In 1643, the English House of Commons adopted an ordinance calling for the “settling of the government and liturgy of the Church of England (in a manner) most agreeable to God’s Holy Word and most apt to procure the peace of the church at home and nearer abroad.” From 1643 through1649, 30 members of Parliament and an additional 120 clergy from England and Scotland convened the Westminster Assembly which met 1,163 times eventually ending up with the completion of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms which remain a part of the Presbyterian Book of Confessions today. This was a time, not unlike our own, in which political and religious problems seemed almost inseparable, and people were looking for ways to mend some severely broken fences. (Book of Confessions, p. 118-119)
The question and answer section called the “Westminster Larger Catechism” was designed expressly for exposition from the pulpit. (BOC, p. 120) It was intended that these standards not just sit as a manual on a shelf somewhere, but that they be taught and re-taught so that people would internalize their importance. Regardless of how much you personally know about the Westminster Confession or any of our other Confessions, be reminded that Presbyterian elders, deacons, and Ministers of Word and Sacrament are asked to take a vow to “receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our Church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and [they promise that they will be] instructed and led by those confessions as [they] lead the people of God.”
Today, we turn to one question and one answer from the Westminster Confession to see if it might lend us some instruction and guidance for our own time, to see if it’s just an outdated, outmoded way of thinking from early in the history of the Reformation, or does it have relevance for us in the 21st century global world in which we live? It is question 149 of the Larger Catechism, “Is anyone able perfectly to keep the Commandments of God?”
Anyone think the answer is “yes?”
Anyone think the answer is “no?”
Well, the “no’s” are at least half right. The answer is “No man is able, either of himself or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the Commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.” The language says specifically that no MAN is able to keep them, but I suspect that no WOMAN is able to keep them either.
I think at the very least, this question offers a fair interpretation of the New Testament scripture I read this morning. Verse 8 of 1st John is commonly used as an opener for our confession of sin and says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
So why would it be important today to be able to say that we’re wrong, a lot, perhaps daily? Why would it be important to be able to say that we are sinful, broken, misguided? The Westminster standards go to great lengths to spell out exactly how we can break each of the big 10 Commandments by going through what duties are required and what sins are forbidden by each. For example, if you look at what it says about the commandment against adultery, it goes into such detail that the best couples I know would miss the mark. “Unfaithfulness” according to Westminster can be something as simple as holding a grudge against your spouse, since this commandment, interestingly enough, forbids the “keeping of stews.” It also forbids idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company, lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stageplays, and all other provocations to, or acts of, uncleanness either in ourselves or others. Guilty, guilty, guilty. No more cable TV. No more listening to the radio. No more parties at my house. No more watching James Bond movies just to see Pierce Bronson look good in a tux.
But the Westminster Confession looks at these things reasonably. These are guidelines for how we can get it wrong, for certain. Nevertheless, there isn’t a false expectation held up that you can get it right. There’s no fundamental standard that says you must believe or uphold these certain things or get booted out of the church - or is there?
It’s only been in recent times, in the past decade, that we’ve slipped a standard in through our manual, the one that is put on the shelf and drug out for times of disagreement, that we’ve said that the standards set up for us in Scripture and the confessions can somehow be perfectly kept. Our Book of Order, in the hotly disputed section G-6.0106b says that any officer of the church, elder, deacon, or minister, shall repent of any practice that the Book of Confessions or Scripture calls “sin” or else not be ordained to any of those offices. It’s a sneaky little twist. There’s much to be mindful of, and I dare say, that with sinning daily – like the Westminster standard tells me I can’t avoid, and 1st John tells me would be untruthful to say that I have no sin, I’m pretty much stuck in a “can’t win” situation. And so are your elders… and so would your deacons be if you had them. If we upheld the letter of this law, I suspect we’d have an officer-less church. Oh well, less meetings for us I guess!
Anyhow, it’s probably no surprise to you that we’re still dealing with this section of the Book of Order as people are preparing around the country for the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, USA. It’s safe to assume that we are still fighting over the issues that are currently at the focal points of both politics and religion. Like the period before Westminster – we’re seeing the two fuse in many ways as to line up sides like mad. Certainly, we want to uphold standards for the officers of the church, but to put them on the pedestal of sinless, or even as perfect confessors of their sin, is to count our officers of the church as something greater than the human beings that they are.
I’m not here to promote any one side of the ongoing debates in the church, just to point out the tensions where they currently exist. They’re going to be with us for awhile, and Claire Harris will be getting to deal with them this summer in Birmingham as a voting delegate from this congregation at General Assembly. It’s not an easy thing. However, what I hope to make abundantly clear is that our understanding of sin is important. It always has been, and it’s always fluctuated as to what we need to do about it.
There’s a tension inherent in any conversation we have about sin, and it’s one that requires a certain balancing act. On the one hand, we are called to obedience, to live disciplined lives that take into consideration love of God and compassion for our neighbors. The ways in which we hate and divide can become remarkably heinous really fast, and we need to understand ways of controlling our behavior. But on the other hand, pointing out sin in ourselves and others can easily become a slippery slope, so we also need a great big dose of grace and mercy. We need to be reassured that in coming to God our sins are forgiven – not held onto tightly and recorded in a big book somewhere.
The best example I have of this happens to live in my house. As a parent, I am learning lessons daily as to walking that fine line of discipline and of grace. Too much discipline - and it can backfire into rebellious behavior or having a child that’s afraid of me. Too much grace - and I become the doormat for an “anything goes” kind of lifestyle. I suspect it only has about half to do with my son, and half to do with what I need to learn at this stage of my life about God’s sense of expectation and understanding. Parents who are further along in their children’s development tell me it’s nothing compared to parenting a teenager!
We all have times when we’re too hard on ourselves. And we all have times when we consciously or unconsciously break God’s law. Can we be perfect? The answer is “no.” No one can be – not you, not me, not the elders of this church, not the elders of the most proper church on the block. Perfect love and perfect discipline can only be maintained through God’s eyes, not our own.
The Reformation brought us an understanding of sin that reminds us constantly that we cannot earn God’s love through our own behaviors or pay for it with our own prayers and supplications. The forgiveness offered through God’s grace is free, a gift, a blessing undeserved by humankind. Martin Luther is frequently misunderstood because he said to “sin boldy.” By this, he did not mean that we have a license to do whatever we want, but to encourage us to live unhampered by the fear that we might sin – because we will – daily at least according to Westminster.
May God’s grace continue to uphold you in right paths, and turn you around on wrong ones.
Amen.