subject: How To Become Covenant Minded [print this page] Being a part of God's family involves so much more than just getting "fire insurance" or protection from going to Hell. The benefits of being a Christian are vast, and, as Believers, it is important we understand the rights we have in the Kingdom of God. We not only have access to a glorious future in Heaven, but we also have a right to the good life right here on the Earth. Living for God involves developing a covenant-mindset that has absolute confidence in God's unfailing love and promises.
A covenant is much different than a contract. Contracts can be easily broken, but covenants are binding agreements, which, historically, could only be severed through death. A covenant is much more than a casual agreement; it involves two parties making an exchange of strengths for weaknesses, pledging their commitment to each other unto death.
Marriage is an example of a covenant. Two people come into agreement to be life-long partners, to love each other despite how the other feels, and to exchange each others' weaknesses for strengths. Although the sanctity of marriage has been downplayed in today's society, it is an institution God takes very seriously. He never meant for it to be broken under any circumstances.
When we are born again, our relationship with God becomes similar to a marriage covenant. By giving our lives to Jesus Christ, we enter into a covenant with God. He takes our sins in exchange for His righteousness. He takes every aspect of the curse-sin, disease, oppression, lack, and poverty-and gives us His liberty, peace, wealth, health, and wisdom. Essentially, we exchange our weaknesses for His strengths. It is an agreement God will never break.
There are plenty of examples in the Bible of covenants that were cut between individuals, most notably the covenant God made with Abraham in the book of Genesis. God chose Abraham to be the man through whom the lineage of Jesus would come, and He made some pretty awesome promises to Him:
"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3).
This promise was so outstanding because Abraham was old and beyond the years of being able to impregnate his wife. However, in Genesis 15:4, God promised Abraham that he would have a son! Even though it seemed impossible, Abraham believed God. Then the Lord appeared to him in a vision and actually cut a blood covenant with Him (vv. 7-15). This covenant is what sealed the promise and solidified Abraham's faith.
Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are connected to the promise God made to Abraham: a promise of spiritual and earthly blessings: "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham...That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:9-14). Our job is to meditate on the truth of the blessing until it becomes more real to us than anything we may face in life. Challenging circumstances and afflictions are inevitable, but God's covenant of blessing will never be broken. It's an agreement you can count on!
