings about a labor of joy, peace, and contentment. It is no burden at all to serve the One that
you love.
Paul follows on in Chapter 5 by
making the practical application that our liberty in born out in love toward
the brethren (John 13:34-35). He
cautions again not to allow our freedom to give occasion to fulfill the lusts
of the flesh, but to walk in the Spirit who will produce within us fruit
necessary to obey God in faith.
Discuss the following with your
family:
1.
Talk to your children about their
attitudes toward obedience to you. Make
reference back to how we often try to please God with legalistic adherence to
the Law, instead of simply loving Him out of a servant heart and gladly obeying
His commands. Our children often obey
out of a sense duty, or grudgingly, or lazily.
Talk to them about how they feel about serving someone they love. Examine how your own attitudes concerning
obedience to God.
2.
Talk to your children concerning the
difference in trying to perfectly following the Law verses having the freedom
in Christ to do all that He desires out of a heart of love. Review the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23). Lead your children in praying
for these fruits to be made manifest in their own lives.
Faith birthed in our hearts by
the mercy of God produces an indescribable confidence in the promises of God on
one hand and an undying love of the person of God on the other. No people in scripture epitomize this fact
better than those of the body of Christ in Thessalonica. Paul reserved his greatest commendations for
the Thessalonian believers. At the same
time they were not perfect. They still
needed encouragement, instruction, and correction, which was the purpose for
Paul’s letter.
In chapter 1, verse 2 Paul begins
this commendation by expressing his gratitude to God for the diligence of these
believers to turn from their Pagan ways and clinging to the Gospel that Paul
had preached (1:9-10, 2:13-14). They
heard the word preached by Paul and they gladly received what they heard. We also see that their profession was notable
because it was made known to those around them (1:8). God changed them and their neighbors took
notice.
Paul further encourages them by
letting them know that they are constantly on his prayer list. I get the picture that in the course of
Paul’s daily prayers that God constantly brings these believers to his
remembrance (verse 3). On one hand this
shows the impact of the Thessalonians on the life of Paul, but on the other
hand Paul knew that such devoted believers would need prayer for the opposition
and persecution that they were bound to endure (verse 6).
Paul then highlights three
characteristics of these believers that proved them to be the elect of God
(verse 4) with great assurance (verse 5).
The first of these is their work of faith. Work is ergon
in the Greek which is the root of the word for work that we looked at in
Galatians 5:6. Ergon speaks to employment, working with the hands, being
industrious, accomplishment. This work
is of faith (pistis which we looked
at in Hebrews 11:1). Paul took note of
the deeds that they performed in the name of Christ. They were not idle in their faith as James
warned, but they produced works of righteousness to validate their faith. This is primarily seen in how they treated
one another. We see in chapter 4, verse
9 that Paul did not even have to counsel them in this area. It was obvious that their faith was
true. Nevertheless, he still encourages
them “to work with their own hands” (4:11).
They were not to be served, but to be servants of others.
Secondly, they bore evidence of a
labor of love. This gets to the heart of
what we discussed in the last lesson that our labor for Christ is a labor of
love, not out of compulsion, but out of deep love and gratitude. The Greek for labor here is kopos.
Kopos speaks to work that is
wrought with great hardship and pain.
The word is even used of the deepest emotional grieving. It takes a labor of love (agape) to endure hardship for the sake
of Christ. This is the point of Paul’s
discussion in chapter 3, verses 1-9.
Paul told them that they were bound to suffer afflictions for their
faith. Paul was comforted to know that
their faith endured tribulation and proven to be true. As it was true of the martyrs, they loved
Christ more than even their own lives.
Thirdly, they showed patience of
hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. They did
not expect their rewards to be of this world, but the glory to come. Thus, they were able to endure these
afflictions in their present life. The
Greek for patience is hupomone
meaning steadfastness, constancy, endurance; a patient, steadfast waiting for;
and a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance. It is evident from the subject of prophecy
that Paul sought to correct (in both letters) that these believers had their
minds fixed upon the return of Christ and that they were so eager to be with
Him that they couldn’t wait for the plan of God to unfold. At the end of the letter Paul encourages them
to continue to endure. They will be preserved
and blameless when Christ comes and we can have confidence in this truth
because He is faithful and He will return and keep all of His children.
The three great virtues of the
Christian life are given here: faith, hope, love. Of course the greatest of these is love (1
Corinthians 13). The last part of verse
three shows that it is our Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have our faith, our
hope and our love.
Discuss the following with your
family:
1.
How prepared and watchful are we to
withstand tribulations should they come our way?
2.
Read some martyr stories that
demonstrate faith, hope, and love in Christ Jesus.
Scripture:
Galatians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; Romans 1:5; 16:26;
15:18.