Life as we have known it has been turned upside down. Unemployment is at a level not seen since the Great Depression. Most of the world is quarantined in their homes. Power-hungry politicians are using this chaotic time to gain greater control. Many are uncertain where this pandemic is leading. The nations are anxious, fearful, and panicked.
As a student of covenant and one who has lived by covenant for many years, I want to help believers learn to live by covenant during this turbulent time. This is one of my greatest burdens right now.
With the economy, healthcare system, and rule of law being shaken, learning to hold fast to the covenant has never been more vital. Now, more than ever, we must trust Him for health, healing, provision, protection, and peace. Thankfully, the New Covenant contains many wonderful promises related to God meeting our needs.
However, the Lord is not a heavenly Santa Clause who sits in heaven waiting to bless us. Unfortunately, much of the church believes they can live for themselves and still receive the benefits of the covenant. Just look at the carnality in the Prosperity Gospel Movement and you will understand what I mean.
In a future post, I will detail how to trust the Lord’s promises for healing, provision, and protection. But first, it’s imperative to know the costly requirements of living in a covenant relationship with the Lord. Before we can partake of New Covenant promises, we have to realize the covenant requirements. Jesus said His disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him.
Receiving the New Covenant promises requires full commitment to the Lord and His leadership. Before we can receive His blessings, we must surrender to Him, obey Him, and follow His lead.
Let me explain in greater detail.
Following Jesus On a Common Journey
As stated in my last post, when two representatives entered into a covenant, the group they represented also entered into the covenant in them. This means everything the representative did and agreed to became the entire group’s identity and obligation. It also meant the covenant representative was the leader of the group.
Jesus is our New Covenant representative. This means everything Christ did and agreed to in cutting the New Covenant is true about us because we are in Him. It also means Jesus is our leader. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. And He is leading us onward to God’s planned destination for us. As we obey Him and follow Him, we can hold fast to His exceedingly great promises along the way.
As I stated in an earlier post, a covenant joins two together as one for a common purpose—and a common journey. Following Christ is a journey requiring a surrendered life and faith in His faithfulness.
When we entered into the New Covenant and were born again, we began following Christ on a common journey to the new Jerusalem. We see a great picture of this in the Abrahamic Covenant.
Abraham Was on a Journey to the New Jerusalem
When Abraham entered into covenant with the Lord, he was on a journey. This was far greater than an expedition to a piece of land in the Middle East. Abraham was on a journey to the heavenly city. As Hebrews 11:10 states, Abraham “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). This city is the new Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22). The Lord, as Abraham’s covenant partner, was leading him on a journey to the eternal city—the bridal city described in Revelation 21-22.
Jesus Is Leading Us to the New Jerusalem
As our New Covenant representative, Jesus Christ is leading us on the same journey as Abraham. He is escorting us to the eternal city, the new Jerusalem. Unlike Abraham, however, our journey in the New Covenant is not traveling from one nation to another. Our journey is primarily internal—not external.
The new Jerusalem is our final destination, but our journey is inward. Intimacy with Christ and conformity into His image is the path we travel to the eternal city. The New Covenant is primarily an internal covenant and our journey is primarily inward.
As our New Covenant representative, Jesus is leading us on an internal journey. This inward expedition begins when we are born again and our spirits are joined to the Spirit of Christ (1 Cor. 6:17). As we yield more of our souls to the indwelling Spirit, He works to transform our minds, will, and emotions into His likeness. Ultimately, His indwelling life moves outward and the Spirit gives “life to [our] mortal bodies” (Rom. 8:11, emphasis mine).
As our minds are renewed, our wills conformed, our emotions transformed, our desires purified, and our actions aligned with Christ, we will eventually reach our final destination—the new Jerusalem. This inward journey prepares us to be the bride made ready for our Bridegroom. We become part of the firstborn church, whose dwelling place is the holy of holies of the new Jerusalem (Heb. 12:23).
God’s Provision in the Journey
Before we can partake of the benefits of covenant, we must transition from seeking the Lord for His blessings to seeking the Lord for Himself. Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).
Seeking first His kingdom is seeking the eternal city whose builder and architect is the Lord. Seeking first His righteousness is the inward journey of transformation, which prepares us for the bridal city. Like Jesus said, when we make these two things our top priority, God’s blessings are added to us.
Here’s what this means. Along the way of our inward journey to the eternal city, we might experience sickness, lack, hindrances, spiritual warfare, and various enemies. This is when we need to hold fast to the covenant, put our trust in God’s promises, and rely on Him for breakthrough.
If we get sick, we can call on our covenant partner for healing. If we lack provision, we can ask our covenant partner to bless our finances. If we need safety and protection, especially during a pandemic, we can ask our covenant partner to be our shield and refuge.
As we follow the Lord on this lifelong, inward journey of transformation, we can hold fast to the covenant along the way. We can put our faith in His faithfulness and rely on His promises for healing, provision, protection, and breakthrough. Stay tuned for future posts about this.
The Lord wants to bless us, but He is waiting for us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. Jesus, our covenant representative, is leading us onward to the new Jerusalem. I say yes to joining Him. Will you?
