More than a Relationship
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· 3 viewsA discussion about how our Christian life is more than simply a relationship but is a covenant
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More than a Relationship
Sunbury GMC 4/28/2021
Sunbury gmc 12/29/2024
Text: Hebrews 9:15 “ And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
At its core, at its foundation what is being a Christian? What is the most foundational basic aspect of being a child of God? Many would perhaps say it is a relationship with God. They would claim that the most foundational aspect of Christianity is relationship. There is certainly a relationship with Christ involved in Christianity, in fact I do believe it is impossible to be a Christian without a relationship with Christ. I wholeheartedly believe that a relationship with Christ is an essential element of being a Christian, however I do also believe that the Bible teaches a different concept as the absolute foundational principle of Christianity. This concept is weaved throughout the entirety of scripture. It is in the very names of divisions of the Bible, and it is one of the titles or roles ascribed to Jesus Christ Himself as I read in the text. Christianity at its core is about a covenant between God and us. This is borne out in the names of the division, called the Old and New Covenants as testament is a synonym for covenant. It is shown in the covenant with Abraham and his descendants, and it is shown through Jesus’ work as the mediator of the new covenant.
I. What am I taking about when I talk about a covenant?
A covenant is an agreement between two parties. But specifically, how does the Biblical sense of covenant play out? The old testament covenant is really laid out in the ten commandments. Israel was commanded to follow these commands if they were to be the people of God. The idea in essence was that if Israel obeyed the commandments, God would be their God, and they would be His people. Receiving blessing on earth and eternal life from Him. In Deuteronomy 5 Moses calls Israel together and reminds them of the covenant, quoting again the ten commandments and admonishing the people to follow the commandments to uphold the covenant. In a similar passage near the end of Deuteronomy in the thirtieth chapter after reminding the people of the covenant Moses explains that if they do not obey the covenant, they would surely perish. Moses in Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life!” Here we see that on the obedience of the covenant hung not only blessings and cursing but also life and death.
The book of Hosea gives a painful but extremely clear representation of the type of God we serve and the type of covenant we are to uphold. This book was written as an example for the Children of Israel showing them what they were doing to God. Israel was breaking the covenant as Gomer would break her marriage covenant with Hosea. Verse 9 in chapter 1 says “Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.” The covenant was broken; therefore the promises of blessing and life were now removed. Israel had not fulfilled their part, they had gone away after other Gods, and ceased to serve God. You can see it stated again in Hosea 2:2 With the example of Hosea and Gomer. Hosea says, “She is not my wife, neither am I her husband.”
Now of course the story does not end here. This is the story of God the story of His love. In Hosea 3:1 Hosea purchases Gomer back. Hosea 3:3 says “Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.” Here we see the marriage covenant renewed. Gomer deserved nothing. Nothing she did made her worthy of this opportunity, yet she was given another chance, at no cost to herself, and yet at great expense for Hosea.
Hosea 3:5 gives greater detail of how this works in relationship to the nation of Israel. “Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.”This is the model shown for Israel. They would receive another chance, without merit, based on nothing they did, they could enter again into the covenant with God. He would bless and protect them and guide them to eternal life. They would obey his leading and the commandments He had set down. That is the covenant that God had made with Israel, the Old Testament is filled with examples and stories that are similar. But in the New Testament Jesus Ushered in a New Covenant.
II. Jesus Ushered in a New Covenant
So lets talk then about the New Covenant. I have dealing with the old covenant so far, because I do believe we can learn much about God’s view of covenants, and covenant breakers from the stories of the Old Covenant. But as the text tonight mentioned Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant. Hebrews 8:13 says “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” You see the old covenant was one for the nation of Israel. It involved much that was made obsolete by the death and resurrection of Jesus. It was fulfilled, and reborn in person of Jesus Christ. The old covenant was specifically for the Children of Israel. The old covenant involved an intricate sacrificial system to pay for sins. The old covenant was entered into by the physical sign of circumcision. In the New Covenant whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. In the new covenant Jesus died for the sins of all paying the ultimate price. In the new covenant circumcision is of the heart, not of the flesh. Jesus has ushered in a new covenant giving any who will an opportunity to enter a covenant relationship with Him regardless of race, social status, gender, past deeds, or any measure of merit you can come up with.
III. How does the new covenant play out in our lives?
If becoming a Christian means entering a covenant with Christ, what is the covenant that we are entering? We know that we have a new covenant, but what is that new covenant?
Jesus reaffirms the moral aspects of the old covenant law in the conversation with rich young ruler. Jesus explains that keeping of the ten commandments is absolutely required for salvation. The writings and discussions of the new testament authors such as Peter, Paul, James and John explain that we are not under the ceremonial or the civil parts of the old covenant. We need no more sacrifice for Jesus has paid the price and fulfilled the sacrificial system, and we do not need the civil aspects of the law for we are children of God not of Israel.
The requirements laid out in the new testament are requirements of heart and attitude, not just action. Romans 2:29 explains that “he is Jew (used here to describe any follower of God), which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter.”
Hebrews 8:10 further explains “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” I believe that the idea encapsulated here and in the previous passages is found in what is called the Great Commandment. Matthew 22 beginning in verse 36 says “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Every part of the new covenant requirements is tied up in these verses. We are to genuinely love God and to love other people. The story of the Good Samaritan explains how we are to show love to other people. In the story that Jesus told a man was robbed and beaten. Various people passed him by without offering help. They did not show love. Finally a person who should have been an enemy of his stopped to help and at personal inconvenience and expense cared for his enemy in need. Jesus was showing that love acts even when it is inconvenient. Even when it ugly, even when no one sees. We must love our neighbors.
We must also love God. Some would say that this idea of needing to love God to be in covenant with Him leads to uncertainty. They say things like “if that’s how it works, how do you know if you love God enough?” or how can you trust your own feelings of love for God? isn’t the heart deceitful above all things and desperately wicked? I find these to be rather ignorant statements, and I believe it comes from the cultural perversion of the idea of love. You see love is a choice, a conscious decision of will, not a euphoric feeling. Love is a commitment, not an emotion. So, you see loving God with your whole heart, soul, and mind is simply giving those things over to Him to do with them as He will. As far as the heart being desperately wicked and deceitful, well God gives you a new heart when you begin to follow him and we are not basing our spiritual realities on emotional perceptions anyway. You say again, “what is the proof that I have given my life over to Him?” Well, the book of I John answers that question plainly and succinctly. I John 2:3-6 says “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Here we see plainly that the test, the proof, and the confidence of our love is in our obedience. Not the obedience of the action though, it is in the obedience of our hearts. Now this does not give license to disobey in our actions, for one cannot knowingly disobey in action and claim that it was not a matter of the heart. The fact that we are judged by what is within does not give us license to ignore that which is without for they are inextricably connected. The new covenant is also a covenant of grace. “For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and not of works lest any man should boast.” There is nothing we can do to deserve this covenant relationship with God. We are not worthy of this free offer of life! We are given the chance to enter this covenant with God by no merit of our own! Now again is this license to sin? Romans 5:21 says “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Here we see that in this new covenant, as in the old sin leads to death, and righteousness to life. We are called and commanded to live righteous lives by our presence in covenant with Christ. Romans 6:1-2 plainly explains that sin has no part in the life of a Christian. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therin?” So, we see that while it is true we are under grace, that grace does not give us license to sin. This mirrors the teaching in I John about obedience as the test of love. Romans 6:15-16 put it even more clearly. “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” If you yield yourself to sin, you are then the servant of sin. You cannot be the servant of sin and of God at once for as scripture says no man can serve two masters! This new covenant is a covenant of heart obedience unto the author and finisher of our salvation, the mediator of the new covenant, the greatest sacrifice, the one who gives this offer based upon nothing we have done, nothing we are, nor on what we view our potential to be.
Christianity is far more than a relationship. Yes there is a wonderful relationship with God. A relationship built on the foundation of our covenant with him. This gives us exceeding confidence. Many times, a relationship can be uncertain, this is certainly true with people as you well know. Sometimes we really do not know who our friends or enemies are. Spiritually it can seem the same for the devil can cloud our vision of God’s infinitely loving face. While that relationship is there, it can be obscured from view. God can sometimes feel very distant. But know this, our relationship with God is based upon a covenant, not an emotion. Do you love God? Have you knowingly disobeyed Him? If you have not disobeyed God, you can be completely confident of your relationship with Him. It is fully intact. You are a Christian; you are on your way to eternal life. I know that sometimes there is a cloud between you and the loving face of God, but do not be afraid. He is there. Still listening, still loving, still fighting for you. And guess what? He wins. It may look bleak now, but God wins in the end. This wonderful relationship that we have with our blessed savior is founded upon our covenant with Him, and nothing and no one but you yourself can break that covenant. Situation and struggles may cloud our view, but they cannot separate us from Christ. So live in confidence in your relationship with God. Knowing that it is not based on your fickle feelings but on objective realities of obedience and disobedience. Go and love God with your heart, soul mind and strenght.