Putting It In Writing: A Covenant Promise
Nehemiah 9:38, 10:28-29; Joshua 24:14-15
I’ve heard two opinions on putting things in writing. On one side, I’ve been encouraged never to put things in writing, because then there’s always a record of what you said, and people can go back and hold you accountable to things you said a long time ago—and potentially take your words out of context. On the flip side, I once heard one of my spiritual mentors say that writing things down is vital precisely because you stick your chin out and hang your reputation on what you’ve put into ink.
This topic has also come up multiple times in conversations I’ve had with people about church membership. Typically, the conversation centers around this type of argument: “I’m already here, I’m already involved, I’m already doing all of the things that a member does. Why do I need to make some sort of formal agreement to church membership?”
One of the things I point to in these conversations, as well as when I consider whether or not to respond to a serious situation in writing, is that God is a God of formality. God makes deals, commitments, agreements, and covenants. And He goes to great lengths to affirm them in very permanent ways. When God made His covenant with Abraham, He walked alone between the halves of slaughtered animals, the ancient way of saying, “May this happen to me if I break my word.” He gave Noah a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise. He wrote the Ten Commandments on stone with His own finger, and when Moses shattered them, He wrote them again. He had Moses write down the words of the covenant, read them aloud to the people, and seal them with blood. He even swore an oath by Himself. Hebrews 6 says He didn’t do this because His word needed backing up, but so that we would have unshakable confidence in what He promised. And today, through baptism and the Lord’s Supper, He gives us visible, tangible signs of the new covenant sealed in Christ’s blood.
God doesn’t formalize His commitments because He’s unsure of them. He formalizes them because He means them, and because the people relying on Him deserve to know it. So it shouldn’t surprise us that when God’s people returned from exile and rediscovered His Word, they responded the same way. They didn’t settle for a vague intention to do better. They wrote down what they were committing to and put their names on it.
There are a few reasons why I wanted us to lean into Launch with a focus on prayer and by walking through Nehemiah together. The first reason is that prayer is the most powerful tool we have in our toolbelt, because it recognizes our inability and invites the sovereign, almighty hand of God to do what only He can do. I also wanted to start this way because I didn’t want us to get caught up in some sort of temporary excitement that fizzled after a few weeks or months. The new vision—to see the gospel, the Bible, and a healthy church within reach of everyone, everywhere—is going to take long, faithful obedience. A quick spark or emotional excitement won’t sustain what God has called us to do. In fact, a flash-in-the-pan moment of generosity or involvement won’t even sustain Launch—our first steps into the process. Each of us who calls CVC home needs to hear from the Lord and be committed to do what He calls us to over the long haul.
Question to Consider
Lord, how do You want me to be a part of the Launch initiatives and our new vision to bring the gospel, the Bible, and a healthy church to everyone, everywhere?
Prayer Prompt
Lord, give me ears to hear how You want me to respond to the vision in front of us, and give me courage to take action when You prompt me to.
