“For whosoever believes in Me should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The reference of God’s covenant of love in John 3:16 pictures God’s son reaching out to the human race as their Savior. And as their High priest, He reconciles them to His Father. In believing in Him, man is offered everlasting life. However, the word believe implies a lot more than just saying, I believe in God. It means more than just words. You know who else believes in Him, right? He even used God’s words to encourage YAHSHUA to fall into his temptation. The Apostle John defined this covenant of love as incredible. He says, See what quality of love the Father has given us, that we should be named, called and counted the children of God! (I John 3:1a). Here he echoes and confirms his earlier writing: But to as many, as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12). The writer to the Hebrews also confirms these words: For both He Who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason, He (YAHSHUA) is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb. 2:11).
YAHSHUA’S death was a covenantal gift of love. This covenant is rich and complete with blessings, detailed in Romans eight: the law of the new being has freed us from the law of sin, we are free to live controlled by the Holy Spirit’s desires; His mind is life and peace. God’s covenant of love gives us life through the indwelling of His Spirit and imputes His righteousness to us; we no longer have an obligation to the world; we are free from the bondage of fear; God has made us heirs with Christ His Son. In suffering for Him, His glory will be shared with us. Our suffering will in no way be compared with the glory what will be revealed to us. Even the creation waits expectantly with groaning for that day when God’s children will be revealed, for in that, creation will be restored. Under God’s covenant of love, faith fills our heart with hope, as we also groan inwardly, waiting for our redemption from all sin. When YAHSHUA conquered the power of the enemy, He secured us in His love. We are free from all condemnation, accusations and all charges. Nothing in this world, nor powers, nor principalities, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ YAHSHUA, our Lord. His covenant of love has given us a surpassing victory. We are sealed, protected and justified by His love (Rom. 8). We are His covenant children.
The letter of Paul to the Ephesians also elaborates the privileges of God’s covenant of love: we are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing; He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy; He adopted us as His own children; in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins; He lavished upon us wisdom and understanding; He has made known to us the mystery of His will; we are made God’s heritage; we are stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1). How then should we live? All He desires from us is obedience to the covenant’s requirements: dwell in Me, YAHSHUA said. Abide in My love; if you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love and live on it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love. This is My commandment: that you love one another, just as I have loved you; you are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do; I have chosen you, that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting (John 15). For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Rom. 8:14). By just saying, I believe in God, without following the leading of the Holy Spirit, one is not a child of God; he has not covenanted with God. Our body must be presented to God as a living sacrifice of obedience, pleasing to Him, fashioned only after God’s Word. And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another [ for this comes] from the Lord [who is] the Spirit (II Cor. 3:18). This is the sign of a true born again believer in relationship with God and covenanting with Him.
YAHSHUA reconciled and justified all those who will come to Him in repentance and submission to His covenant. His Holy Spirit then sanctifies through His ministry of convicting, teaching, and leading all to His truth. Ultimately, glorification will be the last step at His coming for all those who are covenanting with Him, whose faith regulates their lives to holy living, trust, and confidence in Him Who has promised us the eternal covenant of salvation. To enter His covenant is only through the blood of God’s Son, YAHSHUA. It is not by works, lest one boasts on his own merits and receives all the glory, by denying and annulling YAHSHUA’S sacrifice. To remain in the covenant is being crucified with Christ, “live not I, but Christ lives in me.” Meaning to deny self, renouncing all to carry the cross and follow YAHSHUA, always looking ahead, with fixed eyes to the reward reserved for us. The beauty of the covenant of love is God loving us, in spite of our sinful life. Come to Him as you are. The rest He will do for you. Remain in Him and He will remain in you (John 15).
Light from the Word 