Thursday: Covenant Benefits
(Eph. 2:6)
In many instances people can experience the promises of a covenant before all the terms are even met. For instance, a person purchasing a home has the opportunity to live in the home before it is paid for. Or a citizen enjoys the public services offered by the government before he has even started paying taxes. Those who enter into a covenant with God can also start to experience the benefits of the covenant before the promises are actualized in the future.
Image © Standard Publishing from GoodSalt.com
Think, for instance, about the Ten Commandments, and how much pain and suffering people could avoid if they simply followed them. Who hasn’t personally experienced the heartache that comes from the violation of these commandments? Even worse, the suffering that comes isn’t always limited to the one who violates the law; often others, even those closest to the sinner, suffer, as well.
According to these texts, what other benefits can we find, even now, through being in a covenant relationship with Jesus?
Jesus uses very strong language in the Gospel of John when He reports that those who accept Him have already passed from death into life (John 5:24, NKJV). So confident is the believer in his or her salvation that although confined to this earth, he or she can claim to be sitting in heavenly places with Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6).
If someone were to ask you, What does it mean to be sitting with Jesus in heaven now (as Ephesians 2:6 says)? What would you answer, and why?
(17)
There is nothing good and more good as to be in covenant with Christ. As he did with Abraham and so with us in this end time. Every business contract has terms and conditions. To be in covennant with Christ we are to leave all the selfish acts and cling to Christ. We must be perfect in his sight, Mathew 5:48 and as he is holy we must be holy aswell. 1 Peter. 1:16.
Owen, you said, “We must be perfect in his sight, Mathew 5:48 and as he is holy we must be holy as well.” The problem in using Mat 5:48 is that most of the time it is removed from its context which starts with verse 44 and is about loving those who are not your friends. How can we do what no one outside of Jesus was ever been able to do – to be perfect and yet we are through faith in Jesus. His righteous is imputed (accounted) to us such that we are considered without sin - perfect.
It might be helpful to listen to what Paul told those in the worst, most corrupt church that he had. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? … And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:9-11 NKJV). Where the ellipsis (…) is (second half of verse 9 through verse 10) Paul lists some of the most despicable acts of sin there is but notice what he says about those who did those things. They were sanctified and justified (past tense), which are the two things we must have to be saved and they like us received them as gifts from God through faith in His promises.
If nothing else please listen to John the apostle of love, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 Jn 5:13 NKJV). That is not a wishful hope but rather a positive assurance that we are promised a new life in eternity. "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn 14:2-3 NKJV). Remember that Jesus told this to those who would deny and run from Him at the end of His ministry yet He considered them in his kingdom.
“But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’” (Gal 3:11 NKJV). Paul quotes the Old Testament, Habakkuk 2:4.
Tyler, we must always be mindful of the factors that can make us perfect in GOD sight is totally different from living a perfect life in the flesh (forgiveness, repentance, love, charity). Consider the sins of David whom GOD said was a man after HIS own heart. Should we continue in sin because JESUS died for the remission of our sins? While JESUS disciples may have denied HIM and ran from HIM; the life they lived after Pentecost is the reason why HE knew that they would be in HIS KINGDOM. In this life we may never gain perfection, but we are to live each day seeking to be perfect like JESUS.
Praise the Lord!! The Lord Jesus is our salvation, our life, our sanctification, our perfection, our all.
Michelle, I agree wholeheartedly! While we are to have full assurance in the promises of God our faith should always lead us to obey all of God’s requirements. It seems to me that the ones who are in trouble the most are those who habitually practice lawlessness (Mat 7:23; Mat 13:41; Rom 1:32; Gal 5:12).
That doesn’t mean that we are perfect because we are on a journey to Heaven and we will stumble and fall many times on the way as John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:8-9 NKJV). It is all a matter of attitude and decision on our part.
To with Jesus in heaven means that if I believe in Him, He will be within me because He is there for me to plead for me.
To me siting with Jesus in heaven gives me the feeling of peace. In John 14:27 it says "Peace I leave with you,my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth,give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." It has given me the assurance that whatever difficulties come my way, the Lord is there to help me. It has given me a sense of security, for He would not give me more than I can bear.
I just read in John this morning that when Christ's disciples asked Him what were they to do that they might habitually be working the works of God (doing what God requires), Jesus replied that the work (service) which God asks of us is that we believe in the One Whom He had sent. So daily developing believing & trusting in Jesus to me is key in sitting with Him in Heaven.
And I thrill every time I read in 1Peter5:10 that after we have suffered just a little while, the God of all Grace Who has called us to His eternal glory in Jesus, will HIMSELF complete and make us what we ought to be, establishing & grounding us securely, and strengthening and settling us! That for me is sitting with Jesus. That is my heaven on earth.
Felter, many say they believe in Jesus. But what does believing in Jesus means. Is it just a saying everyday. " I believe in Jesus" when asked about our religion, or when something that I cannot do at a given time I say "I believe in Jesus" and He will help me. The closest any one came in believing in Jesus is Daniel. Trace the life of Daniel until he was thrown in the den of lions. What did the very king said who ordered him to be thrown into the den. Daniel 6:16. Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.This was a heathen King but knew Daniel served God continually. This entailed his business transactions, his financial life, his social encounters, and every aspect of his life. Can you remember the men trying to find something to hold against him, but found nothing. That is believing in God! Can any one say the same about the people of God who claimed to believe in God.
Good morning saints? Whenever we talk about the covenant and the law of christ, we should not assume that throgh christ death we are saved. Intead one needs to believe and have faith in God
That is true. Christ came to save all human being. The agnostic, the drunkard, the compulsive liar, etc. but despite such, those saved at His death will not go to heaven unless changed and become as Christ. Many go about saying "I am saved, I am saved". Whenever someone is on their way to heaven, constantly measure up themselves with the law and see how wretched a sinner the are, and want the Holy Ghost to change them. They do not mentioned anything about saved.
Marva, it seems to me that if none will be saved unless they are "as Christ," none of us will be there, unless you believe that you are already like Christ.
Instead, I believe that those who are saved are saved "in Christ." They are saved because of their faith relationship with Jesus. And that relationship changes them. They will be in the process of changing, but that does not mean that only those who have reached the character perfection of Christ will be saved.
A preacher last night on TV reminded the viewers that we know when we read a book and look at the ending, we see the happy conclusion. Reading the middle of the book, we see lots of troubles, though. We are blessed when we look to Revelation, the end of the Bible. because the story of Salvation and our happy conclusion is there. God has promised our faith in Him and His Salvation for us will be our happy conclusion. Are we in the middle of our own life's book? God will bring us through! Amen!