Tags
“Why does a christian need to make an additional commitment to another man to abstain from sin and remain obedient to God when he has already committed his whole life in submission to Jesus Christ and to sanctification by his Truth which is His Word? (John 17:17)––all this without signing any paper?”
Well written post about the practice of signing ‘covenants’ within a particular congregation/church originally posted at Thinkerup and reposted at Reformed Traveler.
I remember the ‘entering into covenant’ movement in my CLB. Seems like everything was determined by the latest fad, trends and ‘movements’ instead of scriptures. The covenant-enterers were stood up in front of the rest of the congregation as shining examples of godly submission, and the rest of the congregation was then asked to submit to THEM as some kind of ‘second tier leadership.’
The whole presentation was emotional (moody music playing the whole time) and dramatic: Manipulation and old fashioned peer pressure. Perhaps my particular experience was even more dangerous than the example discussed at Thinkerup, because there was no written covenant- just a vague notion about not causing division; embracing the leadership’s vision; and submitting to leadership. It could have meant something different to every person there, but it would have been used as leverage at the first hint of someone disagreeing with what came from the pulpit.
The idea of signing some kind of set of rules puts a secondary layer of obedience between the signer and God- the ‘leadership’ usurps the place of the Lord, and the covenant usurps the place of scripture.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. James 5:12
the untangling 
I went thru something quite similar back in the 80s at Word of Faith.
As far as you’re concerned, it’s amazing how once good churches can get caught up in the touchy feely stuff and get away from the simplicity of the gospel. A gospel, I might add, which God says we must accept it, as would a little child. One in which you don’t sign anything, you don’t make any vows or declarations (!), you don’t work yourself up into a sweat ‘calling things that be not as though they were’, and the list goes on and on and on. You get my point..
To answer your question as to needing to make additional commitments: A Christian doesn’t need any additional commitment(s). We don’t need AA-type meetings to make sure we’re sticking with the program… We’ve got the Holy Spirit and it looks like He doesn’t need any help at all.
Hi Annunk,
The question/quote at the beginning of the post is not mine, but is from the original post at Thinkerup, and in context, I think it is rhetorical. It is the question a person should ask themselves if they are being required to sign some kind of ‘covenant.’
I am dismayed at how quickly we/churches leave the simplicity of the Gospel. We must be on guard. I think our human nature would prefer to be able to DO something to achieve righteousness…. the stumbling block of the true Gospel.
I came out of Charismania a few years back. I was required to sign a covenant to be a member. I received a special pin. People said, welcome to the family. I said to my husband. ” weren’t we in the family before the covenant?” Many issues the same as yours. I was in leadership and it was hard to leave. now all I want is the simple Christian life.
The simple Christian life….. oh me too! I just want to serve. No hype. No position. No hoopla. What the Father sees in secret, He will reward.
Sigh…
On the one hand, it is godly to submit to godly leadership and authority. On the other hand, we are to test and discern all teaching to see if it lines up with the word of God. Yes it is good to not be divisive, but when submission is held over your head like a club it becomes abusive and manipulative.
I’m reminded over and over again of Paul’s litmus test “Stand a fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Gal 5:1
If it brings bondage, abuse or manipulation it’s not of God. The perfect law brings liberty.
Javanut, that’s why these kinds of practices are hard to discern if we do not take the whole council of scripture into consideration. The practice seems Biblical on the surface, but it is a skewed understanding of submission. And of course it all has to do with how it actually plays out among the people. The motivations will become apparent after awhile.
Thanks for stopping by.