The Truth Will Make You Free

As I meet with fellow ministers and listen to the words that come from their lips my heart sometimes sinks. It is almost as if Jesus only came to earth to forgive sin, and the results of life on the earth for the Christian is nothing more than a life of weakness, disappointment and misery. That Christians are nothing more than weak sinful church goer that God has saved from hell and some day when we pass from this life to the next we will finally have the victory.

Well, if you have been trained to think along these lines than I have some good news for you. The days of oppression are over (actually they were over when Jesus was raised from the dead). Satan has receive a paralyzing blow through the meritorious work of Jesus and has been rendered harmless and ineffective against the believer. How do I know this?  "No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. and then he will plunder his house." (Mark 3:27) Jesus has bound the strong man (Satan). Look at what the Word of God also says about these things...

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 

Does any of this indicate that the devil has any authority or dominion over the believer? Absolutely not! Well if the devil has had his authority and dominion over the believer taken away then this means that everything that is of or from him also has been extinguished such as, fear, doubt, sickness, poverty, all manner of evil, etc. Jesus is now Lord and the believer is identified with Him...

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ…

Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified (declared righteous) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. 

Do you see that? When one confesses with their mouth the LORD Jesus Christ, believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, they instantaneously are transformed into the very things the above scriptures tell us. Believers are no longer beggars and sinners, but as Paul tells us by the Holy Spirit, "...put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) Isn't this great news. Understand that when Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) that you are completely free of all the works of the devil? Makes you want to jump up and shout, "Thank You Jesus." So, let us exercise our faith and speak the Word of God knowing that the Word of God, the Words that Jesus spoke, have as much power today as they did when He spoke them... 

 Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 18:19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven
Matthew 17:20 for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you
Matthew 21:21-22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 
Mark 11:23-24 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 

 Finally, I want to leave you with this last thought, no word from God is void of power. Do you believe this?

Don't Miss Out

Did you ever have an event that you wanted to see or be a part of only to miss it. I am not one for high school reunions, but I remember when my 30th year high school reunion was coming up. I thought that it would be interesting to attend so I sent in the registration form stating that I would attend. The weekend before the event, I once again looked over the invitation but to my surprise the reunion was taking place that very moment. I had inadvertently placed in my mind, is was in one more week. Well, I was wrong and I missed the reunion. Needless to say I make it a point not to repeat the same mistake again.

This brings me to my point. How many times have we placed within our mind something that we thought was truth but in fact it was contrary to it (the thing is, we did not know it at the time). Maybe some pastor or other church leader had presented what they believed was true but it could not be substantiated by the Bible. Maybe it was something that the mainline church has accepted as truth for years or even centuries but we cannot find chapter and verse to prove that it is so. Honestly, this happens all to often and continues to plague Christians with much misunderstanding of the the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit.

Hosea says it this way, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." (Hosea 4:6) Another version of the Bible says it this way, "My people are destroyed because they don't know me..." This is certainly a sad commentary that God says that His people do not know Him and therefore suffer because of it. This is a prophecy concerning Israel but it is an unfortunate reality today. Look at what the apostle Paul states concerning the church and Israel, (for the sake of space I will narrow the scripture to the point) "Now these things became our examples...Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." (1 Corinthians 10:6-11) In other words, the things that Israel did or failed to do were written for the church so that we do not repeat their failures. But it is apparent that Hosea's prophecy (Hosea 4:6) is as real today as it was when it was spoken.

Today, many Christian leaders in colleges, universities and local churches are inoculating people with philosophies and psychology that have nothing to do with the knowledge of God. Many doctrines that the church still embraces are from the Mosaic economy, the Dark Ages or the old wine skin of the Protestant Reformation. Every now and then they are tweeted to make them seem like truth, but if we have to adjust doctrine then the chances are it is false doctrine. One example of many, concerns God's will, especially when it comes to healing. A great segment of the church does not believe that God heals today like He did in the early church. Many others believe that healing is entirely up to God, meaning that if He wants to heal, He will, if not, He won't.

The problem with this type of teaching, is that it is not found in the Bible. It is the product of church leaders lacking in understanding God's true nature, character, will, purposes and plan. It is a lack of knowledge that only comes by way of the Spirit by exercising faith. When I talk about faith, I mean the Bible or God kind of faith that comes from the heart, not the mystical kind of faith that comes from the head nor the natural kind of faith that comes from the senses. The only way to operate and understand true Bible faith is to do as Jesus did, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4) We must live on God's every Word.

This means letting go of mans wisdom, your own personal reasoning and using your senses to understand the things of the Spirit. The apostle Paul says it this way, "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) Paul is not only referring to those who are spiritually dead, but he is also addressing Christians who are carnal. You cannot expect to know the things of God through the natural mind. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) We can only discern or understand spiritual things through the Spirit which requires true Bible faith.

So, if we do not want to miss the wonderful things that God has for His children, then we must come to grips with what faith really is and shed all of the doubts that have been entertained in the mind. We must embrace God's Word with all of our heart. We must "...believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) and remember, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19) 

Remembering

Today, throughout the United States it is a national holiday entitled, Memorial Day. It is a day in which Americans remember the service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives so that others may have freedom. They did not give their lives for the United States alone, but also for others throughout the world in efforts to bring an end to demonized dictators who, like Satan their father, have only one desire, power over humanity. Their objective is to steal, kill, destroy and or hold in bondage to slavery their fellow man in efforts to promote their tyrannical reign.

Although people may have many thing to remember, for Christians the greatest Memorial Day for them should be, the day that we "confessed with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and were saved." (Romans 10:9) We celebrate the fact the Jesus Christ also paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life to save (redeem, heal, deliver, make whole) all humanity from Satan, the most evil, murderous tyrant known to man. We should remember as Paul said, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:1-2)

Notice that before one confesses Christ they "were dead in trespasses and sin" not spiritually sick, but spiritually dead. Cut off from and unable to communicate with God. This was due to the fact that before one is born again, they walk according to the world, according to the ways of the devil. Paul tells us that the devil, "The god of this age had blinded your mind from the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ..." (2 Corinthians 4:4) However, one day in the history of man, God took it upon Himself the fix the problem, "He  anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38) Then a glorious thing happened. Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him..." (John 6:44) Our heavenly Father drew us to Jesus, gave us the grace and faith to confess Christ. Then God immediately "delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)

When we consider what Jesus did for us and all mankind, the mind can hardly comprehend it. The apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19)   This means that not one person in all of humanity had the ability to provide redemption. God Himself became a man and provided man’s redemption. (John 1:14) It was God who redeemed man from the dominion of Satan. (1 John 3:8) It was God who destroyed death. (Hebrews 2:14) It was God who restored man’s authority over the Satan (Luke 10:19) It was God who adopted us through Jesus Christ and made us His children (Romans 8:15-16) It is God who gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2 Peter 2:3) It is God who gives us exceedingly great and precious promises. (2 Peter 1:4) It is God who gives us the victory at all times (1 Corinthians 15:57) and it is God who gave us eternal life (1 John 2:25) all through Jesus Christ.

I could go on and on concerning what scripture says as to what God Himself did for humanity through Jesus Christ and what He gives to those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. When we look to the promises that God has made throughout the Bible, there are several estimations. They range from 3000 to 7000 promises. Many of these promises were spoken by the Prophets and have been fulfilled through Jesus Christ. However, in the New Testament there is an estimated 750 promises that God has bestowed upon the believer. PTL Although today is Memorial Day, for the believer remembering what God did for us and what he has given to us, should be a Memorial Day celebration everyday. 

Well What Do You Know

Throughout the ages, man has accumulated great amounts of knowledge. We have experienced advancements in the sciences that have led to many technological achievements. The majority of these advancements have come by way of mans ability to reason. In reality it comes down to the knowledge that his five senses can understand which I call sense knowledge. However, anything outside of the five senses that cannot be explained becomes a guess. For instance, Charles Darwin could not fully understand the reason for creation. He did not truly know the reason or origin of man, nor the origin of life, motion, matter or light. Therefore, at the end of what his senses could make tangible, he developed a system of nothing more than ideas, theories, that were unproven and today many accept as fact. The theory of evolution is a product of Darwin's lack of knowledge of the aforementioned things due to his rejection of a revelation of the Creator. His limitation was then transformed into nothing more than the great guess that has deceived man for over a century and a half.

Although man has advanced in many fields, he is still limited to what his senses can achieve. Many today refuse to step beyond the sense realm which keeps man in darkness and come into the light of revelation knowledge. It is the lack of the revelation of God that keeps man in this impassable chasm causing him to make one guess after another. This is not God's doing, For it is God, "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) If Charles Darwin would have sought the Lord, he would have found Him and would have received the revelation knowledge that would have supplemented his limited sense knowledge. This would have brought him to a real conclusion of creation.

Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) This is the only way that man can escape from his own thinking and see the things of God. Unfortunately, many church leaders today look to senses knowledge and have missed the freedom that comes with revelation knowledge. They say the Bible is the Word of God but totally deny it through their words and lack of action. The Bible stands alone among all of the books of the world as the book of a revelation from God to man. It presents a revelation of the origin and reason for man and creation as well as the origin of sin and mans redemption. It provides a revelation of the new creation in man through Jesus Christ and most important, it provides a revelation of God Himself, His nature, character, will, purposes and plan.

Many reject the reality of God because they say that they cannot see Him, hear Him or touch Him so He is not real. Well, think about this. Silent movies mean nothing to a person who is blind, but it does not mean that they are not real. Radio means nothing to a person who is deaf but it does not mean that it is not real. In the same manner, God may mean nothing to the person of sense knowledge but in the same way it does not mean that He is not real. Many Christians today also operate in the same realm of sense knowledge. They do indeed say that all things have been created by God, but when it comes to His nature, character, will, purposes and plan, they tend to balk. They quickly return to reasoning and in doing so have limited God in their lives. God is not out of reach, He is not out of touch nor has He or His Word changed (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8) So, it stands to reason that if Christians are struggling in this life (apart from persecution for Christ's sake) then chances are they too are operating through their senses and not through revelation knowledge.

To grasp revelation knowledge is to let go of the senses and hold on to another intangible, faith. The writer of Hebrews says it this way, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) In other words having the assured confidence that the things you want to happen, which are inline with God's Word, will indeed happen even though there is no tangible evidence. This is the realm that makes the impossible, possible (Matthew 17:20) This is the only realm where God responds (Hebrews 11:6) and it is the realm that every Christian can walk in (Mark 9:23). So if you want to come into the realm of revelation knowledge, you must yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, believe God's Word has not changed nor will it change and then act upon His Word. Grace and peace be multiplied to you...        

No Worries

There are numerous human frailties that the Bible deals with. Most of them rob Christians of the abundant life the Jesus promised. (John 10:10) One of these is worry. Jesus says it this way...
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)  The first thing we see is Jesus dealing with human necessities which cause most people to worry. He finishes His statement with a question that we must truly consider, "Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"

To answer that question, one must decide who it is that is master of their life. Jesus tells us, "No one can serve two masters..." (Matthew 6:24) Although Jesus is talking about serving God or wealth it still applies to each person when it comes to worrying. Worry allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles as well as excessive concern or uncertainty over actual or potential problems. Although the following statement will probably not go over well with some, the bottom line is, for a Christian, worry is sin. Why? It is an actual rejection of God's Word as the truth and the acceptance of what the world or the devil say is true. When we think about it, the world is filled with the ways of the devil and Jesus tells us that, "...there is no truth in him (the devil). When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44) Trusting in what the world has to say rather than what God's Word says, not only promotes worry but again it is sin. We may want to deny that worry is sin but Paul tells us, "...for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)

Jesus uncovers the reason why worry takes hold of the Christians life, "...O you of little faith." (Matthew 6:30) Well you may say "I have faith" and you would be absolutely correct. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans, "...God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3) But what have you done with the faith that God has given to you? If you still deal with worry it is obvious that you have not permitted God's Word to take hold of your recreated spirit, to grow your faith, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) nor have you acted upon God's Word, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves...I will show you my faith by my works." (James 1:22, 2:18)

You may be thinking, "well how can I rid myself of worry?" It is a training process that every Christian (if you worry) must work through. We begin with the obvious, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2); "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind." (Ephesians 4:23) Renewing our minds with God's Word will cause us to speak about our circumstances completely different. The writer of Hebrews says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23).

Basically, a mind renewed in God's Word, changes what we think, what we think changes what we believe, what we believe is what we speak and what we speak is how we will act. By giving the Word of God the dominion over our life, we will learn to confess and stand on His Word not the circumstances of life. This will eliminate worry because we learn to let go of our ability and trust in God's ability. We learn to place our faith in and on God's Word. In doing so we will do as Peter tells us, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) There is no sense in us worrying if God says that He is going to handle the problem.

Finally, Jesus also tells us that we are of more value to our heavenly Father than all the rest of creation and that the Father knows everything that we need. (Matthew 6:26-32) Take some time and meditate on this fact. You are of more value to the Father than ALL of creation. Mix this with faith and you will see worry flee as well as seeing the works of God manifest in your life. (John 5:20) .

Life That Is out Of This World

When you here the phrase "Living the Dream" it is mostly used to describe ones success or personal achievement(s) that has made their life what they had hoped (dreamed) it would be. The Bible reveals two kinds of life and although there are several Greeks words for life, we will look at the two that are used the most to describe the life of mankind . The first word is "psuche" which means "natural human life" and the other word is "zoe" which means "life as God has it; everlasting life or eternal life." Most Christians tend to only see life from the natural perspective. This is very unfortunate, because those who only see life from the natural are robbed of the truth that sets us free.

Jesus made some incredible remarks pertaining to life (zoe). Here are just a few; John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 10:10 "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The apostle John tells us, John 20:31 "...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

Observing these few scriptures we see that the believer is not to muddle through life here on earth struggling in the natural kind of life. Believers are to enjoy the abundant "life as God has it." What does this mean? It means living the dream. One day, before we let Christ enter our life, we were all living in the natural realm of life. We were spiritually dead and did not understand that we were partakers of the fallen nature that was ruled by our flesh. We did not understand that man's fallen nature is the very nature of Satan. (John 8:44) We did not realize that all sin, misery, sickness or as the apostle Paul reveals, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) were working death in us. But the time came when God began to draw us to His Son (John 6:44) and we confessed the Lordship of Jesus and received Him as Savior.

Even though many people have received Christ as Lord and Savior, a serious problem still exists in their life. Today, most Christians still equate sickness, disease, financial struggles, premature death and so on as a part of the Christian life. Many Christians blame God when these things come upon themselves, a loved one or someone they know? Many Christians see these things as part of God's sovereign plan for their life? Honestly, does this sound like "life as God has it?" Does this sound anything like what Jesus or John said in the above scriptures? Think about what they both said, "that they may have life (zoe), and that they may have it more abundantly."..."that believing you may have life (zoe) in His name."

When one confesses the Lordship of Jesus Christ and accepts Him as Savior, God immediately gives life as He has it, eternal life. Think about it from another perspective, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) Your spirit is made a new creation. This is an actual transformation of your old fallen, fleshly, satanic nature into the nature of God or "life as God has it." Now you can certainly allow the old nature to have place, but in God's eyes, it has been wipe completely out "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (PTL)

As New Creation we are no longer sinners, beggars or even servants, but sons and daughter of the Living God. (John 1:12, Romans 8:16, 1 John 3:1) Look at what Jesus says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:11) Now let's think about this logically. If you were a parent who had only one child, would you want your child to have a life of sickness and misery? If you were a parent and had two or more children, would you want one of them to enjoy a good life and the others to struggle with sickness or misery? What about if one of your children did something that you did not approve of, would you want sickness or misery to come upon them as a means to correct them or change their character? Absolutely not to all of these questions!!!

Our hearts should break when we hear church leaders talk about our heavenly Father as a loving God (He most certainly is) who allows sickness and misery to be upon His children. That He allows sickness and misery to come upon His children as some mysterious blessings. That He uses sickness and misery as a way to discipline His children. That sickness and misery is one of His ways to either draw His children closer to Him or some sort of training tool to grow their faith. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) So, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are free to live the rest of your life right here on planet earth experiencing "life as God has it", free of sickness, disease, financial struggles, premature death, misery and so on beginning now. "Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23) This means YOU!!! (Hallelujah)           

Making Covenant

Today I believe that most Christians have little understanding as to whether they are in covenant with other believers or have a contract with them. For all who are born again, those who confession Jesus as LORD and receive Him as Savior, automatically enter into the New Covenant that was established through the blood of Jesus Christ. But by virtue of ones covenant with Christ, believers also become covenant partners with every other believer. Many may be quick to say amen to being in covenant with the LORD and all believers, but is it true ? 

Covenant is defined as the mutual consent or agreement of two or more persons; to do or forbear some act or thing; to enter into a formal agreement; to stipulate; to bind ones self to another. Some of the differences between a covenant and a contract are; A covenant contain unlimited liabilities, a contract has limited liabilities; A covenant does not contain terms, a contract has terms; A covenant requires commitment between the partners to fulfill what has been stipulated in the body of the covenant and to see to the success of the covenant; The termination of the covenant occurs only at the death of one or both partners. A contract only requires the parties to fulfill the terms which have been stated in the body of the contract and at the fulfillment of such terms the contract is terminated.

An example of the two may look like this. A person purchases an automobile which requires them to have a loan to pay for it. The contract (the loan) stipulates that a certain amount of principle and interest must be paid on a monthly bases for a certain amount of months. When the amount required by the contract is fulfilled then both parties are released from what was required by the terms of the contract. However, covenant can be seen through the agreement that is established between a man and a woman binding themselves together in marriage. The stipulation set forth in the covenant may be something like this; I take him/her in marriage to love, honor, respect, care for until one or both depart from this life. Both partners have come into agreement and have committed themselves to uphold what has been stated in the body of the covenant which is terminated or fulfilled only  at the death of one or both of the partners.

The following are some components of a covenant; Agreement: Union of opinions or sentiments resulting in harmony and conformity...Commitment: The act of engaging; to pledge; or to pledge by implication...Stipulation: An agreement or covenant made by one person with another for the performance or forbearance of some act...Conditions: To make terms; to stipulate...Duration: Continuance in time...Exchange: To give and receive reciprocally...Bind: To tie together; To confirm or ratify.

Notice, these are not terms with limited liability, but unlimited liabilities binding the partners together to see the success of the covenant. Why have I spent so much time laying a foundation between covenant and contract. Because it shows us that unfortunately most believers today have a contractual relationship with other believers rather than a covenant relationship. How so? Have you ever broken off a relationship with another believer or have left the congregation that you said you were called to? Have you done this because you had a misunderstanding? Did someone say something that you did not like? Did someone say something to you about someone else and you bought into it?

No matter what the reason was, if you did not fix the problem, but turned your back on it and walked away, then you had a contract with specific terms. The terms were yours and the contract was terminated when something or someone rub you the wrong way. When a husband or wife end a marriage for any reason, they separate and then eventually divorce and break covenant. It is no different in God's eyes when a believer has broken off a relationship with another believer or they have left the congregation that they said they were called to? It is rooted in selfishness!!!

God is a covenant maker and a covenant keeper. Today, like always He still hates divorce. Aren't believers suppose to hate what God hates and love what God loves? It is apparent that most believers still miss the commandment that Jesus gave, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) The word love refers to the God kind of love not the natural kind of love that all people have. The God kind of love for believers to live and operate by, is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 which basically has no conditions (terms) and is spiritual, whereas the natural kind of love has conditions because it operates through the flesh, it is carnal. The God kind of love takes faith to live out, whereas the natural kind of love does not. So in a sense, covenant is rooted and grounded in the God kind of love and contract is rooted and grounded in the natural kind of love.

So if you have broken off any relationship with another believer or have left the congregation that you said you were called to and have not reconciled and restored the relationship, then it's time to do so. Why should you do this? Not only is it right in the eyes of the LORD but the apostle Paul when confronting the Jews who did not obey the law said this, "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (World) because of you, as it is written." (Romans 2:24) Look back at why Jesus tells believers to love one another, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Could our lack of upholding covenant with one another in the God kind of love be one of the main reasons why the world rejects the LORD and calls Christians hypocrites? I think that it might be. So, let's reverse our attitudes, renew our minds and let the God kind of love dominates us now. 

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) The God kind of love is already in every believer. Let's choose to operate in it...