A Lifestyle Covenant - Part 8

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and ‘I will be their God and they shall be My people.’” Jer.31:33. (NASB).

Beloved,

I write to you as ‘godly ones’ according to Ps50:5, “Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” The Hebrew word here for ‘godly one’ is ‘hassid.’ A ‘hassid’ is a person is whose life is totally taken up by God. He is a person who exists for God. It is my prayer that before you finish reading this letter, you will become a true ‘hassid’ and God would have made His covenant with you on a personal and intimate basis in Jesus name. Amen.

However, the true ‘godly ones’ or ‘hassidim’ as the term goes, are “those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Or put another way, “those who cut My covenant on the basis of a sacrifice.” In other words, those who recognise the covenant demands and have committed themselves to Him unreservedly. Without this commitment – solemn, unreserved, personal commitment to God which is the only basis upon which He will receive us into the relationship we desire, life is a struggle, covenant life style will be a failure. This is because God will never commit Himself to the uncommitted. Please see Mat.6:33, 2Cor.5:14-17, Heb.11:6, Jas4:8 & Rev.3:15-16. Therefore, dearly beloved and cherished, it is time to cast off all restraints, constrains and constrictions and get on the ladder of the most rewarding relationship in life. Receive that grace now in Jesus name.

The Hebrew speaks of ‘cutting’ a covenant and that is quite significant. It is not just ‘making’ a covenant. It suggests the action of the knife that puts the sacrifice to death. You are represented in that sacrifice – death to self-life. This is the nature of the covenant that God Himself initiated. There is only one basis on which God makes a covenant – the basis of a sacrifice. Therefore, wherever there is a covenant there is a sacrifice and wherever there is a sacrifice, there must be the shedding of blood.

Two things are necessary to enter a permanent relationship with God: a covenant and a sacrifice. Without a covenant, there can be no relationship with God; and without a sacrifice there can be no covenant. Friend, by a covenant, He dealt with the fathers. Beginning from Adam to Abraham, Moses, Noah, and even David, ‘the man after His heart;’ He dealt with them all by a covenant. God deals with you and me today by covenant. And when He shall come in all His terrors to condemn, He will do it by His covenant - the sword of His covenant. And when He comes in the splendors of His grace to save, He still comes by His covenant. He recognises no relationship outside of the covenant! Truly, ‘He has commanded His covenant forever.’ Dt.79-10, Ps105:8-10.

‘I WILL BE THEIR GOD’

In our last letter on this subject of ‘A lifestyle covenant,’ we examined in detail the first part of the covenant formula – the often repeated and recurring decimal in all God’s covenant with His people. ‘I will be their God and they shall be My people.’ Our desire is to explore; to consider the meaning and the implication of this formula and how we can gainfully engage it for our profiting. The sense of value you attach to a thing (which of course is based on your understanding of it), will determine the virtue you draw from it. I am convinced that our lack of understanding of this vital subject in our covenant walk has been a great disadvantage to us. It is time for us all to get it right.

There is something I read recently after I had sent the last letter on the ‘People of God,’ which I believe will be of benefit to our understanding of our union with God as ‘The people of God.’ Now, in the Old Testament, from the time God entered into a covenant with Abraham, all his descendants were set apart from all other members of the human race - separation. They were henceforth known as ‘the seed of Abraham.’ But the outworking of God’s plan required that the covenant be established a second time, not with Abraham individually but with all his descendants collectively. This took place at Mount Sinai in Ex.195-6 as we saw in our former letter. From that time forward, they were designated by a new title in the singular form, that is; ‘a people.’ In other words, they became a new, collective unit.

However, let us realize that Israel was henceforth set apart to God as a special people, not by any intrinsic righteousness of their own but by the covenant God made with them. Their holiness also was the outcome of the covenant and not the reason for it.Now from this covenant with Israel, the Hebrew of the Old Testament maintains a careful distinction between two related Hebrew words: goy (‘nation’) and ‘am (‘people’). All nations, including Israel are goyim (plural of goy) – ‘nations.’ But Israel alone is ‘am – a ‘people.’ That which singles Israel out by this distinctive title from all other nations is their unique covenant relationship with God.Moreover, this same distinction is maintained in the New Testament by two Greek words: ethnos (‘nations’ – corresponding to the Hebrew goy) and laos (‘people’ – corresponding to the Hebrew ‘am). The Greek ethnos, in its plural form ethne, is translated alternatively ‘nations’ or ‘gentiles.’ The word ‘gentiles’ normally refers not to people who are not Christians, but to people who are not Israelites.

This analysis of the distinctive words used both in Hebrew and in Greek for ‘people’ and ‘nation’ has been necessary to establish one vital basic principle of Scripture: it takes a covenant to constitute a people. An ethnic group that has no collective covenant with God is merely a ‘nation,’ but an ethnic group that has a collective covenant with God is, by fact, a ‘people;’ with all its advantages!Beloved, let us add this additional information to our understanding of ‘The people of God.’ My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use the above information to enhance and enrich your covenant understanding and walk and for an empowered covenant lifestyle. Amen.Let us go further as we focus on our topic, ‘I will be their God.’ While I was preparing for this write up, I came across this wonderful article by C. H. Spurgeon that is so relevant to this subject that I decided to add an excerpt from it here to boost our knowledge of the covenant. Please read it with close attention for maximum impact.

‘The contracting parties: How, in this covenant of grace, we must first of all, observe the high contracting parties between whom it was made. The covenant of grace was made before the foundation of the world between God the Father, and God the Son. Or to put it in a yet more scriptural light, it was made mutually between the three divine persons of the adorable Trinity. This covenant was not made directly between God and man. Man did not at that time even exist; but Christ stood in the covenant as man's representative. In that sense, we will allow that it was a covenant between God and man — but not a covenant between God and any man personally and individually. It was a covenant between God and Christ; and through Christ indirectly — with all the blood bought seed who were loved by Christ from the foundation of the world. It is a noble and glorious thought, the very poetry of that old Calvinistic doctrine which we teach, that . . .

long before the day-star knew its place, long before God had spoken existence out of nothing, long before angel's wing had stirred the un-navigated ether, long before a solitary song had disturbed the solemnity of the silence in which God reigned supreme — God had entered into solemn counsel with himself, with his Son, and with his Spirit — and had in that council decreed, determined, purposed, and predestined the salvation of his people.

He had, moreover, in the covenant arranged the ways and means, and fixed and settled everything which would work together for the effecting of the purpose and the decree. My soul flies back now, winged by imagination and by faith, and looks into that mysterious council-chamber — and by faith I behold the Father pledging himself to the Son, and the Son pledging himself to the Father, while the Spirit gives his pledge to both, and thus that divine compact, long to be hidden in darkness, is completed and settled — the covenant which in these latter days has been read in the light of Heaven, and has become the joy, and hope, and boast of all the saints.

And now, what were the stipulations of this covenant? They were somewhat in this way: God had foreseen that man after creation would break the covenant of works; that however mild and gentle the tenure upon which Adam had possession of Paradise, yet that tenure would be too severe for him, and he would be sure to kick against it, and ruin himself. God had also foreseen that his elect ones, whom he had chosen out of the rest of mankind — would fall by the sin of Adam, since they, as well as the rest of mankind, were represented in Adam. The covenant therefore had for its end — the restoration of the chosen people.

And now we may readily understand what were the stipulations. On the Father's part — thus ran the covenant. I cannot tell it to you it in the glorious celestial tongue in which it was written. I am glad to bring it down to the speech which suits to the ear of flesh, and to the heart of a mortal. Thus, I say, ran the covenant in lines like these:

"I, the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give unto My only begotten and well-beloved Son, a people, countless beyond the number of the stars — who shall be washed from sin by Him; who shall be preserved, and kept, and led by Him; and at last, who shall be presented before My throne without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing by Him.I covenant by oath, and swear by Myself, because I can swear by no one greater, that these whom I now give to Christ — shall forever be the objects of My eternal love!These, I will forgive through the merit of my Son's blood.To these, I will give a perfect righteousness.These, I will I adopt and make my sons and daughters.And these shall reign with Me through Christ eternally!"

Thus, run that glorious side of the covenant. The Holy Spirit also, as one of the high contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration,

"I hereby covenant, that all whom the Father gives to the Son — I will in due time quicken.I will show them their need of redemption.I will cut off from them all groundless hopes, and destroy their refuges of lies.I will bring them to the blood of sprinkling.I will give them faith whereby this blood shall be applied to them.I will work in them every grace.I will keep their faith alive.I will cleanse them and drive out depravity from them.And they shall be presented at last spotless and faultless in Heaven!"

This was the one side of the covenant, which is at this very day being fulfilled and scrupulously kept.The Lord Jesus also, as one of the high contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration, "My Father, on My part, I covenant that in the fullness of time, I will become man. I will live in their wretched world — and for My people, I keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness for them, which shall be acceptable to the demands of Your just and holy law. In due time, I will bear the sins of all My people. You shall exact all their debts upon Me. The chastisement of their peace — I will endure; and by My stripes — they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify Your law, and make it honourable. I will suffer all that My people ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of Your law — and all the vials of Your wrath shall be emptied and spent upon My head! I will then rise again, and ascend into Heaven. I will intercede for them at Your right hand. I will make Myself responsible for every one of them — that not one of those whom You have given me, shall ever be lost! I will bring all My sheep of whom, by My blood, you have constituted Me the Shepherd — I will bring every one safe to You at last!"

Thus, ran the covenant; and now, I think, you have a clear idea of what it was and how it stands — the covenant between God the Father and God the Spirit — and God the Son, as the covenant head and representative of all God's elect. I have told you, as briefly as I could, what were the stipulations of it. You will please note, my dear friends, that the covenant is, on one side, perfectly fulfilled.

God the Son has paid the debts of all the elect. He has, for His people and for their redemption — suffered the whole of wrath divine. Nothing remains now on this side of the question, except that he shall continue to intercede, that he may safely bring all his redeemed to glory.

On the side of the Father, this part of the covenant has been fulfilled to countless myriads. God the Father and God the Spirit have not been behindhand in their divine contract. And mark, this side shall be as fully and as completely finished and carried out as the other. Christ can say of what he promised to do, "It is finished!" and the like shall be said by all the glorious covenanters. All for whom Christ died shall be pardoned, all justified, all adopted. The Spirit shall quicken them all, shall give them all faith, shall bring them all to Heaven, and they shall, every one of them, without let or hindrance, stand accepted in the beloved, in the day when the people shall be numbered, and Jesus shall be glorified.’

With this quality information, you have with you a powerful tool for the understanding of the Scriptures.

Yours in His service

Pastor David Adeyemi