Questions & Answers

#GC199 Is it sufficient for us not to hate or to bear ill will? No, for in condemning hatred God signifies that He requires us to love our neighbours and seek their salvation, and all this with true affection and without simulation.
#GC200 State the seventh commandment? Thou shalt not commit adultery.
#GC201 What is the essence of this? That all fornication is cursed by God, and therefore we must abstain from it if we do not want to provoke His anger against us.
#GC202 Does it not require anything else? We must always regard the nature of the Lawgiver, who does not halt at the outward act, but requires the affection of the heart.
#GC203 What more then does it mean? Since our bodies and our souls are temples of the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16, 6:15; 2Co 6:16), we must preserve them in uprightness. And so we must be chaste not only in deed, but also in desire, word and...
#GC204 Let us come to the eighth commandment? Thou shalt not steal.
#GC205 Is it only meant to prohibit the thefts which are punished by justice, or does it extend further? It refers to all civil traffic and unscrupulous means of acquiring our neighbour's good, whether by violence, or fraud, or in any other kind of way that God has not allowed.
#GC206 Is it enough to abstain from evil deeds, or is covetousness also included here? We must ever return to this, that the Lawgiver is spiritual, that He does not speak simply of outward thefts, but all schemes, wishes and plans to enrich ourselves at the expense of our neighbour.
#GC207 What are to do then? We must do our duty in preserving for every man his own.
#GC208 What is the ninth commandment? Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
#GC209 Does it forbid perjury in court, or any kind of lying against our neighbour? In mentioning this one case it gives a general instruction, that we are not to speak evil of our neighbour falsely, nor by our slanders and lies are we do him harm in his possessions, or in his reputa...
#GC210 But why does He expressly mention public perjury? That He may give us a greater abhorrence of this vice of evil speaking and slander, telling us that if a man accustom himself to slandering and defaming his neighbour, he will soon descend to perjury...
#GC211 Does He only forbid evil speaking, or does He also include evil thinking? Both of them, for the reason already stated. For whatever it is wrong to do before men, it is wrong to wish before God.
#GC212 The summarize its meaning? He enjoins us not to be inclined to misjudge and defame our neighbours, but rather to esteem them highly, as far as the truth will permit, and to preserve their good reputation in our speech.
#GC213 Let us come to the last commandment? Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
#GC214 Seeing that the whole law is spiritual, as you have so often said before, and the other commandments are not only to order outward acts, but also the affections of the heart, what more is added here? The Lord wished by the other commandments to rule our affections and will, but here He imposes a law also on our thoughts which though charged with covetousness and desire, yet stop short of an active...
#GC215 Do you mean that the least temptation that enters into the thought of a believer is sin, even though he resists it and does not consent to it? It is certain that all evil thoughts proceed from the infirmity of our flesh, even though we do not consent to them. But I say that this commandment speaks of concupiscence which tickles and pierces t...
#GC216 You say then that the evil affections which involve a definite act of will or resolution are already condemned, but now the Lord requires of us such integrity, that no wicked desire may enter our hearts, to solicit and incite them to evil? That is right.
#GC217 Can we now give a short summary of the whole law? We can, reducing it to two articles---the first of which is that we are to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength; the second that we love our neighbours as ours...
#GC218 What is meant by the love of God? To love Him as God is to have and hold Him as Lord, Saviour and Father, and this requires reverence, honour, faith, and obedience along with love.
#GC219 What does "with all our heart" signify, and "with all our soul, and with all our strength Such a zeal and such a vehemence, that there is in us no desire, no will, no intention and no thought, contrary to this love.
#GC220 What is the meaning of the second article? As we are by nature prone to love ourselves, that this affection overcomes all others, so love to our neighbour should be so predominant in our hearts, as to direct and govern us, and be the rule of a...
#GC221 What do you understand by "our neighbours" Not only our parents and friends, or those acquainted with us, but also those who are unknown to us, and even our enemies.
#GC222 But what connection do they have with us? That which God has placed among all men on earth, and is so inviolable, that it cannot be abolished by the malice of any man.
#GC223 You say, then, that if any man hate us, the blame is his own, and yet according to the order of God, he does not cease to be our neighbour, and we are to regard him as such? It is so.
#GC224 Seeing that the law of God comprises the form of worshiping Him aright, should not the Christian man live according to its command? Yes indeed. But there is some infirmity in us, so that no man acquits himself perfectly in it.
#GC225 Why then does the Lord require a perfection which is beyond our ability? He requires nothing which we are not bound to perform. Nevertheless, provided we take care to conform our life to what we are told here, although we are very far from reaching perfection, the Lord doe...
#GC226 Do you speak of all men in general, or of believers only? He who is not yet regenerated by the Spirit of God cannot begin to do the least of the commandments. Moreover, even if a person could be found who had fulfilled some part of the law, he would not acqu...
#GC227 Hence we must conclude that the law has a two-fold office, in accordance with the fact that there are two classes of men? Yes, in regard to unbelievers it seems but to convict and make them inexcusable before God (Rom 3:3). And this is what Paul says, that it is the ministry of death, and condemnation (2Co 3:6,9). In reg...
#GC228 What? First, in that it shows them that they cannot justify themselves by their works, it humbles them and disposes them to seek their salvation in Jesus Christ (Rom 3:3). Secondly, inasmuch as it requires...

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