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R. Kent Hughes, in his wonderful book, The Disciplines of a Godly Man, cites the following article published in The East African Standard in Nairobi.

ALL DEBTS TO BE PAID

I ALLAN HARANGUI ALIAS WANIEK HARANGUI, of PO Box 40380, Nairobi, have dedicated services to the Lord Jesus Christ. I must put right all my wrongs. If I owe you any debt or damage personally or any of the companies I have been director or partner i.e.

GUARANTEED SERVICES LTD.

WATERPUMPS ELECTRICAL AND GENERAL CO. SALES AND SERVICES

Please contact me or my advocates J. K. Kibicho and Company, Advocates, PO Box 73137, Nairobi for a settlement. No amount will be disputed.

GOD AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST BE GLORIFIED

Hughes adds, “For a golden moment all of the great city of Nairobi took note that Jesus Christ had made an ethical difference in a man’s life.”

Ethics is an important—yea, an essential—aspect of the Christian life. Apart from righteous behaviour there is no salvation. That may sound legalistic, like a promotion of works-salvation, but understand that it was Jesus who said that those who follow Him are to obey all that He had commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). It was Jesus who said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). It was Jesus who said that only those who continue in His Word are His disciples (John 8:31). It was Jesus who said that believers are known by their fruits (Matthew 7:16, 20). And it was Jesus who said that He had come to fulfil, not destroy, the law, and that whoever encouraged anyone to break even the smallest commandment would be considered least in the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:17-19).

In other words, when the Lord Jesus saves someone He transforms them from being a covenant breaker into a covenant keeper. After all, without holiness, no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 2:14), and faith without works is dead (James 2:17).

As we are growing to appreciate, the Ten Commandments are not merely good suggestions for God’s people. They were not optional under the old covenant and neither are they optional under the new covenant. They are obligatory for all of God’s people in all ages. In fact, the argument can be made theologically that these commandments will also be fully in place throughout eternity for the simple reason that the law of God is the revelation of His character. And for eternity believers will perfectly reflect God’s glorious character. That is, the law will be perfectly fulfilled—practically as well as positionally—in the life of every believer.

The Ten Commandments define our duty to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; and they also define our duty to love our neighbour as ourselves. They teach us the ethical behaviour that is expected of those who have been delivered from bondage (Exodus 20:1). We have examined in some depth the first Eight Commandments and in this study we turn for the second and final time to the Ninth Commandment.

The Ninth Commandment speaks to the issue of our moral obligation to not damage the reputation of another and it also highlights our obligation to guard the reputation of our neighbour. We have looked at this matter previously. The Ninth Commandment deals with the fundamental issue of living truthfully. By the principle of categories, this Commandment calls us to tell the truth. It forbids lying, perjury, and falsehoods of all sorts. In the words of the apostle Paul, the believer is called to a lifestyle characterised by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

We need to take one more look at the Ninth Commandment to see how it relates to the issue of honesty as a whole, with specific reference to our moral obligation to keep our word, to be God-honouring promise keepers. I trust that we will be willing to be as transparent as our brother in Nairobi.

The Malady of Promise Breaking

When the Lord saved us, amongst other blessings, He transformed us from covenant breakers into covenant keepers. By writing His law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31) He empowered us—by His Spirit—to keep His covenant, to keep His commandments and thus to keep our word. And by the way, even those who are enemies of the gospel understand that Christians are to be covenant keepers. We know this because unbelievers are quick to point out the failed promises of believers.

When the Lord Jesus Christ circumcises the heart of a believing sinner, that life is forever changed. The believer now delights in the law of the Lord, for the redeemed see that law as holy, just and good. The law of God becomes precious to the believer; integrity increasingly becomes his passion. Since he has experienced saving grace which has made him whole, he perseveres towards completeness of being. And a huge part of that is honesty.

We live in an age of dishonesty and deception. The prevalence of corruption in both the marketplace and government is all too well known. But let me address a more common form of dishonesty—that of empty promises. I read the other day where someone noted quite matter-of-factly that “promises are made to be broken.” What a cynical and damning approach to life and relationships! And yet I fear that all too easily this is the average man’s approach to life. Think with me of examples.

Have you ever scheduled an appointment with someone to come and show you merchandise or to give you a quote on some work and they never showed up? Perhaps you called them and they told you that they would be there in an hour but still they never pitched—without any explanation.

What about quotes for building work with guarantees concerning when the work will be done? Many of us have experienced the frustration of such work not being completed and excuses rather than explanations coming forth.

What about those guarantees concerning some product which, when claimed, are fine-printed away? I am sure that many of us have experience the baneful lack of service that is offered by those who sell us products. What is this but a failure to keep one’s word?

Yes, promise breaking is a sinful malady that we experience each day of the week. But it is not only a matter in which we ourselves are the victims; rather, we are all too often the perpetrators of such promise breaking.

Do you ever make appointments that you fail to keep? Do you ever promise to perform some action for someone only to fail to do it? Have you promised your wife or children that you would do such-and-such only to renege on your word?

Let’s bring this closer to home. Have you stood before the church and promised to love honour and obey your husband only to find yourself disrespecting him and rebelliously responding to him? Husbands, have you made the vow to love, honour and cherish your wife and yet you find yourself lashing out at her in anger, disrespecting her and selfishly retreating inwardly to yourself?

Church member, do you ever tell someone that you will pray for them only to forget all about it? Do you find yourself refusing to build and maintain relationships within the church, refusing to join the body life, refusing to gather with saints for Communion? Then you are guilty of breaking your covenant. You are breaking your promise. You are violating the Ninth Commandment.

Have you stood before the local church and promised to raise your children for Christ with the aid of the church and yet you refuse to attend faithfully? Then you too are guilty of breaking your promise.

What of those who have stirred the baptismal waters? It should be remembered that to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism is to make a public promise to follow Christ till you are promoted to glory. It is not a vow that is grounded in grit and determination, but rather one that is rooted in deep dependence upon the Lord Jesus through whom you can do all things. Nevertheless this is a promise made for which God holds you accountable.

These are uncomfortable issues, aren’t they? But I trust that, as we return to our study of the Ninth Commandment, we will find comfort for an otherwise disturbed spirit. May God grant us the grace to make progress towards being promise keepers rather than covenant breakers. His blessings rest on those who have learned from Him to be faithful. After all, like Father, like son.

The Motive for Promise Keeping

When we who name the name of Christ fail in our moral responsibility to keep our promises, we take God’s name in vain. We violate the Third Commandment. But akin to this is the fact that we are guilty of a breach of the Ninth Commandment. Why? Because we are guilty of misrepresenting God; we are guilty of sullying His reputation. We are bringing an unjust reproach against His character. Our behaviour makes a statement about Him as well as about ourselves. When a believer fails to be faithful to his promise He is reflecting in a negative way upon God’s morally perfect faithfulness.

Again, the enemies of Christ revel in the covenant breaking of those who know better. And the result is that the name of God is blasphemed (Romans 2:24). We are to so live that God’s faithfulness is reflected in our ethics. God’s majestic moral integrity is to be manifested like a well lit city on a hill. We are to keep our word because He keeps His. In fact, in keeping our word we reflect the reality that God keeps His. After all, we can only keep covenant because God keeps covenant.

Many Scriptures teach us of the faithfulness of God.

  • Deuteronomy 7:9—“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
  • Nehemiah 1:5—“And I said: ‘I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments.’”
  • Titus 1:2—“In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”
  • Hebrews 6:18—“That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”
  • Numbers 23:19—“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
  • 1 Samuel 15:29—“And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”
  • Malachi 3:6—“For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
  • Psalms 89:30-27—“If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, if they break My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: his seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; it shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky.”
  • Revelation 3:14—“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.’”
  • Revelation 19:11—“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”

The Everlasting Covenantal Faithfulness of God

Before the foundation of the world the Triune God made a covenant to save a people chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son and regenerated by the Spirit. This covenant came to pass over several millennia beginning with the creation.

God created because He is faithful to His promise. God clothed Adam and Eve after the fall and pronounced a curse upon the serpent because He keeps His promise. God saved Noah and his family because He is a promise keeper. God brought Abraham from Ur and into Canaan because He keeps covenant. God preserved Israel in and delivered her from Egypt because He keeps His Word. God also delivered Israel over to her enemies because He keeps covenant (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).

Some 2,000 years ago Jesus was born of a virgin because God keeps covenant. Thirty-three years later Jesus died, was buried and rose again because of God’s faithfulness to His Word. Thirty-seven years later Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans because God is a promise keeper. And today the church continues to grow because God is faithful to keep His promise. In fact, we worship today solely because of our God who keeps covenant.

In short, the everlasting covenant is testimony to the integrity of God (cf. Titus 1:2; Hebrews 13:20).

My point in all of this is to drive home the point that since we are God’s children, we are to reflect that relationship by displaying His character. And faithfulness to His Word is such a characteristic. As His children we have the gracious privilege to reflect His character and thus we are to be promise keepers (see Psalms 15, 24). We are to keep our word because we are called upon to keep His Word (John 8:31). Since God is a promise keeper, we too are to be promise keepers. When we fail to keep our Word then we not only sin against God but obviously we also offend our neighbour; we do them wrong.

When we fail to keep our word we misrepresent God; we sully His reputation; we are guilty of bearing false witness against Him. This has far-reaching implications: marriage vows, work contracts, parent dedications, church covenants, interpersonal promises, etc.

Great Expectations

Covenantal integrity is what every believer is called to. Our example is the Lord Jesus Christ (see John 17:1ff).

The Lord Jesus came to earth for one reason: to keep His promise. And at the end of His life He was able to pray, “Father I have kept my Word by keeping yours. I have been covenantally faithful.” What a marvellous testimony!

Great Desperation

One of the most potently relevant biblical passages regarding this matter of keeping our promises is Psalm 15. In this psalm the writer asks, “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill?” (v. 1). In a parallel passage the same writer asks this question of eternal import in this way: “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand [be acquitted] in His holy place?” (Ps 24:3). These are serious questions for they have to do with the all-important question: Can a man be just before God?

The answer is then given, and it seems rather matter-of-fact. In Psalm 15 there are eleven characteristics of those accepted before God, of which four have to do with the matter of truthfulness as expressed by the mouth. Those accepted by God,

  • Speak the truth in their heart;
  • Do not backbite with their tongue;
  • Do not take up a reproach against their friends; and
  • Swear to their own hurt and do not change; that is, they keep their word.

Anyone with an ounce of serious self-examination who contemplates these characteristics, even these selected four, will find themselves in a state of despair. After all, if this is the righteous requirement then we are hopeless. No man can claim to meet this perfect standard. Well, of course there is one: the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He did perfectly meet these divine expectations and for that reason, upon His ascension He heard the words of Psalm 24:7, “Lift up your heads, O you gates [to the presence of God]! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors [closed to sinners!] And the King of glory shall come in.”

Not only did Jesus Christ come in but He then sat down on the right hand of the Father from where He makes righteous intercession on behalf of promise breakers. But such promise breakers who have been graced to be accepted as promise keepers.

Now this is not merely some form of legal fiction, for those who have been justified by faith alone are expected to live like it. And thanks be to God that they are empowered by the Spirit of God to be promise keepers. They are equipped by the Spirit through His Word to be people of integrity. Paul reminded the church in Ephesus that the church is equipped through the apostle’s doctrine to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Literally this reads, “truthing the love.” And keeping one’s word is one application of this Commandment.

Integrity in the church is a non-negotiable. Ananias and Sapphira learned this the hard way. Because they lied to both God and men (fellow church members) God killed them. Why such a severe penalty? As Kent Hughes notes, “the church cannot prosper with deception among its members.” When church members fail to be promise keepers, then deception rather than integrity becomes its ethos and the power of its witness is gutted. When deception increases, when dishonesty begins to pervade a church’s membership, then disaster may not be far off.

Think for a moment about the infamous Titanic. The opulent, 900-foot cruise ship sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage from England to New York. Fifteen hundred people died in the worst maritime disaster of the time. The most widely held theory was that the ship hit an iceberg, which opened a huge gash in the side of the liner. But an international team of divers and scientists recently used sound waves to probe the wreckage, buried in the mud under two-and-a-half miles of water. Their discovery? The damage was surprisingly small. Instead of the huge gash, they found six relatively narrow slits across the six watertight holds.

Small damage, invisible to most, can sink not only a great ship but a great reputation!

We who confess the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour are claiming that we are followers of the ultimate promise keeper. Thus to be dishonest, to be characterised as those who are promise breakers is, practically, to deny Christ. On German theologian said it this way, “The avoidance of one small fib . . . may be a stronger confession of faith than a whole ‘Christian philosophy’ championed in lengthy, forceful discussion” (Helmut Thielicke).

The Community of the Faithful

Theologian Anthony A. Hoekema, in Saved by Grace, writes, “It must be remembered, first of all, that we are not sanctified merely as individuals but as members of the body of Christ. . . . We must therefore live in such a way as to advance and enrich the sanctification of the fellow believers whom our lives touch.”

In our day of individualism this truth must be pressed home again and again. In a Bible study that I came across on the Internet concerning the communal aspect of church life, the writer observes what can certainly also apply to the church in South Africa.

In North American culture, individualism and independence reign. However, the New Testament describes Christian community as interdependent. Interdependence involves mutual encouragement and intimacy.

Interdependent Christian community also includes a commitment to holiness. Though our culture affirms some of the positive benefits of community, it often balks at the uniquely Christian commitment to holiness in community. It sees as “cultish” communities that want members to be mutually accountable to each other for some definite ethical standard.

It’s no surprise, then, that many churches seem to endorse a very private pursuit of holiness. Yet the New Testament presents a community in which the members have a mutual responsibility to one another in their pursuit of holiness. The members of local churches need to help each other grow in godliness.”

Edmund Clowney also observes. “Growth in true holiness is always growth together; it takes place through the nurture, the work and worship of the church.”

I raise this issue for the very practical point of how the Ninth Commandment relates to church membership at BBC.

When someone becomes a member of BBC, without apology we require them to agree to and to sign our church covenant. This document is simply a nutshell of the New Testament description of a believer in Jesus Christ. And a huge part of that is the matter of being in a covenantal relationship with other brothers and sisters in Christ. By its very nature such a covenantal relationship implies both privileges and responsibilities. At the least, it requires that we continually repent of selfish individualism. To become a member of BBC, one needs to have a credible profession that they have covenanted to keep their word to keep His Word (indicated by baptism) with the attendant promise to keep their word to live out their faith in community with other members. That means, among other things, that a church member is commitment to treating BBC like a family rather than as a restaurant.

Recently I was speaking to a church member about some difficulties that he is having apparently with another individual (or individuals) within the church. I do not know the people involved and at this stage there is no reason for me to know.

This member is uncomfortable with attending church because of the emotional/relational distraction that is felt as he gathers. Sadly, a well-meaning fellow member gave this advice: “I too have been hurt. Therefore though I continue to come to church in order to hear the preaching, I do not get involved socially with others.” I am hoping that, whoever this individual is, they are being misquoted, for such advice is selfish and thoroughly unbiblical.

Can you imagine having a child who refused to engage with the family on a relational basis and yet he expected to be fed at dinner time? Perhaps the child would say something like this: “You know, I am tired of the conflict that I have here at home and I am weary of being a part of such a dysfunctional family. Henceforth I will only show up for meals—and make no mistake, I expect for you to feed me—but do not expect anything from me.” What would a parent’s justified response be? To rebuke them and if they do not repent then to show them the door!

Let me apply this by saying that the local church is not a restaurant, and especially is it a smorgasbord. That is, church members are not given the selfish luxury of picking and choosing which meals for which they will show up. The particular chef is irrelevant, and the nature of the meals is not the issue. The local church is a family that has pledged its word to build and maintain relationships, to work together for the furtherance of the gospel, to gather with one another for mutual edification and to support and maintain the ministry of the church. This implies serving rather than being served.

Practically this means that we gather even though our favourite preacher is not in the pulpit. This means that we gather even though the particular subject does not strike our fancy. This means that we prioritise the special meetings and conferences of the church. This means that we make the effort to attend baby showers, kitchen teas and the like. This means that we gather to pray with and for one another rather than seeing the church merely as a people whom we can call upon when we ourselves need prayer.

This may be hard for some to hear, but hear it we must.

Now I can almost audibly hear the protestations: “Legalism!” “Control freak!” “What about Christian liberty?” Let me answer these objections by simply pointing out that God takes our vow-making very seriously. And so if you don’t intend to keep your promise then don’t make it. For example if you don’t intend on being faithful to your wife then don’t get married. And if you don’t intend to fulfil the stated biblical expectations of church membership, don’t join one!

Every Idle Word

Someone has noted that the gift of speech is a tremendous privilege given by God to man. But alas how often we are not faithful stewards of such a gift. We sin with our mouths in many ways, not the least of which is when we make promises and do not keep them. And of course we should keep in mind that whenever, and to whomever, we make a promise, ultimately God is our witness and thus our vows are being made to Him. Scripture is not ambiguous concerning our responsibility to honour God by honour our vows:

  • Proverbs 20:25—“It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows.”
  • Deuteronomy 23:21-23—“When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.”
  • Ecclesiastes 5:4-5—“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed. Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”
  • Matthew 12:36—“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement.”

Yes, we will give an account regarding whether or not we keep our word. How are you doing?

The Means for Promise Keeping

Let me conclude by pointing out that promise keeping is not easy. And perfect promise keeping will never be achieved by any of us. This is true in many areas of life including the matter of church covenants and parent dedications. We need grace to keep our word and we need grace when we fail to keep our word. That is why the baptismal service which follows is so instructive when it comes to this issue.

Those who are baptised pledge allegiance to Christ—in a very public way. It is both a declaration of the faithfulness of God to keep His Word as well as a crying out for grace to keep their word.

The Lord Jesus said that those who endure to the end will be saved. He said that if we abide in His Word, then we are His disciples indeed (John 8:31). This means that those who profess Christ are under obligation to keep their word to keep His Word. And that is a tall order. We need the aid of the Spirit and this is precisely the promise that we have from the Lord.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

(Romans 8:1-4)

Believer, continue to walk in the Spirit and you will indeed keep the promise that you made at baptism to follow the Lord Jesus Christ all the days of your life. William Still wrote, “It is impossible to be faithful to Jesus Christ and not incur the opposition of the world, the flesh and the devil.”

The day of your baptism in the church is often an exciting day, and well it should be. But battles follow and you will be tempted to take a detour from the path of following Christ. But by the power of the Holy Spirit you can overcome rather than giving in to the promise breaking agenda of the sinful flesh. And this applies as well to those of us who years ago went under the baptismal waters.

One final word of exhortation is in order to the members of local churches and to those members who have vowed to seek the church’s help in their quest to raise their family for Christ. Let us take the challenge by the Spirit’s encouragement to faithfully keep the law of God, with particular reference to the Ninth Commandment.

Because God was faithful to keep covenant, we have been transformed from promise breakers into covenant keepers. Let us so live that none can ever bring a false accusation against our heavenly Father.