The Whole Duty of Man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
God is Sovereign.
Man is Responsible.
Man the creature, before God the Creator.
We are responsible to use the prescribed means to bring about the Creator’s foreordained ends.
Sadly, all around us, people have lost the true view of God.
And the reason, I believe, is that we don’t see ourselves as creatures before the Creator.
As Christians, whose relationship is one of light and love to our God, we are still required to obey Him, as His creatures.
At the first, man’s only requirement to maintain Paradise, was to obey. This was Creator to creature.
Christ, our Redeemer, has redeemed us from the penalty of the Law….but not the essential duty of obedience to God’s commands.
God’s promises do not set aside His precepts; on the contrary, Jesus said plainly that we should “continue in His word”(John 8:31); and He came to do the Will of God.
John 6:38″For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
We just need to get obedient to the light we have. That light is shown by the Scriptures.
By One man’s Obedience, we are restored to God.
Romans 5:19″For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
That One, Who shall make many righteous, is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul also says: Grace reigns through righteousness, not without it.
Romans 5:21 “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Grace is the unmerited favor of power. Power from the Holy Spirit within any Christian, to be obedient.
We often think that doing good for man, is what God wants us to do.
Sometimes that is true…
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Sometimes those ideas simply get in the way of what God really wants you to do.
Acts 16:6-7 “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”
Paul wanted to go into Asia, but could not. Then thought to go into what is now the upper part of Turkey, but was told not to by the Holy Spirit.
The Reality of the matter for each person, (and should be especially acknowledged by each Christian) is:
Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
His “pleasure” here, is His determination. And His determination for all creation, is that His Son be glorified, and honored; and especially by those Christ has redeemed.
Ephesians 1:11-12 “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
That we should be to the praise of his glory,…”
The whole duty of man is to love and obey God;
This should be a joyful duty, because it is to the One Who gave so much to save me.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 