God's Covenant: Foundational

 

"Then God said, Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.  They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and all the small animals that scurry along the ground.  So God created human beings in his own image.  In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.  Then God blessed them and said be fruitful and multiply.  Fill the earth and govern it.  Reign over the fish in the sea, birds in the sky, and all the animals.  Then God said look!  I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.  And I have given every green plant as food for all the animals that have life."  Genesis 1:26-30 NLT

    This is the first covenant that God made.  He made it with the Trinity and gave it to mankind.  It is the Edenic Covenant, also called Adamic Covenant, which means it is a general covenant about life, purpose, and boundaries.  God has all the power.  He used that power to create the world, life, and humans which are special.  The purpose of humanity is to worship and have a relationship with God while ruling over the world.  It is your job to take care of what God has given you from your body, mind, soul to your property, and all animals.  You are responsible for the life God places in your life whether it is is plants, animals, or people.

    Nothing can break this covenant because God made it with himself.  Before the first person was created God established your identity, role in life, and provided all you need.  He gave you a mind to pursue, learn, understand, and act of what He has given.  You have all you need to live a healthy, thriving life.  It is your responsibility to learn how and utilize what you learn with what you have.

    This covenant is about life in general.  You are special because you physically represent God in this world.  God chooses the sex of a person.  He declared there is only male and female.  He decided on the roles that each sex had.  Your sex is an honor and a gift from God.  Learn the benefits and role to become a responsible steward in this world that earns respect because you do things God's way.  Each sex has equal dignity, but different roles and responsibility in life.  Do it God's way and life is much easier and has much less confusion.

    The culture that God created was the family unit,  One man and one woman unite their lives together to produce offspring and populate the world.  The world has been corrupted by sin.  It doesn't look that way very often anymore, but that is the world God created for you.  If you are single, may a lifer, you are not sinning.  You still have purpose, but it is a bi-product of this world.  Embrace and celebrate the life God has given you because you are blessed to be alive.  

Genesis 1:26-30 & 2:15-17

God's Promise: Jesus

"And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.  He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."  NLT

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." NIV

"I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.  He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."  CSB

Genesis 3:15

    The first promise of that Jesus would come and save humanity is found in Genesis.  The Bible starts and ends with Him.  Throughout the old testament God tells you what to look for and to expect when Jesus arrived.  It is not His fault that people did not understand every aspect and still do not.  He promised the world Jesus and He delivered.  

    As soon as sin entered the world, God provided a way back to Him.  He makes the sinner face their sin and deal with a level of the consequences, but Jesus came to deal with the root of the issue.  He paid the price for all sin.  He will defeat Satan, demons, and all evil.  When you enter Heaven, you will never have to deal with temptation or the affects of evil ever again.  Jesus guaranteed that because God promised it.

    In this world we can't really imagine perfection or ease.  We have been influenced by Satan and his impurity since birth.  When we get to heaven things will be so different.  All anxiety, fear, and any negative emotion will disappear.  They will not be needed any more.  You will have peace unlike anything you have ever encountered before.

    Jesus is your only true hope in life.  He is what makes everything right.  He removes your sin and allows you to approach God.  He is the only way.  The whole Bible is a love letter from God given through the Holy Spirit to show you who He is.  Jesus is the key that unlocks all the secrets of the Bible so it makes sense.  He is the ultimate promise that ties all the other promises together.  All you need to do is see how your sin has caused all the conflict in your life and accept that you need Jesus. then you have access to God's promises.

Genesis 3:15, 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 22:16-18, Isaiah 9:6, 53, Daniel 12:2, Micah 5:2, Zechariah 12:10, Matthew 1:22-23, John 3:16, & 2 Corinthians 1:20

God's Promise: Victory

 

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." NKJV

"All who are victorious will be clothed in white.  I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my father and his angels that they are mine." NLT

"The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels." NIV

"In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will  acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels." CSB

Revelations 3:5

    The promise of victory is tied into your salvation.  You believe the battle is won by God.  You believe that you will enter Heaven when you die.  It is a promised based on faith, but also fact.  God has already defeated Satan, but He is giving people more time to choose salvation.  You will find victory in your faith.  If you reject God, then you will pay the price for all your sins and join Satan in his sentence.  The promise of victory is your choice on if you get to have it or not.

    When you accept salvation you are joining in an eternal relationship with God through Jesus and faith.  You will walk the rest of your life with the Holy Spirit empowering you to do goo.  He is your seal of salvation.  It is Jesus' blood that writes your name in the book of life.  If you choose God, then you are guaranteed eternal victory.  You name can never be removed because God does not lie.

    When you enter Heaven you are accepting the victory.  It means you stand firm in your faith while you are alive.  You speak proudly of belonging to God.  You talk about how Jesus saved you.  You listen to the Holy Spirit's direction, redirection, and wisdom to live the rest of your life faithfully.  If you are proud to be a child of God now, then God will welcome you proudly into Heaven.  If you reject Him now, then He will claim that He never knew you when you want to enter Heaven.

    This promises that one day you will be dressed in white like Jesus and never worry about getting dirty again.  If your name is in the Book of Life, then you are secure.  There is nothing more secure in life than that.  If also enables you to build a community or church with other believers.  You are united in truth and victory.  Stand strong and proud for God together. You are stronger in numbers than when you are alone.  You are not a burden.  You are loved and wanted by God and His people.

Exodus 32:32, Psalms 69:28, Matthew 10:32, Luke 12:8-9, John 5:24, Acts 16:31, Philippians 4:3, 1 John 5:3-4, & Revelations 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 19:8, 20:12, 21:27

God's Promise: Purification

 

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." NIV

"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." NLT

1 John 1:9

    The promise of purification is the cleansing that comes through faith.  God removes all your sins when you step through the door of faith into a relationship with Him.  After that you work to stay pure so you can stay close to Him and be a walking testimony of who God is.  

    The promise requires confession because you need to recognize that your sin is actually sin.  God knows everything.  It is not for anyone else, but you.  It is how you purge and empty yourself from all that makes you spiritually sick, so that the Holy Spirit can come in and make you clean, healthy, and help you understand the love that God has for you.  

    All you have to do is confess.  When it is between you and God, it feels really good.  Everything that was holding you back or weighing you down is released.  Be careful to leave it with God and not pick it back up.  Once He frees you, you don't need to go back to your bondage.

    God is faithful and just.  He removes all your sins so they are no longer held against you.  Jesus paid the price, now you can go forward and sin no more.  You have to spend time with God in prayer and His Word to know how not to sin.  You have to ask Him to reveal any inherited or deep rooted sins, so that you can break free from them.  As you learn you will confess as sins become apparent.  You will not live a perfect life in this world, but you can strive to move closer to God every day.

    The purification comes from God's forgiveness and loving mercy.  When you accept His gift of salvation you are purified before you ever get baptized.  Baptism is a statement of faith and the first act of obedience, but it doesn't change you.  It doesn't purify you.  God's forgiveness is the only thing in the world that can do that.  Then you work hard to keep your mind pure, so that your body and actions will stay pure.

Psalm 32:5, 51:2, Proverbs 28:13, 1 John 1:7-9

    

God's Promise: Spiritual Healing

 

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." ESV

1 Peter 2:24

    The promise of spiritual healing is conditional.  It all comes down to faith.  Jesus opened the door and set you up for success.  It is your choice to walk through by faith into a place of healing, peace, and satisfaction.  The only way you will ever find true spiritual healing is through Jesus.  He died for everyone, but only removes the sin and gives soul healing to those who live by faith and follow him.

    To find spiritual healing you have to believe that he died for your sins, rose again, and ascended into Heaven while alive.  You have to be willing to tell the world what he did and how it has affected your life.  You have to be willing to turn away from your sinful nature to follow him as he instructs.  There are no alternative.  You can believe lies for so long to make you feel better, but you soul knows the truth and it will not allow you to rest easy forever.  

    Some of the worse soul wounds can be found in church or through church people.  Remember that that people in the church are people doing their best to follow Jesus while still sinners.  There are people that are not Christian that are trying to learn, but have not gotten there yet.  Some go to church to cause discord.  The church is a hospital for the spirit.  Sick people are not perfect.  If a person is miserable, then they want the people around them miserable.  Do not allow these people to control your relationship with God.

    If you want to follow Jesus to spiritual healing you have to go through a process of intense forgiveness.  It will not happen over night, but remember that Jesus forgave you when you didn't deserve it.  You forgive to find freedom and healing.  In the process you will not be perfect either.  You may hurt people along the way.  Search forgiveness from them and yourself if that is true, then keep going.  Do not let people stop you from getting what you need.  You are growing and changing to be more like Jesus.

    When you find spiritual healing you really become a partner with Jesus.  You start living out your righteousness.  You are able to help people find their way to God.  The moment you accept salvation you are spiritually healed.  The rest of the healing comes as you allow it and discover the wounds and give to God.  You may have scars and some scars may stay sensitive, but that doesn't mean that you have not been healed.  You live in a world full of evil and sin.  Things will not be perfect until you get to heaven, but you can have healing and peace now.  

Isaiah 53:4-11, Matthew 8:16-17, Romans 6:1-2, Hebrews 9:27-28, 1 Peter 2:22-25

God's Promise: Healing

 

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven" NIV

"Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.  And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven." NLT

"The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." CSB

James 5:15

    The promise of healing comes with instruction.  In verse 14 James tell the church what when someone is sick to gather the elders (spiritually wise leaders) to come pray over the sick person.  The sick are to be anointed in oil.  It goes back to the rituals of the old testament, but with the intent of doing spiritual warfare.  The oil anoints the person to God.  If you are sick and need healing, then you need strong prayer warrior supporting you.

    In verse 15 is where you find the promise.  You have set yourself up to be healed, but the key ingredient is faith.  You have to believe that you will be healed.  Some illnesses come from living in this world while others come from sin.  This is why you need to trust your prayer warriors with confessions of sin.  You confess to God and He will forgive.  Confessing to people is not how you are forgiven.  It empowers the prayer warriors to know how to pray over you better.  It helps them know how to pray for your healing.  

    Verse 16 ties it all together in how it should be performed.  In the gathering before the laying of hands, oil application, or corporate prayer begins, everyone needs to confess if there is anything that could block their prayers from being heard or would hinder the process.  Once confession and repentance happens, then your group will have power behind the prayers.  

    Here is where it gets tricky.  God promises healing, but he never promised that every time it would be this body that is healed.  Everyone has sinned, so everyone will die.  He heals the body to serve a purpose.  It is better for a true Christian to find the eternal healing that comes after this body is gone.  It hurts the loved ones left behind, but it is better for them.  If God heals you, saves you, or keeps you from harm it is insurance that He still has a purpose for you here and now.  If you are not a Christian, then you need to understand that you only get so many chances to accept salvation before the door closes forever.

    To sum it all up.  It takes faith, prayer, and confession to find true healing.  It is about having and maintaining your relationship with God.  Repentance is when you turn from your sin.  God knows the heart.  He knows if the confessions were true or a lie.  That is between you and Him.  He knows immediately if you have a repentant heart.  This repentance I am talking about is being held accountable to who is now you prayer group.  They are also no accountable to you.  The goal is to find physical and spiritual healing while leaning on God.

Isaiah 33:24, Matthew 9:2-6, Mark 6:13, 16:18, & James 5:14-16

God's Promise: Satan Will Flee

 

"So humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  NLT

"Therefore, submit to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  CSB

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” NIV

James 4:7

    The promise that you can make the devil flee from you is unlike any of God's other promises.  It doesn't even seem like a promise, but He is giving you what you need to see His power work within you.  If you humble your heart, then you are willing to listen to instruction, guidance, and correction.  

    When you live in obedience to God, then you are empowered by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will indicate to you when there is a spiritual battle that can be avoided.  He is not asking you to fight it.  He is telling you keep your armor in good shape and flee.  I will take care of this.  Flee from temptation.  Flee from the presence of evil.  It is not your place to fight.  You don't need to live in fear, but there is no reason to fight battles that were never meant for you.

    When you feel alone remember God is there with you.  Pray that He provides a support group of mature Christians to help you resist Satan.  This is how you stay strong in spiritual warfare.  God would never leave you alone to face evil.  Satan wants you to feel isolated so you will isolate yourself and become easy prey.  Satan's game plan is not too hard to figure out if you are paying attention.

    When you learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and obey your life becomes simpler.  You are able to hold onto peace with confidence.  You do not live in fear of man or evil, but in what God will do to all those who ignore and turn against Him.  He has already laid out His playbook because He is not afraid of any power.  He already has given you end game.  It is your choice on how it will end for you.

    The promise in this verse is humble submission and active resistance to temptation means that Satan can't get to you in this moment.  He has no choice but to flee.  He would be wasting his time and drawing more attention from God if he kept pushing.  No matter how powerful Satan is, he is nothing in comparison to God and he knows it.  The closer you move toward God, the farther away you are pushing Satan out of your life.  

Ephesians 4:26-27, 6:11, James 4:6-7, & 1 Peter 5:9