ANSWERS TO QUESTION 1.
Why can we not serve two masters?
(a) "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other: or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Math. 6:24.
(b) We cannot serve two earthly masters because one would be almost sure to want us to do something which the other would not want us to do; or, for personal reasons, we might be more anxious to please one more than the other. How much less can we serve God and Satan, whose every thought and purpose are entirely opposed the one to the other.
(c) We cannot be the servants of Christ and the servants of the devil, too.
(d) "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Gal. 1:10.
(e) "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Rom. 6:16.
ANSWERS TO QUESTION 2.
What kind of fruit does the Lord look for from Christians?
(a) "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Gal. 5:22, 23.
(b) "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which is by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Phil. 1:11.
(c) "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." Prov. 11:30.
(d) "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us." Eph. 5:2.
(e) "By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name." Heb. 13:15.
ANSWERS TO QUESTION 3.
Will faithfulness to the Lord always bring success?
(a) "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Rev. 2:10.
(b) "Them that honor Me I will honor." 1 Sam. 2:30.
(c) "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world." Rev. 3:10.
(d) "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." Prov. 16:7.
(e) "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth: but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written 'therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Josh. 1:8.
(f) "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6: 33.
(g)I take this question to mean earthly success, and do not think it is always so. But. still we know we are kept. "My God shall supply all your need." Phil. 4:19. Success is often withheld to teach us patience and long-suffering. If we speak of going to glory as success, then indeed are our lives successful. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Matt. 6: 19, 20.
(h)Faithfulness to the Lord does not always bring success. In Paul's case it brought the very opposite. He was the most faithful servant, yet no one suffered for the Lord as he did. 2 Cor. 11:23-28. In the case of Ruth, faithfulness to God did bring success, from the time she made her choice and took her place among God's earthly people. Ruth 1:16, 17; 2:14-16; 3:11-18; 4:10.
ANSWERS TO QUESTION 4.
Why should the Lord rather have obedience than mere religious activity.
(a) "Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." 1 Sam. 15:22.
(b) Even a master or mistress in the world delights to have an obedient servant, and parents delight in obedient children. If Christ is the object of our hearts, it will be our delight to seek to please Him. It may cost us something, but we shall hear His "Well done." Martha's service would have been all right if she had had Christ as her object, but service got between her heart and Christ. "Mary hath chosen that good part." Luke 10:38-42.
ANSWERS TO QUESTION 5.
Give five scriptures, showing that all have sinned.
Rom. 3:23, Rom. 3:10, Gal. 3:22, 1 Joh. 1:8,
Rom. 5:12, Eccl. 7:20, Psa. 14:3, Rom. 11:32,
Gen. 6:5, 1 Kings 8:46.