Promise Keepers:
Promising or Abiding?
In Jesus, Ken Page My purpose in writing is not to tear at an organization. I wish to communicate what I believe to
be at the heart of Christianity- Jesus Himself. This is not a scholarly paper. It is merely to share
what I have seen and heard to be true thus far. My eyes have begun to see the glory of the Gospel
and I can not close them. I have been seeing the emptiness and the fruitlessness of many Evangelical churches and organizations. I hunger for the presence and the power of God. I miss the joy, the reality and the drive I experienced with my fellow believers as a young Christian.
I believe that one of the core beliefs of Evangelicals, championed by Promise Keepers, lies at the root of this drought. I believe that we Evangelicals have left our first love- Jesus. We embraced Him for salvation and we seek Him out when times are really tough, but for the most part, our living and serving is up to us. We are attempting to be what Paul calls, "perfected by the flesh". Instead of drawing the power for life from the Spirit of God we are drawing it from ourselves.
I am by no means an expert on Promise Keepers. I have attended one of their large conferences and I read their book, "Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper". I also attended a weekly small group that discussed the book. What I have labeled my "flesh detector" was alarming on a regular basis.
I will admit I am quite sensitive to flesh (human living and effort) and maybe too much so. If I am right, however, I am in good company- the Apostle Paul. One of the major issues in the early church was that believers were turning from Christ and going back to the self-help effort of keeping the Law. Paul was livid over this issue. For the most part we Evangelicals do not know what this flesh versus spirit stuff even means.
When we talk about walking in the flesh we think of someone using drugs and sleeping around. We do not consider that this could include a person doing good things, exhibiting good behaviors and trying to please God. Walking in the flesh could be the very method that you have been taught and now place your hope in for following God. I believe that this "flesh" method is what is being promoted by Promise Keepers.
The bottom line for the Promise Keeper is keeping his promises. What motivates or empowers him to please God is the fact that he promised (or willed) himself to do it. There is no mistake in my mind that their key or hope for change is by appealing to the flesh. "I said it- so I am going to do it." "I am a man of my word so I will do it." Here are just a few of their statements that reveal their foundation.
"Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper holds the keys to unlocking the power and potential of Men."
"They'll (PK's) understand how a commitment to integrity results in spiritual, moral, ethical, and sexual purity." (Why didn't this work for the Pharisees?)
"Men are rising up to become all God originally intended them to be: men of integrity, men who keep their promises."
"This is the hope of Promise Keepers: That men would dare to enter into the struggle for righteousness."
"Your objectives determine your outcome"
"Someone asked me in a television interview, 'What would you say has been your greatest contribution as a seminary professor?' I (Dr. Howard Hendricks) answered, 'To affirm the maleness of many of my students.' "
I encourage you to read the book "Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper" and look for their dependence on God. In a casual reading I only saw four statements that placed the focus on God's work.
"Today's American men are looking for answers, and they are looking to Jesus to
provide them." p.2
"We are at the threshold of a spiritual awakening." p.3
"Having no other agenda than to wait upon God, we set aside our busy schedules
and learned to "be still, and know that I am God."
Their first promise contains the other reference to God's work, but only in the last few words, "in the power of the Holy Spirit." If you would pin a Promise Keeper down on the work of God they would adamantly say Jesus' work is essential. Then why don't they say it? This is what I call the "Evangelical God Assumption." Our theology says we are dependent on God, but the practical bottom line is that it is up to us. If we really believed that Jesus was our foundation and our hope we would write and talk like this; "Abide in Jesus, draw on Jesus, be found in Jesus, remember God's law, Abide in Jesus, draw on Jesus, be found in Jesus."
The greatest tragedy of Promise Keeper's appeal to the flesh will be its' result. The Apostle Paul said that you will reap what you sow. If you sow to the flesh you will get the flesh. When the "flesh" is challenged there are predictable outcomes. Some will think they are "doing" it (even if only better than others) and it will result in pride and arrogance. Some will live in denial and shut their hearts off. Sadly, they think they have tried Christianity but it did not really work (This I believe to be the one most plagued by Evangelicals). The honest ones will either live in despair or reach out to Jesus and find rest, joy, and life.
I can get excited about many of Promise Keeper's ideas. I long for a more unified body of Christ. I fully support racial equality and integration. I think it is great that men would band together in small groups for fellowship. When it comes to their foundation for living I resoundly disagree. Many will say that I am rankling about words, but I do not think so. Look at the fruit in our pews. Many are tired. Arm-twisting is essential to get many to minister. Our worship is lifeless, except when the song leader asks us to sing really loud. The words of the Apostle Paul,
"You foolish Galatians , who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ
was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out
from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with
Faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being
perfected in the flesh?" Galatians 3:1-3