THE OUGHT OF BEING A CHRISTIAN

Over the past three years, I have repeatedly stressed the fact that there is nothing a person can do to be saved. You either believe and place your trust in Jesus, or you don't. The only "work" God will accept is stated in John 6:29; "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him (Jesus) whom He (The Father) hath sent (see Jn. 3:16). I cannot count the times I have referenced Ephesians 2:8-9 to show that salvation if a gift, not something for which man works. That being said, once a person accepts Christ, out of gratitude, he wants to please his Lord. The Scriptures use the word "ought" to describe how one can and should show his thankfulness. Here are just a few examples:

Believers ought to "walk" as Jesus, The Way, walked
* "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more" (1 Thes. 4:1).
* "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 Jn. 2:6).
Believers ought to "behave" according to the customs of the Church
* "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).
* "For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you" (2 Thes. 3:7).
Believers ought to be Christlike (humble, forgiving, loving, obedient, etc.)
* "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3; compare Phil. 2:5-8).
* "So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow" (2 Cor. 2:7; compare Lk. 6:37).
* "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1 Jn. 4:11; compare Jn. 15:12).
* "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29; compare Jn. 17:4).

Believers ought not do these things (worship graven images, be a burden, be idle or gossip, curse, teach for money, etc.)
* "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device" (Acts 17:29).
* "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children" (2 Cor. 12:14; see also Gal. 6:5).
* "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not" (1 Tim. 5:13).
* "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be" (Jam. 3:10).
* "Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake" (Titus 1:11).

A born again believer ought to be like his Role Model: Jesus!