The Most Broken Vow Of All

The most oft broken vow by Christians, says theologian Carl Trueman , isn’t marital vows to remain faithful, ministerial vows to preach the gospel, or baptismal vows to raise children in the fear and nurture of the Lord:

No.  The most broken vow is almost certainly that by which church members submit to the authority and teaching of the elders in the church.   It is as solemn and serious as any other vow one might take — marriage, baptism, an oath in court — and yet what does it mean?  How many truly think about the implications?  How many truly act as if the vow really meant something?  The vows are voluntary, but once taken, they are serious and require focused commitment and a particular pattern of behaviour.  Yet members feel free to speak as they wish to, and about, church leaders; they move from church to church as, so some say, the Spirit leads them; and they trample their vow to submit again and again.

I suspect Trueman is right—it’s certainly the vow I’ve broken most often.