Come, Let Us Take the Pledge Together
Translated by Wu Zeyuan
“Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25
A Christian’s life is not only a life before God but also a life amid the church he attends. Hence, the teaching that a believer need not attend church is wrong. In fact, when we decide to join a church as members, it means we are willing to be committed to each other through regular fellowship, mutual help in learning the truth and serving God, etc. This is what our church membership pledge is all about.
The pledge encapsulates a life that all members endorse. It delineates how we should live, much like our declaration of faith articulates what we believe. The pledge indicates a life that God expects His children to lead.
As a church is a group of believers led by Christ and committed to each other, its membership pledge bears the following characteristics.
Firstly, the pledge is made towards God, the church we attend, and ourselves, indicating our devotion to God, commitment to the church, and dedication to holiness.
Secondly, it is a statement of our ethical perspective. The pledge is an application of our worldview in everyday life. It teaches us to love and account for each other based on our common understanding of the bible. Hence, each church may draft its own membership pledge according to its situation.
Thirdly, the pledge is a set of moral standards. Simply put, as church members, we strive to lead a life of holiness as Christians ought to. Hence, we hope to help brothers and sisters turn away from sin through honest teaching and admonishment. When situations arise, a set of biblical standards pledged by all are needed to make the right decision. The pledge is, therefore, crucial for establishing and executing a church’s discipline.
If you are baptized and wish to grow as Christ’s disciple under the pastoral care and accountability of Truth Baptist Church, you ought to take this pledge. Being “accountable for” means that the church will watch over your spiritual growth and Christian life to align them with God’s will and the teachings of the Bible. Come! Let us take this pledge together on our church’s anniversary to review and reform our church life. Brothers and sisters, are you willing?
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