The Crossing
What does it take to have a genuine and real relationship with your creator? The Bible addresses this head-on. You CAN know God. You can live in his presence and with his power.
God has always pursued a relationship with us based on a mutual understanding. There are covenants (mutual understandings) in the Bible.
There are five major covenants identified and explained in Scripture.
The flood covenant
Genesis 9:8-17 NIV
This is an unconditional covenant, which means that God is actually making the promise with Himself. Neither Noah nor his descendants had any requirements.
This covenant has been kept until now. Covenants generally have a sign or or are rooted in a symbol or tradition, in this case a rainbow.
The covenant with Abraham
This story of Abraham’s covenant with God is found in Genesis 15.
God had made this promise to Abram before, but God used covenant terms this time by cutting a covenant. This was also an unconditional covenant - only God passed through.
So, too, Jesus is the sacrifice that we pass through.
The Mosaic covenant
Exodus 24:3-7 NIV
This was the law that defined the relationship God’s people would have with Him. This is Jewish law.
While we are not the children of the covenant of that law, we understand that it reveals God’s righteous expectations. Unlike the first two, this law was conditional.
The covenant with David
God promised in 2 Samuel 7 that He would establish David’s throne forever. There were
conditions with this covenant but not with the ultimate result.
David’s kingdom as he understood it lasted about 400 years until it was irrevocably violated. But God did in fact keep that promise as well.
The new covenant.
Matthew 26:27-28 NIV
Jesus did not come to abolish the law and prophets, He came to fulfill them. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment that humanity will not be destroyed.
Jesus is the covenant cut in blood that we pass through to receive the promises of God. He is the fulfillment of the law of sin and death, replacing it with the law of the Spirit of Life.
Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to provide a King to rule over all of His people forever. Covenants are no longer enforced when they are fulfilled and Jesus has fulfilled them all!
The new covenant is also a conditional covenant. It requires an intimate personal relationship with Jesus.
Romans 5:6-8 NIV
Expectations change with time and maturity.
Some, however, want to keep the relationship superficial - more of an acquaintance than a relationship that is intimate and personal, but that is nothing like the real thing!