It gets me every time.
Our membership covenant at the church we started, as well as the church we just joined, includes these words: “I engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit; to walk with you in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this Church, in knowledge, holiness and comfort — even to the laying down of my life in service for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and my brothers and sisters, and if called upon by my Lord, to hazard my life for the gospel’s sake.”
Often we’re bringing new Christians into membership as they’re baptized. They’ve only been walking with Jesus a short time. Immediately, they’re confronted with a reality that’s unlikely to happen, but still possible: I will die for Jesus if necessary. I owe everything to him. I’ll risk everything for the sake of the gospel. I’ll hold nothing back.
What a serious and worthy promise to make. Why shouldn’t we join those who have and are risking and even sacrificing their lives for Jesus’ sake? But those words should stick in our mouths a little as we read them if we really understand what we’re saying. We must never say them lightly if we’re truly counting the cost.
Last Sunday, I made a covenant as I was inducted as a pastor in my new charge. The promises I made included:
- To serve the Lord with both joy and tears
- To willingly accept suffering for Christ
- To value the calling and gospel of Jesus Christ above your own life
- To willingly suffer for Jesus’ sake hardship, physical torture, betrayal, inconvenience, exposure, disappointment, persecution, sovereign weakenings, calamities, and the daily pressures of concern for the church (2 Corinthians 11-12)
- To despise the allure of riches in this world and live for the eternal wealth of Christ’s presence in heaven
- To value Jesus above your wife, your children, your church, your ministry, your knowledge, your self, and anything else in this world
- To not be ashamed of the gospel or the Saviour, regardless of the audience
- To entrust your soul to the faithful Creator no matter the blessing, the trial or persecution (2 Timothy)
No-one can make promises like this without recognizing the gravity of these commitments. Serving Jesus as an elder is not a light matter. The eternal benefits package is unbelievable (1 Peter 5:4), but the cost in this world may be great.
Long ago I made wedding vows to my wife. I took them for granted. Of course I’m going to love and honour and cherish her! Look at her in that wedding dress. She’s unbelievable!
As the years went on, I found myself forgetting some of the vows that I had made without even realizing it. It felt harder in the ordinary stresses of life to measure up to the vows I’d made at our wedding to lay down my life in service of this woman that God gave me to love.
I still fall short, but I’m aware now of how much I need God’s help to be the husband he calls me to be.
In a similar way, I realize the enormity of the commitments we make when we sign up to follow and serve Jesus. What a serious thing, but also what a privilege that we’re counted worthy of making this kind of commitment to our Saviour (Acts 5:41). And we have the Holy Spirit, who will help us.
Let’s never take lightly what it means to follow and serve Jesus. It’s a serious thing, and it’s a privilege to give everything to the one who gave everything for us.