Understanding God’s Greatest Covenant With Man


John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.  In this covenant man gave nothing.  Absolutely nothing!  All of you that I am sending this newsletter out to know the sacrifice that Jesus made to cleans us from all sin by the shedding of His blood. It should have been us.  We were purchased with a price and we belong to God our creator.  But what I want to share with you few really understand about the covenant that was made at the cross.  Bear with me for a moment while I set the stage for understanding God’s greatest covenant with man.

Who is Jesus?  What?  Why would I ask such a question?  Well, if I am going to believe in Him I need to know who it is that I am believing in.  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.  So, let’s put it another way…whosoever believes in the Way.  Wouldn’t that be important?  If I believed in Jesus wouldn’t I believe Him when He says He is the Way?  That is totally different than believing a story or the existence of someone written about in a book.  Now what about the Truth?  John teaches that Jesus is the Word and the Word was with God (in the beginning) and the Word was full of grace and truth.  Therefore God’s Word is Truth.  So…whosoever believes in the Truth.  Well, this is not saying that He was an honest person!  There is a big difference in someone that says something that is true and someone that is Truth…think about it.  Ok, what about life?  So…whosoever believes in the Life.  Surely this one is obvious.  If you believe anything you have to see this…God created everything and everyone.  He spoke everything into existence.  Oh…but there is a big difference between someone being physically alive and what Jesus is saying here.  Life and Death in God’s eyes are the same as being in light or being in darkness or eternity with God or eternity without God.  Wow!  So, let’s get back to the covenant.

This covenant says that all we have to do is believe in Jesus and we will be covered by its promise.  It is so much easier to say I believe in Jesus than to actually look into who Jesus is and then say it.  Oh…so all I have to do is believe and continue to live the way I do?  God forbid!  There is still a very BIG piece that I have not mentioned yet.  There is a matter of CHOICE.  From the beginning God has given man the choice.  God will not make us go to Heaven.  And, contrary to popular belief, He will not change us if we do not choose to change.  God is bound by our will.  So if we truly believe that Jesus is the way we will search out that way and follow it, right?  If we truly believe that Jesus is the truth we will believe all that He says, right?  If we truly believe that Jesus is the life we will seek to get all that He has for us, right?

Many say they believe but what do they believe?  The Way?  No.  They want it their way…often mixed with God’s way but ultimately it is what they want and how they want it that becomes their way…living in sin, believing that their way is better and believing it is ok with God.  They don’t believe He is the only way so they live their way…they believe their way is better.  What about the Truth…do they believe the Truth?  No.  They have tried what the Bible says but it didn't work the way they thought it should so they began to believe a different truth…one that doesn’t require faith or commitment.  And then, the Life?  No.  So, what is life?  Isn’t it supposed to be full of joy, happiness, peace, and fun?  The life we are expected to live is loving others as ourselves, preferring them.  “What about me???  Why do I have to be the one that always thinks about others, no one thinks about me…I have to take care of myself.”  They don’t want the life that Jesus has.  They don’t believe the Truth so they go a different Way because others look like their life is so much better with parties and money and glamor…they don’t believe that Jesus is the Life so they don’t want it. 

The Word says there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to destruction.  Also, Jesus said “narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it”.  Understanding God’s greatest covenant is vital to all that we believe.  Believing is more than a passing thought, it truly is a way of life.

The covenant still stands true and is the greatest of all covenants.  The CHOICE is ours.  We can chose His Way, His Truth, and His Life and serve Him.  Or, we can believe our way, truth, and life is better than His and chose to serve ourselves.

 

Ken