A CHRISTIAN’S COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (GENESIS 12:1-3)

Dear Members in Christ,

A Christian’s covenant relationship with God (Genesis 12:1-3)

We hear this said often that the believer’s relationship with God is a covenantal relationship. What does that really mean? A covenant is an agreement, an illustration would be a pact or a contract which binds two parties in an agreement to fulfil whatever they have pledged. So, what does a covenant relationship with God entails? We have the example from the Bible of God’s covenant with Abraham. The account begins with God’s call to Abraham, and this is recorded for us in the book of Genesis chapter 12,

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”   Genesis 12:1

God does have a personal relationship with His elect, and this begins with His call to them. In this case, Abraham received the call of God, and we read that Abraham obeyed the call, for in the following verse the Bible records, “… Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him …” (Genesis 12:4).

The believer’s journey of faith begins with knowing God and answering God’s call. Some of you have testified about that at some point of time, you have heard the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, and you have obeyed the call. The sinner who hears the Gospel call will confess his sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. In the case of Abraham, he obeyed God’s call and departed from his homeland to go to Canaan.

The covenant relationship requires separation from the world

God’s relationship with Abraham is a covenantal relationship. We can learn about our relationship with God by observing some of the principles of God’s covenantal relationship with Abraham. The Covenant relationship of God with Abraham begins with God’s call to Abraham to separate from his kindred and country. The Lord calls Abraham, “Get thee out…”

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”     Genesis 12:1

God required Abraham to separate from the “old country”. The old domicile of Abraham and his forebears was the home of idol worshippers. God’s call to Abraham to separate from the world and idol worship is recorded and re-iterated in Joshua 24:2,3 “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.”

Dearly beloved, the call to Abraham was to separate from the worship of “other gods”. We who are called to be children must also be mindful that we are to separate from the world. One of the questions asked as a public testimony of one’s faith during baptism is whether the candidate will, “knowingly give up all your sinful habits and promise by God’s grace to live unto righteousness according to God’s Word?” Dear brothers and sisters, let us be reminded that fellowship with God also means separation form the world.

The call of God and His blessings in the covenant relationship

The covenant of God with Abraham marks out him and his seed as God’s special people. A people who are distinct from the “old world” of Terah where they served “other gods”. As believers’ we know that the Bible exhorts us to “touch not the unclean.” Separation from the uncleanness of sin and the world is a requirement for becoming God’s children (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18). However, there is a bright side, the covenantal relationship with God entails responsibility on man’s part and at the same time bestows blessings upon the person. God told Abraham, 

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:2, 3

This is the blessing that the promised Messiah will be the seed of Abraham, and therefore, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” All the families of the earth will be blessed by eternal salvation of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. God also promised to Abraham that “I will … make thy name great”.

Brothers and sisters, the believers’ covenant with God comes with the responsibility to remain separate from sin and the world. Our covenant with God assures us of the forgiveness of sins, salvation of our souls and eternal life. This is the blessing of God. Let us treasure our covenant relationship with God and serve Him faithfully. May Jesus Christ be praised.    

In His Service,
Rev. Lim Seh Beng, Pastor