By Jeremy Bell
I am going to highlight Christian agreement. Finding points of agreement helps build unity among people. Often, disagreements are in the application of fundamental ideas. I will share how Psalm 116 supports Christian fundamentals. I will continue by with 2 Corinthians 4: 5 -18 directly afterwards because this New Testament writer refers to it. Understanding the unity across scripture is excellent theological practice. Motif highlighting shows connectedness in my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization.
Read what scripture says about vows and what Jesus said. I am quoting from Deuteronomy 21 – 23, Ecclesiastes 5:4, John 6: 35 – 45, Romans 10: 13 – 15, Matthew 28: 18 – 20.
‘When you vow a vow to Yahweh your God, you shall not be slack to pay it, for Yahweh your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you. But if you refrain from making a vow, it shall be no sin in you. You shall observe and do that which has gone out of your lips. Whatever you have vowed to Yahweh your God as a free will offering, which you have promised with your mouth, you must do.
When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.’’
Jesus Made Vows
‘‘Jesus said to the Jews, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’”
Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father and has learned, comes to me.’’
Paul Quotes From Joel the Prophet
‘“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”’
Jesus Vows
The Bible recognizes we can make vows. It suggests we don’t because we fail at keeping them and that failure is sin. Jesus made vows and more than that, He linked His vows to scripture vows made before He was born of Mary. He then spoke those vows in an open way where the future could not limit those vows, even after death. This is a massive opening for sin because He was either a fool who mocked God with these vows, or He was suggesting that He transcended time and death in order to perfectly fulfill these vows.
Jesus is not Walking Around Preaching
Jesus lived, died, rose from death, and ascended to heaven to the right hand of the throne of His Father, God. For reasons we will never be able to detail and explain fully, God chooses to work His glory through His people to bring salvation to other people. So, Jesus called people, and still calls them, and tells them to go and call others. This wasn’t for the twelve disciples He taught. This is for every person who believes in Him.
For those of us who are in Jesus, just in this quick look in John, He makes the following vows. Jesus will in no way throw out the ones who come to Him. Jesus will raise them up in the last day. He will pay His vows to Yahweh in the presence of all His people. He is no fool, and He is no sinner, though He suffered the payment for all sins. The day is coming for those of us who are His to celebrate the fulfillment of those vows. But first, let’s consider Psalm 116 and take a moment to meditate on a little of what He went through to accomplish this congregational future.
[ Psalm 116 ]
I love Yahweh, because he listens to my voice,
and my cries for mercy.
Because he has turned his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death surrounded me,
the pains of Sheol got a hold of me.
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on Yahweh’s name:
“Yahweh, I beg you, deliver my soul.”
Yahweh is gracious and righteous.
Yes, our God is merciful.
Yahweh preserves the simple.
I was brought low, and he saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul,
for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
and my feet from falling.
I will walk before Yahweh in the land of the living.
I believed, therefore I said,
“I was greatly afflicted.”
I said in my haste,
“All people are liars.”
What will I give to Yahweh for all his benefits toward me?
I will take the cup of salvation, and call on Yahweh’s name.
I will pay my vows to Yahweh,
yes, in the presence of all his people.
Precious in Yahweh’s sight is the death of his saints.
Yahweh, truly I am your servant.
I am your servant, the son of your servant girl.
You have freed me from my chains.
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and will call on Yahweh’s name.
I will pay my vows to Yahweh,
yes, in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of Yahweh’s house,
in the middle of you, Jerusalem.
Praise Yah!
Paul Says
‘We don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake, seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. So then death works in us, but life in you.
But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore we also speak; knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward person is decaying, yet our inward person is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory, while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.’
Alike and Different
The Christian walk is not always easy, and, in this life, Christians are not exempt from the normal decays and disappointments that every human experiences whether they are Christians or not. This makes the vows God has given so important. God cannot lie and He has given promises to people. Jesus claimed to be, and is, God, and He gave promises. These bring hope and endurance for the Christian, for the person who has come to God the Father through the Son, Jesus. For the person who has come to Jesus, that person will in no way be thrown out, they will be raised up in the last day and Jesus will pay His vows to Yahweh in the presence of all His people. He paid an awesome price to make this happen.
Perspective Change
Let’s honor Jesus by imitating Him. Don’t make vows, talk about His vows. Let’s demonstrate our love to Him by obeying Him. He said go and make disciples, individually and collectively as a church. Evangelize, exhort, and edify other people so that as many may be saved as possible. This is what He wants and the closer we are in relationship with Him, it will be what we want too. We are not alone; we have a congregation of support that we also can support. Before, we were conformed in nature to the world as self-glorifiers who simply ate, drank, and were merry because tomorrow we die. After our rebirth in Jesus, we are Jesus-glorifiers who tell others about the life in Him, transformed in the Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Unity in the Bible Truths About God.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.