As I continue to pray and seek God's guidance concerning the church covenant, I thought I would share one with you from a church in GA. This covenant has many excellent features and will not have to be changed as society changes. The phrase below that I have highlighted in bold is excellent and focuses on why we abstain. A fully devoted follower of Christ is very concerned about being a stumbling block—he or she will not use their Christian liberty to create a stumbling block for any Christian or potential Christian.
Each of us must ask everyday: "Is what I am doing bringing reproach upon the cause of Christ?"
Bible Baptist Church
Hampton, Georgia
As a bond of unity among us this church accepts for its member the following covenant:
Having been lead by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and on profession of our faith in Him, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we do now most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We promise that we will watch over and counsel one another in the spirit of brotherly love, that we will remember one another in our prayers, and that we will aid each other in sickness and distress.
We further agree, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, love, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over an institutions of human origin; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.
We further covenant to maintain family and secret devotion; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to live carefully in this present world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, back-biting and excessive anger;
to abstain from everything that will cause our brother to stumble or that will bring reproach upon the cause of Christ; and to strive to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, that amidst evil and good report we will humbly and earnestly seek to live to the honor and glory of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
