A sermon preached at Grey Gables.

Reposted from the Canadian Baptist Historical Society. 

Continuing in our series on our church covenant (find earlier blogs here and our actual covenant here), we press into 1. 3.7:
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To walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all gossip, tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to maintain sobriety, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour;

Let’s break these biblical callings down:

1.To walk circumspectly in the world;
Jesus calls us to be as “innocent as doves and as wise as serpents.” (Mt 10:6). He wants us to have street smarts when it comes to the world (anti-God values and ways). To be circumspect is to ‘look around’ or be aware.

2.to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements,
When we deal with people, in the church or in the world, we ought to be just or fair like God. We should be a people who keep our word also in the engagements (appointments) we make (i.e. not backtracking like so many do today. Think before you give your word and, once given, keep it). Nothing shines forth the truthfulness and faithfulness of God like truthful and faithful Christians! We should enact the positive side of do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, etc.

3.and exemplary in our deportment [dress];
While it is true that God judges the heart, this does not mean He is unconcerned about our outward appearance, as they reflect our heart. Paul speaks of dress in 1 Ti 1:9. While anyone should be welcomed as they are coming to worship; Christians, in worship and life, should dress in an exemplary way (a way that is an example to others). We should seek to be modest (both physically and economically), and yet wear clothes that show quality and care. We should take pride in our presentation. When we come to worship, we should bring our best to God, inside and out. This is well pleasing and a witness to others. In our super-relaxed day and age, we need to remember that deportment matters.

4.to avoid all gossip, tattling, backbiting,
Speech sins are grave sins according to the New Testament (i.e. those who persist in them will show themselves not to be among the redeemed, 1 Cor 6:9–10). Gossip is unconstrained speech about someone, usually untrue. Tattling is telling confidential information about someone, or speaking about someone without having approach them directly (c.f. Mt 18). Backbiting is harshly speaking back. All of these sins go against what God has positively taught how the believer should speak. They are of the flesh and not of the Spirit and are to be fought against.

5.and excessive anger;
We are emotional beings and anger is one of those emotions. While Jesus warns against anger (Mt 5:21–22), He also instructs us to “be angry and do not sin.” (Eph 4:26). It is possible to have a righteous anger over something unjust. However, even in our anger we must exercise self-control. Otherwise, fires can be set ablaze not unlike those of the tongue (Ja 3).

6.to maintain sobriety,
To be sober means to be able to think clearly. Historically it related to drink (and today would include drugs). The Bible speaks strongly against drunkenness (cf. Gal 5:19–21). While not prohibiting alcohol, the warning, along with idolatrous addictions and social problems caused by drink, have led Baptists to traditionally be ‘tee-totalers’[1]—for good reason. Any decision not to voluntarily abstain from drink must be met with a conscious effort to drink above reproach. However, it is best (and cheapest!) to avoid the temptation all together.

7.and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour;
While this list has included positives and negatives, here is one positive, which if followed, would rule out the negatives. Are we zealously being devoted to all of the physical and spiritual means to advance the kingdom, locally and globally. This could involve personal evangelism, supporting the worship of God, giving, praying, serving, caring, engaging in missions, etc. Let us be devoted to these good things like the early Church (Acts 2:42; Mt 6:33), for where our treasure is, there our heart will be also (Mt 6:21).


[1] Meaning total temperance or Totally no drink. 

 Like the doctrine of the Trinity, which the Bible doesn’t use but that describes what is clearly seen, covenant is everywhere in the Bible and yet there is no explicit verse that says, ‘thou shalt have a church covenant.’ (Much like we believe ‘no sex before marriage’ but there is no verse that uses those exact words, yet we know from a biblical ethic and helpful verses that is God’s plan). Nevertheless, we see covenant everywhere in the Bible, it is the spine or backbone that holds the Bible together—covenantalism. (See my blog here/printed in mailbox).

Covenant means agreement. It is a relational word. A covenant spells out the nature of two parties’ relationship. Covenants are either vertical or horizontal. Covenants have different orders. The highest covenant is between God and men. In the ancient world there were also sovereign-vassal covenants of varying degrees (King to a prince, a prince to a lord, a lord to an elder, etc). Even covenants could be amended or renewed and hence were not always permanent (this was the case with the Mosaic Covenant Ex 34:1-10, though God’s other covenants were binding, e.g. Noah). There were marriage covenants (Mal 2:14, binding) and also business covenants (Genesis 23; 1 Ki 5). There are different degrees or levels of the wider notion of covenant, which can be between God and man, people; some being binding and others not. (Check out the entry for ‘covenant’ in any Bible dictionary for more info).

As the New Covenant people of God, the covenant community is carried forward into the NT. We see its finger prints everywhere. Words and ideas such as Kingdom, unity, the assembly, the household, the fellowship, the body, etc. These are not merely organic as the Church is an institution (Eph 1:22–23) as much as it is an organism (i.e. skeleton and flesh). While the church is universal it is also local. Membership/covenant is the means to delineate who is part of a local church vs. that church or this church or no church. It has a practical as well as a biblical-theological basis. Different statements of faith will express this by describing the church as an entity of those ‘who covenant together’ or who ‘associate together.’  Not until this is done, formally or informally, can a local church be said to be constituted. What is the difference between 5 Christians gathering together and 15 who covenant together to form a church—commitment and form (officers, worship, preaching, ordinances, etc). For Baptists who stress a believer’s church, baptism and membership (rooted in a covenant) are the visible means by which we show who represents Jesus. As God covenants with us, we covenant in our relationships with others.
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Flowing from covenant in the Bible, a church covenant is a voluntary promissory statement between members that is a reminder of expectations and commitments that are reflective of God’s will for the church/believer.

Track with us and revisit key points from our journey through Ephesians this winter/spring.