Should Christians make vows?

SCRIPTURE:

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. James 5:12

But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:34-37

OBSERVATION:

Making vows and pledges are quite commonplace in churches and Christian organizations today. However, are they Biblical, or just human ideas? While those who initiate them may mean well, we still need to test this practice against what Scripture teaches.

In the Sermon of the Mount, our Lord specifically spoke out against the common oath-swearing in those days, with people swearing by Heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, and even by their own heads. Instead, He advocated that His followers should simply say “Yes” or “No” without needing to invoke any oath or curse.  Later, James also reinforced this teaching in his letter, warning that those who continued to swear only invited condemnation.

The tone of Scripture then indicates that Christians, rather than relying on oaths and pledges, should instead live such lives of integrity, that people will believe what they say. A major point in the Lord’s words also, is that there are so many things beyond our control. We cannot even make one hair white or black, so why make solemn vows into the far future. We should instead take each day one at a time, and trust God to help us each day. After all, Jesus said “Do not worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own”.

Another thing about vows is that it puts a yoke or a burden upon the person making a vow. Having a solemn obligation hanging over one’s head puts a nasty weight on a person’s mind. We are not meant to live under burdens, but to live freely by the Holy Spirit. Living life based on a declared vow comes dangerously close to trying to live by a set of rules, which is to come under a type of law again. Christianity is not about a set of rules. It is about following Christ, being led by the Holy Spirit. As we follow Him, we will find ourselves obeying His principles as taught in the Word, but to try and follow the rules apart from Him is self-effort and destined for failure. There is also the danger of the sin of pride like what happened to the Pharisees who deemed themselves superior because they could presumably keep more of the law than others.  

APPLICATION:

Be very careful about making vows and pledges. We cannot control what happens to us in the future. Rather, live life freely by seeking to live by the Holy Spirit. Instead of focusing on rules or obligations, rather seek that close relationship with the Lord, and pray that we might be able to know His will, and follow it. We will fulfill the spirit of the law through being led by the Spirit, but if we try to follow rules or vows or pledges from our own self-effort, apart from God, we will fail. How do we know we are being led by the Spirit? This is where we need strong foundations in the Word of God. One of the main things the Spirit will do is to lead us to love the Word, and the more we saturate in the Word, the more it becomes part of us and the more easily the Spirit will bring to our remembrance the appropriate Scripture for a given situation that will help us make the right decision.

PRAYER

We thank You and praise You, Lord, for Your great teaching for our good, and for Your precious Holy Spirit who guides us and leads us. Give us wisdom we pray, and strength to make right decisions even when there is pressure for us to conform. Lead us, Holy Spirit, teach us from Your Word. Let Your Word so saturate in us, that it becomes part of us. We bless You, and love You, Father, precious Lord Jesus, in Jesus name, Amen.