This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christians & Their Vows” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, February 25, 1990.
About this sermon
Christian piety has declined and evangelical ecumenism has grown loose, and the vows of church membership speak to both from a Reformed, Presbyterian perspective. Christ himself keeps these vows on our behalf.
Sermon transcript
We will be looking at a number of passages in the New Testament, and our first is found in Matthew chapter 10, verses 32 and 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Turning over to Matthew 18, beginning with verse 15.
Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not listen to you, take one or two others with you, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Turning over to Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 10, beginning with verse four. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses describes the righteousness that is of the law, that the man who does those things shall live by them. But the righteousness that is of faith speaks on this matter. Say not in your heart, who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down from above, or who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith which we preach. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scriptures say, “Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Finally, from Hebrews chapter 13, verse 17: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves. For they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with greed, for that is unprofitable for you.”
I returned to western Pennsylvania nearly 14 years ago after a nine-year absence. Coming back into the area in which I was raised, I must say that my return left me somewhat disillusioned. This disillusionment was due to a number of reasons. I had heard for some time prior to my return about the great activity among Christians, especially Reformed Christians, in this area. I had also heard of a renewal of intellectual interest, or if you will, doctrinal interest, among the people here with regard to Reformed matters, Calvinistic teachings, and Presbyterian beliefs. So I must admit to you that when I came back into the area, my hopes were very high 14 years ago. But it was not long after I arrived that I began to form a more accurate and sober assessment of the situation.
For all the activity, for all the renewed interest in doctrine, there did not seem to be, alongside that, a resurgence of Reformed or Calvinist piety, or godliness. Most specifically, there did not seem to be a resurgence of a Reformed view of the church, a Reformed ecclesiology.
In fact, it seemed that people were quite naive and in many ways unreformed, both in their personal lives and in their theology and doctrine generally. There were two practical matters that struck me. Reformed piety has always been connected with a particular view of the Sabbath. There was a time when western Pennsylvania was especially known for its observance of the Sabbath, due to the direct influence of the Reformed and Calvinist people in this area.
But with the resurgence and the flurry of activities, Reformed or so-called Reformed, there was not a resurgence of godliness, and there was not a resurgence of Reformed or Calvinist piety. There did not even seem to be a renewed interest in holiness of life. With respect to the matter of Reformed ecclesiology and the doctrine of the Church, it seemed to me that what was taking place was an attempt by many to shore up their securities with respect to family and individual life before God and His Church, so that individual needs, life, and family orientation took preeminence and the church was by and large displaced. Now in previous days, within Reformed circles, that would not have been tolerated at all. Because the people who had embraced the Reformed gospel had come to believe that it was the glory of God above all else and the well-being of the body of Christ above all else, because Christ himself is bound to his people corporately before he is bound to any individual or even any individual family unit.
My conclusion, as I surveyed these matters, was that the flurry of activity and the doctrinal and intellectual resurgence were superficial. They were not substantial. That was the first of my rude awakenings. The second was this: even among the Reformed leaders—those who were speaking for the Calvinist Church and the Reformed gospel—I found, by and large, no real zeal that their institutions, in which they held leadership positions, would become citadels and articulate proponents of Reformed orthodoxy. Instead, what I found was a wide-ranging, broadly evangelical conviction that minimized Reformed distinctives and a Calvinist orientation in the interest of making a greater impact on more and more people. I remember a meeting I had with two readers of a Reformed institution in this area. I asked them about the situation in that institution and whether it was not time for them, as leaders, to begin to press Reformed orthodoxy within it.
Their response to me was this: There is no money in it. It will not work. You cannot be articulately and militantly Reformed and survive. Therefore, the only hope is to become broadly evangelical and minimize Reformed distinctives and Calvinist distinctives in the interest of your own self-survival.
So we move from the superficial to the pragmatic. We are not doing well, are we? But that brings me to my third observation, and this was the most devastating, because it struck closest to home. As I said, I noticed the flurry of activity, the superficial doctrinal interest, and the pragmatic concerns and directions of the leaders of Reformed institutions in this area. But there was also a devastating realization with respect to the lay of the situation.
This area has been traditionally conservative. I was raised conservative. I was raised to support the Republican Party. That was how conservative I was. That was the belief that shaped my life. You all know my aunt. She carries small religious symbols with her. I was raised conservative and lived in a conservative heartland. In fact, I lived in a conservative community. Swiftly still votes Republican, and so does Oswald. But what struck me as I came face to face with certain realities in this region was that the conservatism I found among the lay people could not be equated with Reformed commitment and devotion.
Let me give you an example. Do you remember the 1970s? If you go back to the time that I first became pastor of this congregation in 1876, we were in the middle of the 1970s. Some of you recall the turmoil of that decade. One of the defining characteristics of the conservative movement at that time was opposition to people breaking oaths they had taken to their country, to their nation, and to the institutions of society. How could they trample upon those oaths?
A person’s word is his promise. If he takes an oath, he is bound by it, is he not? But I heard time and time again, in written materials and in conversations, people condemning individuals who crossed the Canadian border and engaged in other actions. So I am not speaking to condone what certain individuals did in those circumstances, such as crossing the Canadian border or committing other unlawful acts. But I want you to consider what was truly shaping the hearts and minds of many of these conservative individuals, some of whom were in churches, some of whom were in Reformed churches.
Yes, indeed, an oath is a sacred bond. A vow is a sacred obligation, except when I wish to leave the Church. Then I walk out, despite my conservative attitude, and I do not look back. Now I may become a little emotional. I may become a little stirred up about this. Which is more sacred? Your vow to God in Christ before the people of God, or your vow to the government? Let me ask you, which is more serious? Your vow to God in Christ before the people of God, or your vow to your spouse? Now let me ask you, is there any reason why there is not respect for oaths at other levels of life in society, when in fact the heart of those who claim to revere the house does not revere the grace?
The problem in our society today is not divorce. Among non-Christians, it is divorce among Christians who have already rejected the most serious commitment. I do not like it, so I leave. I do not like you, so I leave. You say something that offends me, and my response is to leave. I do not like the way a man dresses, or the way a man speaks, or the particular decor of that congregation. There are more exciting things happening down the street at another church, so I leave. Thus we have moved from superficiality to pragmatism to hypocrisy. The word, the vow, the oath, the promise of Christians means nothing. A little difficulty, and you are gone.
We have been considering the membership vows that we took when we became communicant members of this church. This vow, like other vows, is a solemn commitment of our life to our word. Our word becomes our bond. We virtually place our life on the line. Our pattern in this is God Himself, who in keeping His oaths and vows, puts His life on the line. Indeed, He goes to the limit in doing so by offering His Son, so that His oath might be fulfilled toward us.
You know, the vows we heard this morning were very meaningful. Ramsey is joining the church this morning, which gave us an opportunity to listen to the vows again and to reflect on them once more in our minds. The structure is the same as the baptism vows. There is confession and there is promise.
There is an articulation of our faith and there is an expression of our commitment. Consider these questions. The first one concerns our allegiance to the Bible. Do you believe the Bible? Here our confession is being stated. We are declaring what we are bound to. We are bound to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. They are the Word of God. The doctrine of Scripture found there is a doctrine of salvation that is perfect and the only true doctrine of salvation. This is what we have bound ourselves to in our confession.
The second question continues along the same line of articulating our confession of faith. Do you confess that because of your sinfulness you abhor and humble yourself before God, and that you trust for salvation not in yourself but in Jesus Christ alone? The third question begins by expressing further our commitment with regard to confession. Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as your sovereign Lord? These are the articles of faith to which you are bound by virtue of this confession you are making. You are laying your life on the line with respect to these doctrines. Your confession has content. You cannot treat it lightly. Is the Bible the Word of God, or is it not? Is Christ the only Savior, or is He not? Is He your Lord, or is He not?
The tone changes halfway through the third question. You move from confession to promise. Do you promise, in reliance on the grace of God, to serve Christ with all that is in you, to forsake the world, to put to death your old nature, and to lead a godly life? You are committing yourself by promise to a life described in this way. Then you come to the clincher—the question that your session always asks, directly and clearly. Why? Because this is where the church is experiencing so much difficulty today. Not among liberal churches, which do not care, but among conservative and reformed churches. The fourth question is, do you agree to submit, in the Lord, to the government of this church? Will you submit yourself? And in the case that you are found to be deficient in doctrinal life, will you heed its discipline?
This submission, which you have promised, is a submission to Christ Himself and His Lordship, which you have already confessed in the third question. This is the practical outworking of the Lordship of Christ. Throughout our time, as we seek the will of the Lord, every other suggestion has been offered to the Christian community about what we ought to submit ourselves to. But the truth is clear and obvious: you submit yourself to Christ and His rule in the church. This is the concept of our vows as members of the Church of Jesus Christ. We, in effect, lay our lives on the line with respect to the things we have vowed and articulated in our confession and promises.
It is important for us not to give mindless assent. The Reformation stands for this: the people of God are to be alert as they speak their vows. They are to know what they are doing and what they are confessing. Therefore, Luther and Calvin fought with all their strength against mindless assent and in favor of informed consent.
So what then lies at the root of the Reformed and Presbyterian view of membership? I have only two points here under which I wish to organize for you the passages that we read this morning. As they, in composite, present to you a view which Presbyterian and Reformed churches have held with respect to the vows that people take when they become members of the body of Christ.
The first has to do with the nature of biblical confession. Now, here I am not speaking specifically about confession of sin; I am talking about confession of faith. The nature of biblical confession, and our text here is principally Romans 10, verses 9 and 10, that classic text. The nature of biblical confession: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. Here are the features of biblical confession arising out of this passage. First of all, biblical confession is open, public acknowledgment. That is the meaning of the term. That is why Paul uses the words “with your mouth.” It is audible, it can be heard, and someone is there to hear you. Now, the word “confession” itself means to say the same thing as. That is the meaning of the word. The content of this confession is simple.
Jesus is Lord. Jesus is Lord. This is the substance of the confession. By saying this and confessing it, you are affirming the same truth that God has declared about Christ. Not only that, you are affirming the same truth that God’s people have always declared about Him. You are sealing this confession in a public act. You may not be held accountable before the courts of this world for this confession, but let me tell you, you will be held accountable before the courts of heaven for it. The nature of a biblical confession is an open, public acknowledgment of Christ’s Lordship, in which you affirm the same truth that God has declared about Christ and the same truth that His people have always declared about Him. Christ is Lord. This is not merely an open, public acknowledgment; it is a heartfelt demonstration of devotion. You do not only confess with your mouth; you believe with your heart, and you believe in your heart. What is the object of this belief?
That Christ has been raised from the dead. How do you know that He has been raised from the dead? Because the word of God has come to you. God reveals Himself through His messengers and through His Word concerning the resurrection of His Son. In view is that revelation, that divine revelation, which in fact establishes Christ’s Lordship, for Christ is Lord by reason of the resurrection from death.
This is not a detached matter. You are bound in heart. Your emotions and affections are attached to this revelation and to this One who has indeed been raised from the dead. An open, public acknowledgment, a heartfelt demonstration of devotion, and finally, an expressed certainty that this act—this public act—is inseparably linked to your salvation.
Closet Christians? Anonymous Christians? Christians incognito? No such thing. No such thing in the Bible. You may think I am being hard. You may think I am going too far. I am saying that without public confession of Christ, there is no salvation. And ordinarily, that public confession is related to the Church of Jesus Christ. And what I am saying is, outside of the Church, there is ordinarily no possibility of salvation. I claim as my authority not only John Calvin, but the Westminster Confession of Faith.
And thou shalt be saved. And thou shalt be saved. The Reformed and Presbyterian view of membership vows, then, the nature of the biblical confession, the attachment of our certainty to that public declaration, unto the end that we may be saved. But finally, filling out this view, not only the nature of biblical confession, but the nature of church or Christian authority. Who makes the determination? Who scrutinizes and evaluates that confession? Whose responsibility is that? The people? Bishops? Maybe the congregations? You alone, by yourself? You know, no one else might, but you do.
That is why we read from Matthew 18. In that passage, Jesus is speaking about the authority that is conferred upon his disciples. And that authority is given to all of them, not just Peter. And that authority is worked out in the development of the church as you find it in Acts, where it is not only apostles who have that authority, but also elders. They are mentioned in Acts 15, again in Acts 20. And their responsibilities and authorities are articulated in the pastoral epistles and uniformly throughout all of the epistles that Paul writes. That power is vested in elders and in your church leaders. Therefore, our confession is scrutinized and evaluated by those whom God has placed in authority within his church.
You cannot have a church without order. What order will it be? The order established in Scripture is clearly that of elders and their responsibility over the household of God and the flock of Jesus Christ. This is specifically emphasized in Hebrews 13:7: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” There it is.
The content of our vows—those we have taken in terms of confession and promise—along with the foundations from Scripture upon which our understanding of these vows has been built, including our specific view of biblical confession and the nature of church authority.
How do we conclude? He took a vow. Will you keep it? This is the most important vow. Will it not affect all other vows you make? If you treat this vow lightly, will you not treat all vows lightly? You may feel uncertain, or find yourself especially weak. You may think you have taken on more than you can handle, but you are bound to Christ.
In your vow and oath taking, you are bound to the one who keeps His oaths and promises perfectly. His perfect fulfillment of all His vows and oaths has secured salvation for you, so that in His power you may do the same. In His power, in His strength, you may succeed in keeping your promises and oaths. Your word, which you have given—He did not break His. And you must not break yours.
The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.