List of Individual Christian Duties

Gwallard

Gwallard

Puritan Board Freshman
Hello, brothers,

I've been studying the duty of self-examination lately, and it struck me that I have never found a good list of Christian duties. Nor do I live my life with such a list in mind besides the means of grace in general. This may ultimately be from the fact that were all the Christian duties listed it might be an encouragement to self-made, introspective religion; to a mere formalistic religion; or to merely make us despair of all that ought to be - but can never - done. Yet, with titles like "The Necessity of Self-Examination," it makes me wonder what else is "necessary," although it occurs to me that only one thing is necessary (Luke 10:42), and the law is summed up in love of God and of neighbor.

I'm sure there are debates on the number of duties, I'd like to hear from y'all.

These are duties which I have put down from the top of my head, associated mostly with individual duties. I had a much longer list, but they included things which are not individual, and would never have ended:
  1. I. The means of Grace
    1. A. Word
      • i. Hearing the preached word. (Luke 11:28)
      • ii. Reading - or listening - to the Word of God regularly (daily is the ideal) (2 Peter 1:19)
        • a. Self-Examination through the Word (2 Peter 1:10)
      • iii. Heeding the Word
        • a. Obedience to Scriptural commands in positive action (2 Peter 1:8; Luke 11:28)
    2. B. Sacrament
      1. i. Baptism (the seeking of it, if one has faith and baptism is available)
        • a. Being baptized ourselves, if we are Christians
        • b. Baptizing our children
        • c. Remembering our Baptism
      2. ii. The Lord's Supper (as often as it is offered)
        • a. Discerning the Lord's body (1 Corinthians 11:29)
        • b. Being reconciled with your brother (Matthew 5:23-34)
    3. C. Prayer
      • i. To God only, (Matthew 6:9) Not doubting that he exists (James 1:6-8)
      • ii. Praise to God
      • iii. Praying (only) for things agreeable to His will
      • iii. Confession of sin
      • iv. Repentance of sin
      • v. Thankfulness
  2. II. Christian Fellowship
    1. A. Gathering together (Hebrews 10:25)
    2. B. Submission to the elders (Hebrews 13:17)
    3. C. Encourage/exhort one another daily (Hebrews 3:13)
  3. III. Sanctification
    1. A. Having Christian virtue and increasing in them (2 Peter 1:5-9)

As it is, the list seems to be endless even in individual duties. I could be at this for hours. That it seems endless perhaps brings me to the point: how does the Christian order their life, considering the number of duties which are his?
 
I realize this is a summary, but if our chief end is to glorify God, such a list should include worship: personal, family, and corporate. Preparation for worship and the sacraments, fasting, and resting wholly in the Lord one day in seven are also clear Christian duties.

In answer to your question, I think we have seasons when we can better attend to these duties. Our Father doesn't place an undue burden on us, and we should examine what might encroach on this time or consider our attitude (ouch, I've been dealing with this one lately) that might interfere.

I appreciate your post: it is refreshing to be amongst those who take their duties seriously and an encouragement to persevere in what is beneficial.
 
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"I could be at this for hours." And therein lies the trap. This would be a good way (I'm not accusing you of this) to fall into legalism. Lists like this can become endlessly long and overly detailed. I understand that your heart is in the right place, but keep in mind that the list should be a servant, not a master.
 
The OP didn't have a sense of legalism to it. Rather, it suggests believers can engage in ways that are pleasing to God. (Forgive me if I'm putting words into someone else's mouth.) The tension with legalism is real, though. That's the potential danger of Henry Scudder's Christian's Daily Walk. I have found it very helpful, but have rarely recommended it to someone who doesn't have the theological underpinnings to read it in its most helpful light.
 
Perhaps not exactly what you're looking for, but I can't help but think of the excellent book Principles of Conduct: Aspects of Biblical Ethics by John Murray.
 
Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments
James Durham, A Practical Exposition of the Ten Commandments
William a Brakel has a section in one of his volumes of The Christian's Reasonable Service

- would between them give an English, Scottish and Dutch take on the duties required in the ten commandments.

They are all of course summed up as 'love,' and it is a love which is only possible for us to show once we have known the redeeming love of God. Legalism is a real risk but in the end it is the law which shows what shape our gratitude for grace should take.
 
CathH said:
Legalism is a real risk but in the end it is the law which shows what shape our gratitude for grace should take
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The latter part of this sentence is critical to our understanding as to avoid antinomianism. Living according to the law is not what saves us but it is what salvation looks like. Because of the new birth, we are empowered to live according to the law and it ought to be our delight (psalm 119).
Edit: of course I mean the moral law.
 
ZackF said:
That makes things interesting.
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Just avoids the mistake of thinking that after Watson nothing more can be said... They aren't massively different of course but the Puritans tend to rely on each other quite heavily, the Scots ditto, so sometimes you can get a lightbulb moment from sampling across a wider range.

Another thought that occurred - making the ten commandments the starting point for a list of duties also forces you to recognise both tables of the law. So if my tendency/background is to prioritise the personal, 'vertical' aspects of religion at the expense of the relational, 'horizontal' aspects, the ten commandments confronts me with the importance of both. Emerging from blissful hours of prayer and meditation, only to snap at a spouse and deal harshly with a neighbour's request for help, isn't doing your duty. Likewise being punctilious in business and volunteering at the soup kitchen, while pushing God's worship to the periphery. But love makes everything easier.
 
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