“And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price.” 1 Cor. 3:23; 6:19, 20. (See note .)
2. How dependent are we upon the Lord?
“Neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:25, 28. See also 1 Cor. 4:7.
3. How much of our time belongs to the Lord? Ans.—All, because we belong to the Lord.
4. How are we instructed to use our time?
“Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.” Ex. 20:9, 10. (See note .)
5. When we do not devote to the Lord the time he has commanded, of what are we guilty? (See note .)
6. When we observe the Sabbath, whom do we honor?
“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa. 58:13, 14.
7. How much of our means belongs to the Lord? Ans.—All, because we ourselves belong to the Lord.
8. Who gives us power to get wealth?
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deut. 8:18.
9. To whom does the earth, and all that it contains, belong?
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Ps. 24:1. See also 50:10–12; Hag. 2:8.
10. What is our relation to the property which is in our possession? Ans.—Stewards. Luke 19:12–23.
11. What should we do with our property?
“Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Prov. 3:9, 10.
12. How can we honor the Lord with our substance? Ans.—By doing with it as the Lord has commanded.
13. What does the Lord say about providing for our own?
“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” 1 Tim. 5:8.
14. What is our duty to the poor?
“Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” Ps. 41:1–3. See also James 2:15, 16; 1 John 3:17.
15. What is the measure of the love which we owe our neighbor?
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matt. 22:39.
16. What is the first and great commandment?
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Verses 36–38.
17. Then to whom is our first and highest duty? Why?
18. What portion of our income has the Lord reserved as sacred to him?
“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27:30.
19. Did the patriarchs pay tithes?
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” Gen. 14:18–20; 28:22.
20. In what dispensation did Abraham and Jacob live? Ans.—Patriarchal. (See note .)
