Howdy!
We’ve talked about oaths and vows as we’ve returned back to our Thursday confessional devotion time in August. I want to expand a little bit on that theme to spend a couple weeks on the other term, “confessional.” To kick that off I want to share a quote from a somewhat relatively recent (at least for us Reformed folks) teacher, Herman Bavinck, that gives us a place to begin to think about “confess”:
“To confess is not to reflect, even to reflect theologically; it is to herald . . . It is our communal (covenantal) ‘answering back’ after God calls us to Himself in Christ by the same Word that we confess in summary in the confessions.”
That sounds like a mouthful, but it need not be. To confess our faith, to affirm our agreement using an oath or a vow to the Westminster Standards for example is not, as Bavinck makes clear, merely an act of assenting to a set of propositions and/or questions and answers. In other words we should not find ourselves in a place where we give lip service to what we believe. If we are going to be Associate Reformed Presbyterians we should be (as I’ve said of myself) ARP on purpose. While our day and age doesn’t necessarily like labels and creeds, I think it more important than ever to clearly define ourselves publicly. This is not to say we are to be standoffish or rude about it. Believing what you believe is not an arrogant suggestion. Clarity brings understanding. There is also an attractiveness to having a 1 Peter 3:15 attitude, being ready with an answer for the hope that lies within you. Joy is contagious. If you are glad to be a part of a church it openly attracts others to find out more about it.
Another aspect of the Bavinck quote worth exploring is the covenantal nature of our confessing the faith. That word “covenantal” can be a bit overused in our circles for sure. It is designed to help us display our relationship with God. Remembering that we are adopted into the family of God for the simple reason that the Father made a promise with the Son for our redemption changes how we think about the manner in which our minds are blessed through knowing how that all works. Learning the ins and outs of the mechanics of our salvation changes how we do things like worship, pray, do good works for our friends and neighbors, how we deal with tragedy and trials in this life, and all numbers of benefits which flow from our effectual calling. It’s not a thing for “more holy people” to spend their time on. It is an honorable and necessary action for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We sell ourselves short when we do not take advantage of considering the way the deeper theology (and how for instance catechisms instruct our devotional life) is meant for our spiritual growth and maturity. It is in this “covenantal” relationship that heart understanding has significance and meaning in our lives.
In closing, the last part of the Bavinck quip that I want to spend time on is the final clause which is a keen reminder that while confessions and catechisms might be man’s words in a literal sense, there is a more important spiritual sense in which they are not. We believe and confess that they are a way for human beings to summarize the Biblical testimony in an organized and topical fashion. To be sure we are not saying that they are inerrant or, in smaller words, without error. Anything put together by men is sure to be colored by humanness, but that is not to infer that they are without corporate authority nor are they to be seen as merely pious advice. The careful reflections of a body of faithful men is to be carefully considered. There’s nothing within the lessons of Scripture that precludes these valuable documents. See for instance Ex. 12:26, “’And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD . . .’”. That there is a catechism. It is a means of teaching the faith, showing what it is we believe. Our WCF, WSC, WLC follow this biblical example so that we can grow in our love for Christ, His gospel, and His Church.
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church
