WSC #3 Faith & Duty

Q. 3. What do the scriptures principally teach? A. The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
Micah 6:8, John 3:16, John 20:30,31, James 2:14-20, Ephesians 2:8-10
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ Introduction: Faith & Works – a theological minefield.

I. THE PRINCIPAL TEACHING OF SCRIPTURE
a. What the Bible does NOT teach.
b. “But while it is true that man can never fully comprehend God, it does not follow the he can have no knowledge of Him at all. He can know Him only in part, but nevertheless with a knowledge which is real and true.” Louis Berkhof.

c. Forming the outline: Questions 4-38 deal with what we are to believe concerning God and Questions 39-107 summarize what duties God requires of us.

II. WHAT WE ARE TO BELIEVE CONCERNING GOD (FAITH) (John 3:16, John 20:30,31)
a. The primary emphasis – faith. Beliefs matter!
b. To believe is to give our assent to a body of truth, because of the authority of another.
c. What does it mean to believe what the scriptures teach? “To believe what the scriptures teach is to give assent or credit to the truth thereof, because of the authority of God, whose word the scriptures are – this is divine faith.” Thomas Vincent.

III. THE DUTY GOD REQUIRES OF US (James 2:14-20, Ephesians 2:8-10)
a. What is meant by duty? “By the duty which God requires of man, we are to understand that which is God's due, or that which we owe to God, and are bound to do, as we are creatures, and subjects and children.” Thomas Vincent.

b. Is it legalistic to require duties? Ephesians 2:8-10

c. The law as a schoolmaster & the law as a rule of life.