The Confirmation Vow - Lesson 29

The Confirmation Vow - Lesson 29

Pr Jacques Loubser

Content

1. Introduction - The significance of confirmation.

2. My responsibility – my obligation – God’s blessing.

3. The confirmation vow.

4. The sequence of events in a divine service with confirmation.

1. The story of the farmer and his sons

• hidden treasure,

• explore,

• hard work

The moral

• The treasure lie in the fruitfulness of the field

• In order to maintain the fruitfulness the field had to be worked

• ​They, inheriting the field, had to continue the work

The connection to confirmation

• The field is your soul.

• The farmer = your parents/teachers.

• ​You now need to maintain/grow it.

How do I do this?

• Pray regularly and fervently

• ​Occupy yourselves with God’s work

• ​Joyfully offer and make sacrifices

The treasure

As a child of God

• ​A constant connection with Him - provides strength + comfort

• ​When His promise is fulfilled, eternity with Him

2. Our consent – our promise – our vow

What is the difference? escalation

• ​consent = yes to something normally superficial

• ​promise = obligates us to more, taken more seriously

• ​vow = esp before God is binding, may not be questioned

3. The confirmation vow

What does the word ‘confirmation’ mean?

• ​derived from Latin - confirmare which means to certify/acknowledge

The confirmation vow

What will you be certifying/acknowledging?

• ​the vow made by your parents on your behalf

• ​that you are willing to continue this vow in your life

​What am I agreeing too?

The confirmation vow

I renounce Satan and all his work and ways and surrender myself to You, O

triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in belief, obedience, and the earnest resolution to remain faithful to You until my end. Amen.

4. Practical matters - sequence of service

The sequence of events in a divine service with confirmation is the same as for a regular divine service up to the time Holy Communion has been

dispensed to the priestly ministries.

Afterward the act proceeds as follows:

– The Chief Apostle's letter is read out to the confirmands.

– This is followed by the officiant's address to the confirmands.

– The confirmands are asked whether they wish to pursue their future path as New Apostolic Christians in faithfulness to God.

– The confirmands answer by saying: "Yes".

– They reinforce their "Yes" by reciting their confirmation vow.

– The officiant dispenses the confirmation blessing upon the confirmands.

– The confirmands take their seats again.

– The divine service continues with the dispensation of Holy Communion for the congregation.

Question Time

The questions prepared for today are easy to answer but have far reaching implications. Consider them carefully and carry them with you on your spiritual journey.

Multiple Choice

The vow we make on the day of confirmation is made before Almighty God, is binding on our very soul and infinite in duration.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

When we make this vow we certify that we willingly take up the vow made by our parents on our behalf on the day of our sealing.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

With this vow we promise to obey the triune God and to align our lives with His will.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

In return God promises to remain faithful to us and to guide and bless our efforts as we grow toward worthiness by His remarkable grace.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Once you have received the confirmation blessing you have, in the sight of God and His church become an adult capable of making your own decisions insofar your spiritual development is concerned.

• True

• False

Concluding remarks - Pr Aubrey