It is critical that God’s chosen children see the world through His eyes. Failing this, we are prone to make ourselves gods of the worlds we create, and our created worlds are subject to our individual world-views. And so, my statement of premise: In God’s eyes, all relationships are defined by covenants.
Before we believed, and by default, our covenants were with the dark lord of this world, but when we first believed in Jesus Christ, we made a covenant with Him – as least, that’s what should have happened. After making our individual covenants with God through Jesus Christ, we embarked upon a journey of breaking our old covenants with the lord of darkness – hopefully. That would amply explain in simple terms why the road became bumpy in our Christian walks.
But unfortunately, many so-called Christians only made “conditional” covenants with God, and conditional covenants are only composed of conditional commitments. Please understand, we cannot fully enter into God’s provisions on the basis of conditional covenants, the terms of which we dictate to God. We either sell out to Him completely, or we don’t, and while God is merciful to the truly ignorant, He will show Himself increasingly unmerciful to the willful, for their chosen course is away from Him. Someone once asked, “If God seems far away, who moved?”
Like cowboys riding fences, it is imperative that we periodically review our covenant with God, prepared to renew any portions that have been torn down or damaged. And by the way, it works the same way in marriage. I’m not suggesting we try to find ways to feel guilty, but instead, that we look for ways to maintain our commitments. In my opinion, many Christians treat God like they treat their wives: “I told her I loved her when we got married….”, is NOT “maintenance”. It’s not complicated, if you love God, tell Him so, and tell Him often.
A covenant without commitment is not a covenant, instead it’s merely an “agreement”, and subject to both parties remaining in agreement. Either can break the agreement at will, and merely say, “I’m sorry”. No foul. On the other hand, only covenants require essential commitment. God hates divorce because He is a God of covenant, and He views marriage as a covenant relationship. As He is committed to us, He expects us to remain committed to Him. You can take this to the bank: God blesses covenant relationships He sanctions – He does not require Himself to bless agreements. Agreements are bound by fear; covenants by trust.
Therefore, if you find yourself outside of covenant with God or your spouse, consider the sand you stand on, for sooner or later it will shift, and you’ll be helpless to hold it fast. Get into covenant with God and man, and unlike Lot’s wife, don’t look back.
You don’t have to like what I wrote today; you don’t even have to agree with it, but one thing’s certain: Some day He will ask, and you can never say you weren’t told.
John
