“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” – Psalm 15
That is the question. The answer the psalm gives us is this: “He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart… In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.”
To be conformed to the image of Christ means cultivating fidelity to our word even when (or rather, especially when) it is inconvenient for us to do so. No one swore to his own hurt more than Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2).” For the Lord’s atonement to have any affect he had to fulfill each and every scripture and prophecy concerning himself perfectly, including those that would lead to his suffering and death.
“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed (Malachi 3:6).”
These verses prick my heart because I know that in my flesh I can be double-minded and mercantile in my dealings with other people. If God were like me, we would have no hope because our God could be capricious and change his mind about our salvation at any time. We should be thankful that the Lord is faithful even when we are not.
The divorce rate in America is well over 50% because our sinful flesh tells us that we should feel empowered to amend our agreements at any time for any reason. But the Bible says “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God…Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay (Ecclesiastes 5:2 & 5).”
So let your vows be made sparingly so that we never over-promise and underdeliver. When we make promises pray also for the Lord’s help in keeping them, even to our own hurt.
Selah.
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