“When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word, but must do everything he said.”- Numbers 30:2
The Westminster Confession of Faith explains a vow this way: “…whoever takes an oath ought to consider fully the importance of such a solemn act, and so he should swear to nothing but what he is completely convinced is true. No one may bind himself by an oath to anything but what is good and just, to what he believes to be true, and to what he is able and determined to perform.”- (Westminster Confession of Faith- Chapter 22, sect. 3)
The Vows of the PCA are:
1. Do you acknowledge yourself to be a sinner in the sight of God, and justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope except in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospels?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as is fitting for a follower of Christ?
4. Do you promise to support this church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of this church, and promise to study its purity and peace?
Vows have always been a part of church membership…vows, that is, made by believers. In the ancient church believing in Jesus was crucial, so a credible profession of faith was given to the elders of the church to be deemed a part of God’s visible Church and a member of a local church. After the 3rd Century, along with a credible profession of faith people were asked what they believed and they were to recite the Apostles Creed. Then later into the Reformation times people were often asked to support their belief with biblical texts. Also, many Reformed and Lutheran church required that people be willing to submit to the confessions of their church thus ensuring at least on the surface, unity in the body, in faith and doctrine. (This is only required of the officers in the PCA.)
Then after making their vows they might want to participate in some aspect of the church like reading the Bible in service or singing in the choir (Lutheran Church) and then they would often be put through more theological education to make sure that everyone who leads or teaches were on the same page theologically. (It is reported that Luther put the congregants who wanted to sing in the choir through 2 years of theological training and examination before they were allowed to lead in singing in the church.)
There were many reasons for this type of scrutiny but mainly to ensure that each member was of one accord in there speech and practice. Hence, the reason for the writing of the Westminster Confession of Faith and most of the other confessions of that day along with catechisms was so that everyone would be in one accord….speaking with one voice in faith and doctrine. So the world would see what the people of the first Century saw… a people united in Christ.
That is the purpose for the vows above. They call us to basic unity and purpose…one that Christ and His disciples articulated throughout the New Testament. They call us to make a credible profession of faith and to solidify that profession with vows. The first 3 are as basic as one can get confessing publically your faith and your promise to live as is fitting of a Christian. The last 2 speak specifically to our unity within this church. But having said that each of these ask no more than the Scriptures ask of us as believers.
We ought to consider our vows from time to time and resolve to be members who seek to fulfill these for the sake of unity and for the glory of God.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
