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A COVENANT LIFESTYLE

By totalfamilylife.com
Religion & Spirituality Devotion-total-family-lifedotcom
JUN 29, 2014 LISTEN
Devotion-total-family-lifedotcom

Pastor Kenny Folarin           |                   1 Corinthians 13:13

When God cut a covenant with Noah, He put a token (a rainbow) in the sky to remind Noah about the covenant He had with him. Throughout history, whenever God cut a covenant with people, He always gave a token as a reminder that He was in a relationship with them. The covenant between God and Noah was a permanent and trans-generational one. He told Noah to keep the terms of the covenant just as God also intended to keep His own part of the covenant. Today, the rings which are exchanged during the wedding ceremony are tokens signifying the existence of a blood covenant between the couple.

As Christians, we need to know and keep the terms of the covenant relationship we have with God. Christianity is not a religion or a code of ethics; it is a covenant relationship. God considers it an insult when a person, who claims to be in a relationship with Him and who apportions the covenant blessings to himself, deliberately breaks His laws. Whenever we trivialise God and refuse to give Him due reverence and importance, we 'trample the Son of God underfoot' (Hebrews 10:26-36). We must always go the extra mile to carry out God's instructions and to obey the terms of our covenant relationship. You cannot experience God's grace while wilfully disobeying God and continuing in sin.

God expects us to keep the terms of the covenant when relating with people. Firstly, He expects us to keep the covenant with our spouse. Do not lose sight of the fact that God brought your spouse into your life to be a blessing. Love your spouse regardless of their faults and you will experience the blessings attached to obeying God. Practise agape love, which goes beyond feelings, in your marriage. (Ephesians 5: 21-26). The second covenant relationship God expects us to keep is the one with our parents. Do not take the relationship you have with your parents for granted (Ephesians 6: 2-3). Honouring your parents is a covenant obligation. The Bible makes it clear that if you want to live long and if you want it to be well with you, you have to honour your parents. A certain way of honouring your parents is by taking care of them even if they have not been good parents or if they have fallen below your expectations of them. A wrong attitude towards one's parents guarantees impoverishment. We have a culture in Daystar that we 'should send something home'. This means that regardless of your parent's status in life, regularly send something (financial and material) to your parents. Thirdly, keep your covenant with your neighbours (Matthew 22:39-40; 6:14). God instructs us to love our neighbours and learn to forgive them even when we feel they do not deserve it. Do not be a troublesome neighbour at home or in the workplace. The fact that your neighbour is imperfect should not be an excuse for you to walk in unforgiveness and anger towards them. Always behave above board towards everyone you relate with. Today, as you choose to be a covenant keeper, no curse shall alight upon you and you shall experience God's blessings in every area of your life (Proverbs 29:1; 26:2).

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