Questions from Our Readers

This time of the year the confession of faith classes generally will have resumed in the congregations. Every year the consistory is eager to learn whether there will be such a class, and if so, how many have indicated a desire to attend. Rightly so, because it is both a weighty as well as an encouraging matter when young people decide to take this class. For some, this decision involves serious, heart-searching questions, while for others (let us be honest) the decision appears less difficult. Let us hope and pray that a decision to join the confession of faith class be a matter that is taken before the all-knowing God who knows the heart most perfectly. The question raised above is a commonly asked question and, I think, related to more questions regarding confession of faith.

I could give a very short answer, but perhaps it might be beneficial to broaden this subject. My short answer would have been: public confession of faith is not in the first place a personal testimony that I believe but more what I believe. At first glance, this statement may surprise you as now it appears that I am stating that confession of faith is nothing more than a confession of the truth. This, however, is not the case. When Philip asked the eunuch in Acts 8 if he believed with all his heart, the eunuch answered: “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” Notice here that the eunuch did not say, “I believe in Jesus, the Son of God.” Let us observe the wording. The point is the church (or consistory) does not rule over the inner man and, therefore, does not judge personal faith in confession of faith. To state that in our churches faith is not required is incorrect. The point is that (unlike many charismatic and revivalist groups think) the church has no biblical authority to judge the heart. We wholeheartedly hope that confession of faith is a heartfelt and Spirit-wrought confession, but this is and ought to remain a personal matter between the confessor and the Lord. In other words, the church may go no further than the questions of Voetius which only affirm soundness in doctrine and an outward walk corresponding with the content and spirit of the doctrine. Our reformed fathers understood their place very well and, therefore, carefully guarded and observed this boundary. Summarizing the above, the following points are important to remember:

1. Not the church, but the Lord reigns over and judges the heart. It is for this reason that the focus of Voetius’s questions is on the doctrine heard, learned, and confessed as well as the promise to continue steadfastly in this doctrine and to conduct oneself conformable to the doctrine.

2. Confession class is far more serious than a course someone takes, and the examination before the consistory is far weightier than a final exam someone takes in college. However, confession of faith is not a personal bearing witness of faith or a profession to be converted but rather a formal taking upon oneself the oath that was made at baptism. Just like in baptism no one has the right to remain unconverted, yet the church allows baptism to take place (not judging the faith of the parents except for doctrine and walk of life) so in confession of faith, doctrine and life are judged but not the heart.

3. Public confession of faith is not a confession that I become a member but rather that I want to remain a member. Rev. C. Hogchem writes in his Leesboek bij de Belijdenis Catechisatie “It is one of two: or we break membership, that is the bond which one has with the church on account of birth and baptism (…) or we perpetuate (or affirm) this membership by pronouncing the desire to remain with the church…”

4. Our Reformed fathers stressed that the examination before the consistory is never an examination of personal faith but rather an ecclesiastical examination regarding knowledge. If we cross that boundary, we cross the scriptural boundary of judging someone’s state for eternity.

Let us not forget that the Lord knows the heart, and only He knows and judges what lives in the heart. It is not up to us, office bearers, or others to stand in God’s stead. This in no way disarms or minimizes faith from being faith and a confession from being a confession. On the contrary, it ought to fill every professing member with deep concern and true reverence. Abraham said, “I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27b). We take nothing away from the solemnity of the oath (see Matthew 5:37 and James 1:22, as well as the Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 36-37). This ought to ban all presumption towards taking the matter lightly, as well as not taking this step at all, thereby making a confession as well. The latter is often forgotten, I am afraid, by those who needlessly or carelessly postpone this step.

With respect to Lord’s Day 7, I see no reason to believe that the questions answered at public confession of faith are at odds with Lord’s Day 7 of the Heidelberg Catechism. In Lord’s Day 7, we read a solid and biblical definition of what true saving faith is. If it is well, all those who make public confession of faith will know what is confessed in that Lord’s Day. Let no one minimize what a true confession of faith is, but it is not the task, privilege, or liberty of the church to say if this is indeed the case of those who make this confession. That would be the same as telling the parents that by baptism they are baptizing their children in truth or not. I think anyone reading this will realize that this would be an overstepping of one’s boundary.

Dear reader, I admit that there remains tension in what I wrote, but if in my answer I had succeeded to remove that tension, I know I would have defeated the purpose of the article. In other words: let that tension remain. It is one thing that I make public confession of faith; it is quite another how I do it. I often tell my confession of faith class: let your affirmative answer in confession of faith be at the same time a cry to the living God: “Here I stand, I can do no otherwise. So help me God.” Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.

Please send your questions to Rev. H. Hofman, 112 Pratt Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, or hofman@premieronline.net.

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