All That We Owe

by John R. Freeman
Lubbock, Texas

Can you imagine a man who is burdened with a debt beyond his ability ever to pay? Yes, that is not an imaginable situation, but is also one in which a man is frequently found in fact. And, what is more, his plight may be aggravated by the fact that his creditor is impatient and threatens to take all that the poor man has and to leave him still with an enormous debt that he cannot hope to pay, even in an unusually long lifetime. Hard labor and mere existence are all that he can foresee.

But this man's father is rich beyond measure and proposes to pay all of the son's debt, if only he will respect the father and follow his instructions, work for the father at an unbelievably high wage, and look forward to ultimate inheritance of wealth beyond compare.

And again, can you imagine the son's refusing such an offer with an explanation that he cannot trust his father to fulfill such an offer? Is it possible that any man can be so self-willed and stubborn as to spurn the love and mercy of a compassionate father? Such a man would seem to prefer to suffer any disaster that might befall him rather than to take upon himself any obligation to anybody, either to man or to God. This is hard to believe, but observation proves that it is often true.

Solomon, the wise preacher of old, depicts just such a desperate situation on the part of the entire human race, as exemplified in his own search for satisfaction and pleasure in life. He sought pleasure in all the works that are under the sun; in wisdom and knowledge; in mirth and folly; in riches; in power; in the accumulation of wealth; in building for himself beautiful houses, pools of water, gardens, and orchards; in the use of instruments of music with the hiring of men singers and women singers. Instead of finding pleasure and satisfaction in these and other experiences, he declares that all is vanity and vexation of spirit, and finally gives sound and wholesome advice to every man and to the race as a whole in these words: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

In this exhortation, Solomon offers relief to every man who feels that he is burdened beyond his ability to endure. That we may more fully appreciate his advice, let us study briefly a few of the expressions contained in this exhortation:

"Fear God" --is to stand in awe of Him. Some may say that we cannot fear God and at the same time love Him, as in other scriptures we are required to do. What reverential son or daughter has not had just such experiences? How well do I remember how we children practically idolized our father. When he came in at night, we would climb on his knees, stand beside him and behind him in the chair, until the old cane-bottomed chair would creak almost to the point of breaking as he fondled each and all of us. We dearly loved, yet feared him, for we knew that he would not overlook our wrongdoings, but would frown upon them; if necessary, would apply the rod of correction, as at times he did. In like manner, we fear God, not as a ferocious beast; but we fear Him lest we incur His displeasure and bring reproach upon ourselves.

"Keep his commandments" -- all of them that apply to us in our time. It cannot mean that we keep such commandments as we enjoy doing and neglect the ones that we do not like. Sectarian preachers and others teach the people that baptism is not necessary to forgiveness of sins, and thus they cause the people to hate baptism and do all they can to set it aside, even though they cannot and dare not say it is not a commandment of God. Some ten years ago, a good old colored spinster in Alabama, upon being convinced that baptism was necessary, said, "I know that's what it says, but I'll die and go to hell before I'll be buried in water". She apparently did not fear God, nor was she willing to obey Him; while both fear and obedience are necessary in our whole duty.

"The whole duty of man" -- the entire obligation of each and every man, the full responsibility of the race of men -- all that we owe. In this exhortation of Solomon's, two things are evident -- that man is obligated to fear and obey God, and that this is all that he is required to do. But this seems too simple for most men. Some are anxious to do more than is required, others to do as little as possible, if anything at all. Such is not the case in financial matters; that is, we never insist on paying twice as much as we owe. Do you remember having the same debt twice, or of insisting on paying fifty dollars when both you and your creditor knew that you owed only thirty? No, that never occurs. The New Testament scriptures are clearly expressed and as easily understood as is this conclusion of Solomon's. Paul teaches that the man of God is perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works by the scriptures that are inspired of God (II Timothy 3:16-17); and Peter says, "....his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. .. ." (II Peter 1:3); and James refers to "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25). But just think of the many things the brethren do that are not so much as mentioned in the word of God and some that are even condemned therein. Foreign and Home missionary societies, instruments of music in worship, Sunday school, Ladies Bible Class, Young People's meetings for certain religious advantages and duties that the church and parents are taught to perform, the one-man minister to do the work of bishops and teachers, Bible colleges and special training work for more systematic and thorough preparation of young men to preach or do other religious work and to train the girls and young women how to carry on home duties and to function more effectively in certain activities of the church in things the church ought not to have, etc., etc. Such things are not in the commandments of God; and therefore are no part of our duty. Jesus said, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for their doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). They who do the commandments of the Lord will have right to the tree of life and will enter through the gates into the city (Revelation 22:14).

Brethren, may we not do better to be busy doing what the Lord teaches us to do in the way He teaches us to do them, than to be worrying about making over-payments on other things that are no part of our duty and will bring no reward? We should realize that reward for wrongdoing is death, not life. -- July 1977 (September 1964), Lubbock, Texas.