A few more things you ought to do

Last week we noted that there are things that the Bible tells us we ought to do. My advice might be as good or as bad as anyone else’s advice, but God’s advice can’t be beat, He is never wrong. That really is the point of the first “ought” we noticed. We ought to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). Added to that was the fact that we “ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard” (Heb. 2:1). There are quite a few “ought to’s” found in the word of God. Let us consider briefly each of just a partial list of such “ought to’s”. You might notice that do overlap a bit.

We ought to walk in a way that pleases God. Paul told the Thessalonians, “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 (I Thess. 4:1). The word “walk” is often used to portray our continued life on earth. John wrote, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). Paul told Timothy that he had written him that, “…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…” (I Tim. 3:15). Peter posed the question based on the total destruction of this world upon the Lord’s return saying, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness” (II Pet. 3:11).

We ought to be teachers of God’s word. The Hebrew writer wrote, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Heb. 5:12). Peter said, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Pet. 3:15). Paul showed the progression to salvation in reverse when he said, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Rom. 10:13-15).

We ought to worship God in the God authorized way. Jesus said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matt. 23:23). His point was that they were being hypocritical in their following of the commands of God. However, within that He noted those issues of correct tithing “ought to have been done” while not leaving the other things undone. Cain, Nadab and Abihu show the folly of worshipping God in some way other than that which He has authorized (Gen. 4:3-7; Lev. 10:1,2).

We ought to always pray. Luke records, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). Common sense tells us we ought to do this.

We ought to think of ourselves in the proper perspective. Paul told the Romans, “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).

We ought to support the weak. Paul told the Ephesian elders, “I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive”.

We ought to be loving and patient with our fellow servants of the Lord. The apostle of love wrote, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another (I John 4:11) and “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (I John 4:20).

There are many times the Bible uses the word “ought”. But, the truth of the matter is, no matter what word is used, we ought to do what God says.