The Everlasting Covenant

An Introduction
 
1. Jesus is the Lamb of God. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. The Son so loved us that He came, became one with us, and died to pay the penalty of the broken law of God. This is the central focus of the Covenant of God.

2. The Law of God is also called the covenant. It is the law of love as it shows us how to love God and to love each other. It also shows us that true liberty is in keeping His law. It is the basis for the government of God, and a description of what He is like -- a God who is love.

3. God will support and redeem His Creation. His covenant is our assurance that He is faithful and will fulfill His purpose to save mankind. He created this world with exquisite detail, beauty and balance. It was good, even Very Good. God was pleased with His creation. He loves this world and will not give it up.

4. Only by love and persuasion will God, on His part, deal with the tragedy of sin. Through the gift of free will, humans may choose to accept the gift of grace. In this way men and angels will see that God is merciful and just, and all will continue on a path where sin will not arise again.

5. He wrote the law on the heart of each person. After sin, God “put” enmity into mankind against evil of all kinds. God gave to men a conscience (Genesis 3:15), another probation, and another chance to learn of God and another chance to choose to serve Him.

6. “I will be to them a God” is the promise of full restoration of all that was lost in Eden. In the New Earth, God will say, “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell among them” (Revelation 21:3).

7. And “they shall be to Me a people.” To belong again to the family of God is to be forgiven, cleansed and restored to the image of God. This promise is fulfilled through the Cross of Christ. Knowing what this cost, sin shall never arise again.

These short paragraphs identify the central features of the covenant of God. These features are in every presentation of the Covenant of God, not always stated but always implied. Covenant presentations may differ because of promises and features to meet the needs of men.

Some features, such as the sacrifices are of a temporary nature, being fulfilled at the Cross. These differences show that God is adaptable in His dealings with men. He is not arbitrary, but rather is reasonable.

There are also human covenants, made by men as a ceremony of dedication and a return to serving the Living God. These usually are made upon a return to true worship after a backsliding into idolatry.

Please read the above statements carefully, and remember them as you examine the presentations of the Covenant from time to time in the history of man. Details and references in the following articles on this website are necessary so that you can follow the path of truth with confidence, and build a framework for understanding other Bible doctrines.

Comments and questions on this topic are invited.

Hubert F. Sturges, author
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