Catechism Questions 45 and 46

Question 45: What is the duty which God requires of man?

Answer: The duty which God requires of man, is obedience to His revealed will.

Question 46: What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?

Answer: The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law

Main Proposition:

Statement of Doctrine or Application

Believer’s are to be obedient to 100% of God’s Word

Intro:

Statement of proposition

Over the last few weeks we have been going over being obedient to God’s Word, to his laws and what that looks like from a practical lens.

Last Sunday evening we talked about how there are only two roads in this world. Obedience to sin and obedience to God

You must choose one way.

You can’t change lanes and become obedient to the world for a few years and then decide to change lanes again and become obedient to God and then when things get tough go back again. It doesn’t work that way.

God requires more from his elect.

We cannot pick and choose what law’s we want to obey and than disregard the ones that we don’t like just like we can’t pick and choose which verses and passages of the Bible that we want to listen and follow.

We are to have the presupposition that Scripture is 100% inherent and perfect. God’s Laws are 100% perfect and that is the outline that we are to live our lives off of.

There are so many people that will appear to be true believer’s of Christ, they grew up in a good church (just like you), they have parents who are believers (just like you), but something happens when they are thrown into the world without the true foundational belief in God.

The world chokes them out. The world puts pressure on them to choose.

People want to choose God, they grew up having the head knowledge of what is right and wrong, but somewhere along the way the weakness of their heart gets exposed.

They pick the world. Here is the thing: Only God’s sovereign providence and grace can let someone finish the race.

We are not talking about perfection here. Nobody will keep God’s law 100% of the time. We all fall short of that, but what we are talking about is the pattern of your life.

We are not talking about people that outright blaspheme our Lord and Savior. We are talking about people that talk the talk.

Other Texts That Support:

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

In this passage we see the difference between God’s way and the world’s way. We see that the wide gate is easy that there is a sense of lets go with what the world says

Becoming a believer does not make your life here on earth easier. There will be times when it will be hard to remain obedient to God and his Word, but we must remember:

John 15:18–19 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

If you claim to be one of Christ’s sheep and you are liked by the world something does not add up.

The world will not look at followers of Christ as good, righteous or moral. Because we are in the world, but not of the world.

Why does this matter?

With all of that being said: What is the one way that we can be obedient to God and his laws?

By having a regenerate heart.

Being alive in Christ and dead to sin.

The only way that God will consider anybody obedient is if they turn away from the world, their sin and walk towards Christ

It is only then can someone come to that saving faith and Christ’s righteousness is imputed onto us, we are then called justified in God’s eyes.

We’ve talked about it before, but a nonbeliever cannot obey God, do good in the sight of God and glorify God

What is the difference between a nonbeliever and a true follower of Christ? What is the difference between the actions of a believer and a nonbeliever?

It’s nothing externally. It’s an internal change. Something has to happen to our hearts in order to obey God.

What does your heart say about God? What is your attitude towards Christ?

Last Sunday we went very briefly into the 3 Elements of Faith and how that is tied into being obedient to God and his Laws and today we are going to go more in depth into what those three elements are and their importance to true, everlasting faith

Main Point #1: Intellect of obedience

Statement

We must believe in something and for a believer that something is the Gospel

Prove

As a true follower of Christ you must believe in the inherency or scripture

That it is God Breathed

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Here is the thing. We must know the true Gospel, the true Christ and the true God.

We must have the heart knowledge of the true God.

Nonbelievers and professing believers are not going to have the heart knowledge

It’s important for us to flush this out. We are talking about heart intellect.

There are a lot of people that can have a lot of head knowledge when it comes to Scripture, Christ, God, but what it comes down to truly accepting the Word of God into their hearts. They fail.

As leaders in this ministry we do not want that for you. It is not about being coffee house debaters. It’s about being soul winner for Christ! Are you soul winners? Or do you just care about trying to make some

The whole of biblical theology centers on the notion of divine revelation and the receptive response of man:

God speaks his word, man hears and is required to obey.

There is something special about hearing the Word for the first time. I still remember when I heard the true gospel preached in February of 2018. It was in the book of Luke and it was like a light bulb went off in my head.

It was this feeling of “Oh my goodness” Once you hear it you will never unhear it. You have this eternal intelligence in your heart.

That is the difference between obedience and knowledge. People want to group these two words together like you can swap them for one another like they are interchangeable, but they differ.

Knowledge designates friendship between ourselves and God

Obedience is our activity within that relationship.

Our obedience is the standard of our knowledge

To determine if someone knows God, we are not going to give that person a written exam.

There is nothing that someone can put down on a piece of paper that will tell us if he is a true believer or not

Even the examination of someone’s life is tough.

You can see deeds and works in one’s life, but at the same time to know the true genuine posture behind their motives only Christ knows.

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Luke 8:21 ESV

21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Why is this the case? Why is is that obedience is so important to our faith and belief in God?

Because God is the real, living and true God, not an abstraction. He is profoundly involved in each of our lives.

If we are disobeying God we are ignoring his involvement in our lives.

1 Corinthians 3:18–23 ESV

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Proverbs 9:10 ESV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

This is my favorite favorite verse when it comes to wisdom because it gives the insight into a believer and also a nonbeliever.

We can see where wisdom begins and where the world ends, we can see where knowledge begins and sin starts.

Illustrations:

Growing up Catholic I never had a true fear of the Lord because I genuinely did no know who he is.

I was taught that I could never have 100% assurance of where I would spend eternity

I needed other mediators besides Christ. I was lost. But when that day comes when you are awaken into Christ. ALL OF THAT CHANGES.

Main Point #2: Emotion of Obedience

Statement

The Emotion of the Gospel must touch you personally

Prove

When we say emotions and God people usually go towards the thought of the charismatic movement that a regenerate heart makes you more emotional, yell, weep, jump up and down, speaking in tongues etc. That is not what I am saying at all. When I say that the Emotion of the Gospel needs to personally touch you. The truth of the Gospel touches your soul and softens your hardened heart towards God.

God demands us to develop our emotions in the course of our sanctification.

We need to grow spiritually in our emotional life, intellectual life, in our decision making in order to conform more closely to the image of Christ.

Philippians 4:4–6 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The Bible is commanding us to have a different outlook on life than our previous life in which we were dead. Now that we are alive in life we must continue to grow emotionally and intellectually.

Just like intellect, emotions are fallen and must be redeemed by God’s grace.

Unregenerate emotions are quite different from regenerate.

Unregenerate people love wickedness, their sin and hate true goodness

But when God gives us new life through his son we are given a new disposition or view of the world, what is good changes, what is important changes and what we love changes.

There is never going to be someone that is regenerated in Christ that does not change certain aspects of their life.

We learn to truly love God, hate evil and are content in the face of difficulty.

BUT and here is the thing that I want us to focus on

This is something that has to PERSONALLY impact you.

When we say emotion of the Gospel I am talking about the realization that comes upon you when you realize that you cannot save yourself. That Christ has died for YOU.

You have to come to that conclusion when Christ personally calls you. God has predestined you to be His child.

So when God shows us his revealed will in the Ten Commandments there are a few things that are happening:

We know that the law doesn’t save

We’ve gone over that in Romans quite a bit. The law points us back to Christ because he is the only one that is able to be perfectly obedient to the law.

We are not justified by the law, but in faith in Christ

We have an internal desire to keep God’s laws

Because we have personally been touched by the Gospel, the hearing of God’s perfect Word we want to be as obedient to it as possible.

We know that we will never be perfect, there will be times when we fall and slip up.

Flowers in texts

Illustrations

When I told my mom and my siblings that I had come to a saving faith in Christ, they were confused. My mom literally said “Michael, I chose that for you when you were a baby.”

How can someone choose salvation for another? They CANT. AS much as parents love their kids they can’t force salvation on them. That would be a works based salvation

When I think of emotions I think of a time when I was racing in a big race in Georgia. I got clipped at the line and I was livid. I was angry at myself, I had beaten that guy many times before and after, but that specific emotion carried me to be more obedient to my training, nutrition, sleep. I did everything as perfect as possible. I was perfect, but that brought my obedience to another level. That is the obedience that we need when it comes to Christ.

Main Point #3: Intent of Obedience

Statement

We must personally give ourselves to Christ

Prove

Luke 6:46–49 ESV

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

When we read these verses what comes to mind?

The intention of the man building his house built it upon a foundation that could not be shaken. The intent of the man was to build a house that can withstand any type of weather.

If someone where to build a house without a firm foundation what happens?

It get destroyed.

We have to be intentional when it comes to building the foundation of our faith.

Who in here either currently plays or has played a sport, in band, Bible Bee, anything competition based?

When you had practice it was pretty intentional right? For track you have days when you focus on endurance, other days speed, intervals, etc.

Soccer you have times when you work on dribbling, passing, set plays

Marching Band I’m sure you work on steps, timing, reading the music sheets, playing the actual instruments etc.

The point is that it is specifically intentional to build a firm foundation in specific areas of that particular sport.

When you are practicing in that area you are doing whatever you can to do your best at it and have it become normalized.

I remember when Hannah Smith was practicing for the Bible Bee in the sanctuary. You and your dad were running through specific scripture. Why? Because you needed to be sharp in that specific area

The same way that we are intentional in sports, school and work we need to be intentional in our faith.

Our daily walk with Christ

Yeah you can just check the box of reading your Bible everyday, going to church on Sundays, etc, but what is the intent of those actions?

Are you hungry for God’s Word? Are you hungry for God’s Word the same way that you are hungry for getting better at playing video games? Are you hungry for God’s Word the same way that you are hungry for getting better at playing your instrument or playing your chosen sport?

What is the difference between these two people:

Person One:

Goes to Church on Sunday morning because their family goes to church

Reads their Bible just so their parents stop asking them about it or just tells them that they did it.

Has no consistent prayer life. Prays for meals if their family, but that is it.

Person Two:

Is eager to go to church on Sundays

Reads God’s Word with the intent of wanting to grow in knowledge of Him

Is in constant Prayer with God and Christ daily.

From the outside person one and person two are doing the same thing, but it is the intent of person two that is the difference

This has nothing to do with work. This is the heart posture behind it.

You are going to be able to see the difference in the fruit from both of these people

John 15:1–11 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Illustrations

Application:

I want each and every one of us to have intent when it comes to walking in faith with Christ

I want this ministry to be soul winners for God and not just coffee house debaters

Focus on what your intention is with your daily prayer life, Bible reading, fellowship with other believers. What does your heart say about Christ that makes you want to be obedient

Journal

For me journaling has been a great way to see where my mind is when I am reading or studying God’s Word.

I personally don’t like marking in my Bibles so I have a few notebooks that I use for notes on my daily Bible reading or sermons that I listen to throughout the day.

If you are interested in what you can do outside of reading your Bible. Ask any of us leaders, parents for book recommendations. There may be a book in the Bible or passage that keeps catching your eye and you want to read more about it. We would be more than happy to help you with that.

Pray. Be in constant prayer. Daily. Be prayer warriors.

This is our way of communicating with Christ and God. God wants to hear what is in our hearts, when we are hurting, happy, excited, anxious.

It doesn’t mean that he is going to answer every prayer. He is not a magic genie, but he does answer prayers

When you do pray log them and log when/what he does answer. That is a great way to see God working in your life.