Covenantal Salvation

The point of my writing is less about answering any significant questions and more focused on struggling through questions. The more I know, the less there seems to be certain.

The idea of covenants is nothing new, and certainly something that most Christians are comfortable with. The Old Testament is saturated with covenantal relationships. God and the people or Israel, God's covenant with Abraham, God's covenant with Moses are just a few of the covenantal examples found in scripture. Many Christians faced with the question that the bible supports polytheism with a different God in each of the Testaments. They will point out that Scripture claims that Christ is the same yesterday today and tomorrow. Some perhaps will point to the first verse of John. "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God" To point to God's eternal nature. So, if God is in fact the same today, as he was in the both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Why do we then act as if there are no covenants?

Often times in my experience, people are more comfortable with the concept of covenantal relationship, but seem to deem it too legalistic for our day and age. Some would point to the new Covenant being under Christ and being a covenant of Grace. However, this is only valid if you neglect to consider the contents of the New Testament. It, much like the Old Testament is saturated with covenantal language. Some of the flagship verses contain this language.

John 15:1-8 "If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit." Verse 7 goes on to say that "if a man remains in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be given to you."

This verse is important that it brings clarification, i believe to the oft misquoted "when two or more are gathered passage" This is the covenant part, if you remain in me. If.You.Remain.In.Me. IF. So, in order for Christ to remain in us, we must remain in him. Let's switch the word remain, to abide. To remain seems to be still, maybe resting but also possibly stagnant. To abide, is to endure without yielding. So, we must abide in Christ, THEN he will abide in us. This should be be confused in thinking that we can accomplish such an act apart from Christ, but the two acts are synonymous.

Often I hear John 8:36 proclaimed, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Which is true, however, most do not recognize the qualifier of this statement is found a few verses back in verse 31 where it says “IF you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So, to be set free then, according to verse 31 we first must hold to his teachings, a sign of a disciple, then we will know the truth and accordingly experience freedom.

We clamor about free will, yet act as if we have no responsibility to follow Christ. We concern ourselves with rights and grace, but fail to pay the cost. We verbally yearn for a revival, yet internally are comfortable in our complacency. There are to great commandments in scripture, first, what is known in Judaism as the Shema, which is found in Deut. 3:5, a call to love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” The second is to love your neighbor as yourself” found in Mark 12:28-31. Given the highly narcissistic nature of church society this last one is quite challenging.

The fact is that our salvation with God is covenantal. The New Testament is full of the if/then covenantal language. We cannot, we must not believe that we cannot deny Christ in our actions and think to cling to grace when we stand before him. We will find, on that day, it is not grace we have been clinging to but the coat tails of the father of lies.

Matthew 10:32

Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge them before my father in heaven. But who ever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.