This past Sunday at our church we did something we have never done before. We had a special time in our service to recognize those who serve as teachers. Teaching the word of God is a great honor. During this service we asked the teachers to publicly sign a covenant. The covenant made the following six statements.
- I believe that the Bible is inspired by God and sufficient as the only authority for a saving knowledge of God.
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I believe that the Jesus is the second person of the Triune God and salvation is found only in Him. I believe that He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died and rose again, and will return one day.
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I believe that baptism is an outward symbol of an inward change, which is NOT a part of Salvation.
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I believe that those God’s saves, He will also keep until the end. So that they will never totally nor finally fall away from grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith.
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As a teacher in the church I recognize that I am an example both inside and outside the church. Therefore I will attend worship services faithfully and regularly support the church financially. I will do my best to live a God-honoring life both publicly and privately.
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If I ever feel as though I am not keeping or cannot keep this covenant, I will respectfully ask to be removed for the sake of God and His church.
Benefits
When you do something that is out of the ordinary, people usely want to know why. There are many reasons for doing this, but there are two important reasons. The first is that it lets the rest of the church know what is expected of teachers. In the future if some want to be teachers, they will know what is expected of them. The second reason we did this, is that it helps prevent false teachers from entering the church. In an age when false teachers are running rampant without restraint, it is appropriate to do something to prevent this problem.
It is great to be a part of a church where you know that what it being taught is what the Bible teachers. It is great for parents to know that their children will not be taught something unbiblical or that they disagree with.
