An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism · Martin Luther
III. WHAT I OWE TO GOD IN RETURN.
For all His goodness and mercy I AM IN DUTY BOUND [Ps. 116:12+, Ps. 50:14] 1. TO THANK AND PRAISE HIM. I must not receive God's benefits as a matter of course, but must recognize them as gifts of His grace, and daily thank and praise Him in my heart and with my lips. [Ps. 103:1+] 2. TO SERVE AND OBEY HIM. I must show my gratitude in my life by obeying God's commandments and giving myself with all my heart to His service. [Rom. 12:1+] THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY TRUE; namely, 1. That all the blessings I enjoy come from God, 2. That they are the gifts of His grace and that I am unworthy of them, 3. That I owe to God the fullest gratitude of heart and life. QUESTIONS.--1. What does "I believe" mean? 2. Why do we say "God the _Father_"? 3. What does "Almighty" mean? 4. What has God made? 5. Name His chief creatures. 6. What three things does Luther's explanation of this article tell us? 7. What has God done and what does He still do for us? 8. In creating us, what has God given us? 9. How does He preserve us? 10. Why does God do all this for us? 11. Why are we not worthy of it? 12. What do we owe to God in return? 13. What is meant by thanking and praising Him? 14. What is meant by serving and obeying Him? 15. What is most certainly true according to this article?
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Eph. 1:3. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Gen. 1:1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Job 33:4. The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Col. 1:16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Gen. 2:7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Jas. 1:17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Acts 17:28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being. Ps. 145:15, 16. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. Matt. 6:31, 32 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink, or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Lam 3:22, 23. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Ps. 34:7. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Ps. 121:5, 8. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Rom. 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Ps. 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Ps. 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. I John 4:16. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Matt. 5:45. He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Gen. 32:10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant.
Ps. 116:12. What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? Ps. 103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Rom. 12:1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. READING.--The Creation of the World, Gen. 1. ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Provides_: Manna, Exod. 16:14; Elijah, I Kings 17:6, 14; Feeding the Five Thousand, Matt. 14:15-21. _Protects_: The Israelites, Exod. 14:19 _seq._; Daniel, Dan. 6:22; Paul, Acts 22:12-33; Acts 27: 42-44. _Guards from evil_: Joseph; Job. _Thankfulness_: Noah, Gen. 8:20; The Samaritan, Luke 17:15,16.
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