But do you need to wait for a particular day to come into covenant with God? No. God is ready any day and any time to come into covenant with anyone who is ready to come into covenant with Him.
Let’s reflect briefly on Covenant.
Jesus says,
“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one. As You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” – John 17:20-23 (NRSV)
Covenant, from the Latin, “covenir” and “convenir”, means “come together”, like in a marriage, where two become one. In making a covenant with God, you become one with Him.
The Hebrew word for covenant is “b’rith”, meaning “cutting” or “separation”, and relates to the separation between good and evil and is also connected to your being set apart for Christ.
The Greek word for covenant is “diatheke”. Like Hebrew, it also means separation but also an inserting of something in the middle – that which is placed in the gap, a “through-placing”. Jesus is the One placed in the middle between God and man. He is the Advocate, the Mediator. Clearly, the English word covenant does not fully reflect the deep meaning that both the Hebrew and Greek convey.
As I said before, I make a covenant promise, on the first Sunday of each year, but it doesn’t debar me from reaffirming my commitment to the Life in Christ any other time. And nothing ought to keep you from that Life, where you abide in Him and He in you. Understand that this covenant, between you and God, is sacred, profound, a solemn oath, a joining to Christ in newness of Life. It is an act of complete renewal.
Jesus says,
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinegrower. He removes every branch in Me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in Me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples.” – John 15:1-8 (NRSV)
When you invite Jesus to abide in you and you allow yourself to abide in Him, He brings you unto Himself and you receive reproductive power that enables you to be instrumental in increasing the Kingdom of God – it is the bearing of fruit to which Jesus refers. When you continuously remain in Jesus and submit yourself to Him, you will not end up like the fruitless fig tree of Matthew chapter 21.
We are called to “bear much fruit” to the glory of God.
Throughout Scripture, God established several covenants with His people: Adam (before and after the Fall), Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Levites, David, Jesus, the Church, Israel in Hebrews 8:8.
God is always faithful to the covenants He makes, He does His part but all too often we renege out of our fear of loss. We focus upon the what and the who we may be asked to part with rather than what, and more importantly Who, we are about to gain. Our gaze is more on self than on any other.
There are five elements of a covenant that appear to be unique,
The Separation and the Transition, the cutting off and passing over or crossing over, spiritually symbolize death, the “death to self” (Luke 9:23-24; John 12:24; Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 2:20, 5:24).
Understand that being a member of the Church, the Body of Christ, you are separated unto God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, through the symbolic death of self by the crucifixion of the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24) and resurrected to a new way of life and of living.
Recognize that it is God who establishes the covenant with you because of the deep love He has for you, His child. He separates you from the things of this world and makes you holy (2 Corinthians 6:17), and He draws you into relationship with Him.
As I said before, I make a covenant promise, on the first Sunday of each year, but it doesn’t debar me from reaffirming my commitment to the Life in Christ any other time. And nothing ought to keep you from that Life, where you abide in Him and He in you. Understand that this covenant, between you and God, is sacred, profound, a solemn oath, a joining to Christ in newness of Life. It is an act of complete renewal.
Jesus says,
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinegrower. He removes every branch in Me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in Me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples.” – John 15:1-8 (NRSV)
When you invite Jesus to abide in you and you allow yourself to abide in Him, He brings you unto Himself and you receive reproductive power that enables you to be instrumental in increasing the Kingdom of God – it is the bearing of fruit to which Jesus refers. When you continuously remain in Jesus and submit yourself to Him, you will not end up like the fruitless fig tree of Matthew chapter 21.
We are called to “bear much fruit” to the glory of God.
Throughout Scripture, God established several covenants with His people: Adam (before and after the Fall), Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Levites, David, Jesus, the Church, Israel in Hebrews 8:8.
God is always faithful to the covenants He makes, He does His part but all too often we renege out of our fear of loss. We focus upon the what and the who we may be asked to part with rather than what, and more importantly Who, we are about to gain. Our gaze is more on self than on any other.
There are five elements of a covenant that appear to be unique,
- Promises – all God’s covenants include promises
- Responsibilities – God does not enter into agreements of equality with man, He “commands” and we obey. Oftentimes responsibility comes with a warning.
- Separation – a cutting off
- Transition – into a new state of being; a passing over or crossing over
- Fulfillment – know that Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of the covenant
The Separation and the Transition, the cutting off and passing over or crossing over, spiritually symbolize death, the “death to self” (Luke 9:23-24; John 12:24; Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 2:20, 5:24).
Understand that being a member of the Church, the Body of Christ, you are separated unto God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, through the symbolic death of self by the crucifixion of the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24) and resurrected to a new way of life and of living.
Recognize that it is God who establishes the covenant with you because of the deep love He has for you, His child. He separates you from the things of this world and makes you holy (2 Corinthians 6:17), and He draws you into relationship with Him.
Renewing your covenant with God is a very personal and intimate act. You give yourself over to Him, pouring yourself out so that He can fill you with true Life – that Life you inherited when Christ shed His blood on the cross at Calvary.
This covenant through Jesus is His testament to you. He died and left you everything: amazing freedom, real authority with all its power and responsibility, access to the Throne Room of God, peace that transcends all understanding, and the list goes on and on, even to the extent of having the mind of Christ.
The shedding of blood was a central element of both the Old and New Covenants in Scripture. The New, being in the shed blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28). We have the privilege of commemorating Jesus’ selfless act of love and sacrifice by partaking in Holy Communion.
Every time you partake of Holy Communion, perceive it as a symbol of your transformation from “glory to glory”, your reconciliation with God your Father. Behold the cross and recall all that Jesus has accomplished for you at Calvary. See it as the very tangible experience that it is for you as a believer and as a son or daughter of your heavenly Father. See it as a very real power in your life and not regard it just as a mere symbol of atonement for your sins. See it as an exhaustive cleansing of every area of your life. See it as a joining together as one with Jesus Christ in genuine relationship. See it for the incredible act that it represents.
(Read Hebrews 9:1-10:18)
Why not make today your day, a New Day, a New Beginning, the day you Renew your Covenant. And, as you renew your covenant with God, through Jesus Christ, understand that it is a covenant not engraved on stone but written on your heart; a heart made soft by the One Who abides in you; a heart open to His direction and even His correction but most of all to His love.
This covenant through Jesus is His testament to you. He died and left you everything: amazing freedom, real authority with all its power and responsibility, access to the Throne Room of God, peace that transcends all understanding, and the list goes on and on, even to the extent of having the mind of Christ.
The shedding of blood was a central element of both the Old and New Covenants in Scripture. The New, being in the shed blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28). We have the privilege of commemorating Jesus’ selfless act of love and sacrifice by partaking in Holy Communion.
Every time you partake of Holy Communion, perceive it as a symbol of your transformation from “glory to glory”, your reconciliation with God your Father. Behold the cross and recall all that Jesus has accomplished for you at Calvary. See it as the very tangible experience that it is for you as a believer and as a son or daughter of your heavenly Father. See it as a very real power in your life and not regard it just as a mere symbol of atonement for your sins. See it as an exhaustive cleansing of every area of your life. See it as a joining together as one with Jesus Christ in genuine relationship. See it for the incredible act that it represents.
(Read Hebrews 9:1-10:18)
Why not make today your day, a New Day, a New Beginning, the day you Renew your Covenant. And, as you renew your covenant with God, through Jesus Christ, understand that it is a covenant not engraved on stone but written on your heart; a heart made soft by the One Who abides in you; a heart open to His direction and even His correction but most of all to His love.
Amen†
(adapted on Saturday September 12, 2015 from A Renewed Covenant © 2013 Shelley Johnson 03-Jan-2013)
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