Schooled: Covenant

Last week we discussed sin and the impact it has on every person who has ever lived. We must understand sin if we are going to grasp just how loved by God we truly are. We are evil, but we are loved.

How would you respond if you were constantly sinned against? How would you respond to a friend who repeatedly told you lies, threatened you, stole from you, beat you, neglected you, abused you, and abandoned you? How would you respond to that person? God chose to send His son in response to our sin and neglect. He responds with covenant. He offers a promise.

A covenant is a binding agreement between two parties. God offered a covenant in Genesis 3 when He preached the first gospel message and promised Jesus would come to defeat Satan and redeem the world. This is amazing! This is how God responds to people who have abandoned and neglected Him! God owed Adam and Eve nothing. He could have killed them and sent them to hell, like they deserved, and been done with them. God owes us nothing.

Read Genesis 12:1-3

God makes a promise to Abram. He enters into a covenant. He promises Abram he would found a great nation and through that nation the messiah would come. There were a few problems. Abram was a pagan, he was in his seventies, and his wife was unable to conceive. He does not seem like a candidate to be founding nations.

Read Genesis 21:1-5

God makes good on His promises. God always makes good on His promises. Abraham was 99 years old when his wife became pregnant. He waited years for the promise. Can you imagine the questions that went through his mind over the course of all those years? Be patient and know that God has perfect timing and He will not forget the promises He has made to us.

Read Jeremiah 31:31-34

This is how God responds to our sin. He pursues and forgives through the blood of His son Jesus.

Questions for Reflection

0. Will you believe God's promises?

1. Will you be obedient to God's commands?

2. Are you running from God?