Our Covenant With God 2
(week 30/01)
Olubi Johnson
In our last article we saw that we have a covenant with God that has promises of great blessings for us on the condition that we keep our part of the covenant by faith.
This week we will see how to keep and enjoy the benefits of the covenant.
How to keep and enjoy the benefits of the Covenant
God has given us the High priestly ministry of the Lord Jesus, the written Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us keep our part of the covenant.
Hebrews 8:6 (KJV): But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
2 Peter 1:3-4 (KJV): According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Romans 8:26 (NIV): In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Furthermore, He has instituted a ceremony during which we can examine and judge ourselves on a regular basis to help us keep our part of the covenant faithfully.
1 Corinthians 11:23-29 (KJV): For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
In order to keep the covenant faithfully, God has commanded that we take communion regularly (e.g. weekly, monthly etc) so that we can examine and judge ourselves and so ensure we are keeping our part of the covenant.
Covenant as Spiritual contract to build God a Temple in your Soul and body
It is useful to think of our covenant with God as a spiritual contract that God has given us to build Him a temple in our souls and bodies: Just like you can give a contract to a building contractor to build you a house: You give them money and materials; they will use the money and materials to build you a house. Of course you don’t give them all the money all at once: you give it to them in stages: clearing, foundation, structure, roofing, painting and internal furnishings etc. You inspect the work periodically and as they complete each stage you give them more money to complete the next stage until the building is completed.
In the same way, God has given us a contract or covenant to build Him a temple or House He can inhabit and manifest Himself through on this earth.
On His part God has given us the life of His Son, His written Word and the power of His Spirit as the materials we are to use to build this House.
On our part we are to use these materials to build God a house in our souls and bodies.
God does not give us all the money: the life of God and materials: revelation of His written Word and the power of the Holy Spirit all at once but in stages. As we are faithful in completing each stage He gives us more until the building is completed.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the guarantee and mediator of this Covenant or contract.
Hebrews 7:22-25 (NIV): Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
As our guarantee: He gives us the assurance that we can fully complete this contract because of two things:
He himself built God a temple in His own physical body for God to inhabit and manifest through when He was on earth and He did this not because He was God but by revelation of the written Word and the power of the Holy Ghost: so we can follow His example.
He will be constantly praying for you to help you overcome your weaknesses and shortcomings that would otherwise have hindered you from completing your temple so long as you are honest enough to confess and repent of them.
His example we are to follow is shown in Hebrews 5:7-9:
Hebrews 5:7-9 (KJV): Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
This tells us that if we follow His example of daily prayer (see our article on daily prayer for the keys of the Kingdom for more details) and supplication with strong crying or travail (Gal.4: 19, Is.66:8), in the fear of God we are guaranteed to fulfill and complete our contract.
Furthermore, as a Mediator, Jesus will see to it through His High Priestly intercessory ministry, that everything we need is supplied to us to fully fulfill and execute this contract or covenant.
He will plead for us for mercy whenever we are falling behind our contract schedule so that mercy will triumph over God’s judgement, as soon as we genuinely repent and forsake our sins of negligence and laziness:
I John 1:7-10 (KJV): But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
I John 2:1-2 (KJV): My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Proverbs 28:13 (KJV):
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
James 2:13 (NIV): because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Hebrews 6:12 (NIV): We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Let us not be like dishonest natural contractors who divert money or resources given to them for a specific contract to their own personal use. So many Christians are like that today: they use revelation of the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit just for getting physical and material blessings alone, for their own personal benefit, rather than to use it to build a holy temple in their souls and bodies that God’s glory can manifest through as He did in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is God’s message of His covenant to the Church in this hour:
Malachi 3:1 (KJV): Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
