Foundation of Our Faith
Lesson 1
Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1
Table of Contents
Foundation of Our Faith ............................................ - 3 -
Covenant Relationship Defined................................ - 7 -
God’s Covenant
Foundation of Our Faith God’s covenants opens to us a study in the foundations of our faith. This course consists of twelve individual lessons designed to take you deeper in the foundational truths of Gods relationship to man. My prayer is that it will open your eyes to an understanding of faith that you have not experienced before. There are four purposes in this course. The first is to show the blessings that God has covenanted to bestow on us. These are the blessings that God has given to us by promise, or another way to say it, by covenant. Blessings that God has given to us by covenant or promise now bestowed upon us. The second is the assurance the covenant gives us that they must and can and will be fulfilled. Here we will see that the blessings and the assurance, that assurance the covenant gives us, must and can and will be fulfilled. Third is the hold on God Himself we are now positioned in. In other words, the strength of God’s word and how it places us in the position of such total assurance. God said it, He cannot
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Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 lie, thus we have the authority of the word of God telling us what God said and since God said it, He is obligated to do it. Lastly, the fourth purpose will reveal to us what are the conditions for the full and continuous experience of His covenanted blessings. These are the four things that we purpose to learn during this course. Studying God’s covenants will serve to bring strength and purpose to those who will take the time and the trouble to bring their life under the control of the assurance that God is faithful to fulfil His promise. By this I mean that sometimes it is a little trouble to go and study the word of God instead of doing what your flesh dictates. Possibly you are hungry and you want to eat, or go to the store, but the Spirit is calling you to meditate in the Word. It is time to trouble ourselves, our flesh that is, and get into the word of God. The result is to bring the entire being, spirit, soul, and body, under the control of the inspiring assurance that we are living in a covenant with a God who has sworn faithfully, and proven with signs historically, to fulfil every promise he has given.
God’s Covenant These are the things I want you to see in this course as you gain an understanding of the steps of the covenantmaking ceremony and its’ role in human history. Bible verses will spring to life with meanings that may not have been previously considered. As you understand more about the covenants of God, it will bring life to scripture passages with eye opening clarity and revelation into those things never seen before. Actually, the covenant is the foundation of our faith and the epicentre of what we understand about our relationship with God. That’s a very strong statement, therefore we need to understand it even more clearly. The covenant is our basis for these things:
Salvation
Deliverance
Healing
Holiness
Worship
Sanctification
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Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 It is the basis for each of these things. A proper understanding of covenant is crucial for an exercise of your faith in each of them. Today we live in a society where we don’t understand or talk much about covenant except in the legal field, or maybe in marriage. So, the heartfelt discovery or revelation of these truths will prove to be truly life changing since God is a covenant God. The central truth that God is a covenant maker who restores to us a right relationship with Him through the blood of the covenant, is central to the Bible. Any religion that promises salvation or relationship with God outside the blood must be false because the only way to God is through the blood of Jesus. You cannot have a relationship with the Father God without the blood. God revealed through His word the guidelines for His relationship to man. These guidelines were established through the ritual acts of covenant. Covenant is the foundational teaching of Judaism and Christianity. God revealed through His word, the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the various elements involved.
These
guidelines establish His relationship with man in the Old
God’s Covenant and New Testaments or old and new Covenant. We will see these guidelines were established through the ritual acts of covenant. Let me repeat, Covenant is the foundational teaching for Judaism and Christianity.
Covenant Relationship Defined The American legal system was based on God’s covenant laws given to Moses. This nation of America was founded, and its laws based upon the concept that God has given us certain rights. But we also have certain responsibilities to God and to each other; this defines covenant relationship. Not just covenant but covenant relationship, note that word, relationship. The term “covenant” is not generally understood in our day and time and culture, and we are the very people who benefit from its inexplicable privileges and promises. The word “covenant” is found 280 times in the King James Bible according to biblegateway.com. It will do you good to read those scriptures so you can see the various illustrations of covenant acts. The word -7-
Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 Testament is another word for covenant and is found another 13 times in the Bible. Really, almost 300 times in the bible, the word covenant or testament is found. That is a lot of space devoted to this topic in the scriptures, meaning it is worthy of our knowing what it is, and how it operates, and how it relates to us, and how we relate to it. Covenant comes from the Hebrew word berit (beh-reet’), Strong’s #1285 meaning “to cut”, a compact, pledge, or treaty agreement. It is one of the most theologically important words in the Bible. It comes from flesh being cut and blood being shed. In its simplest form, a covenant is an all-encompassing agreement between two parties with clearly outlined perimeters and promises.
The
parties can be made up of a singular person or group of people. Clearly the outlined perimeters and promises are the word of God. It is a mutual understanding between two persons, a king and his people, or God and His people, who bind themselves together with specific obligations to fulfil. God is a covenant God. Every benefit that He has for us is based upon covenant
God’s Covenant relationship. Allow me to reiterate, every benefit for you and I that God has provided for us is obtained based upon covenant relationship. H. Clay Trumbull in his book, the Blood Covenant, shares
multiple
accounts
of
early
missionaries
Livingstone and Stanley encountering primitive tribes whereby they secured peace, provision and safety by entering blood covenant. In other words, they could enter into a blood covenant by drinking it, or by mixing it, and then they were able to pass through unharmed. The idea is that the stronger one makes the rules and the weaker benefit thereby. In the case of God and us, there is no comparison. However, we can receive the benefit of everything God is, transferred to us. How then do we give Him what we have? By giving Him ourselves, laying down our lives for Him, which is exactly what He wants. A king and his people, God and His people or just people with other people make up the parties of a covenant. Covenant is a word that describes God’s relationship with us.
Everything He has is mine and everything I -9-
Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 have is now His. Remarkable to say the least. That is really a good thing for us and God is pleased because He loves us. It is like when we were children, when we were young and wanted to buy our parents a Christmas present. The money was our parents money but the child takes it and picks out a present for them. The very fact that the child has given of themselves to do it blesses the parent, even though it was their resources that enabled them to purchase anything. This is just the human way to explain it. What God is saying is that He is blessed by you giving yourself entirely to him in the spirit of relationship, and he of course gives everything He is to you. Covenant then is a word that describes God’s relationship to you and me. Since the very creation of the world, God has used a unique pattern, a unique cultural event, referred to as the covenant.
In fact,
speaking of day and night, they are actually a covenant. This is referred to in Jer 33:20-21, God said, “If you can break my covenant with day and night, and with seasons,”.
The strength of covenant is beyond your
God’s Covenant wildest imagination until you probe it a little bit. Since the creation of the world, God has worked through covenant. Mankind has also learned covenant making from Him.
The mankind that follows God and the
mankind that doesn’t were both knowledgeable in covenant, they operated their lives in it and upon it. We call it covenant because He called it that first; we just followed His lead. Through this act of covenant, He outlined specific requirements and spectacular promises with instructions, on how we are to respond to Him, with the promise of what will happen if we follow His ways. This is life changing to say the least. Just think about salvation for instance, God tells us in His Word he has done these things on our behalf, now we are to believe and we will be saved. That is life changing! Salvation is the greatest life changing event one can have. God tells us by covenant, both old covenant and new, that we are healed. Again our covenant response is to believe and receive. From our heart we speak yes, I am healed, because God says I am, and if I Am says I am, then I am. Whatever he is, I now am, because I am
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Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 in covenant with Him. There is no sickness in Him. Sickness, disease and death belong to the devil, earthly, sensual. When I entered covenant I swapped with Him. His is mine and mine is His. This is life changing. The problem is we read and study the Bible from Western Eyes with no real knowledge of covenant, outside of our present legal system terminology and the wedding ceremony, which is grossly watered down because of the ease of divorce. Here in America if somebody feels like they are not happy anymore, it doesn’t have to involve adultery, it doesn’t have to be anything specific, just decide they are not happy, they just go file for divorce. That is not covenant because in a covenant you stay together until one or the other dies, lest the one breaking the covenant die as the result of breaking it. Marriage is the best we see in the western culture, but it is not really Bible covenant anymore. In Bible days, not much is said of the definition and specific way of cutting the covenant other than the act itself, you see it in the scriptures, but it is not specifically called covenant all the time. It is there nevertheless by
God’s Covenant example. Sometimes it is referred to over and over yet it is not actually stated, you just see it in there. The explanation for this was because people lived by covenant, they understood covenant when the scriptures were written, therefore, there is no need to define it. Because we are not as familiar with covenant, we have to gain an understanding of it. Modern mankind does not live their lives by it anymore. In the bible days, the word covenant was well known and was well practised. No explanation needed. In the days when scripture was written, not much is said of the definition and specific way of cutting the covenant other than the act itself due to the fact that the people of that day and that location were very much involved and aware of the strength of the covenant with all its benefits and ramifications. Thus no need for explanation at that time. However, today, we must study and get understanding. That is why you are taking this course on this profound subject, in order to fully profit thereby. Here are a few scriptures concerning this. Deut 8:18 But thou shalt remember, (God is challenging you to - 13 -
Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 remember the covenant) the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth (don’t just limit that to money, wealth means deliverance, victory, freedom and more), that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is to this day. To paraphrase, remember the covenant to walk in it, to participate in it. Remember God said, put me in remembrance. Psalm 103:15-18 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children (everlasting covenant); To such as keep ( all that was said earlier) His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them. 1 Chron 16:15-17 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations (it means forever); Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for
God’s Covenant an everlasting covenant. Be ye mindful, or in other words, to put it in remembrance, quit going the ways of the world in their thoughts and ways. Be mindful of God’s covenant ways instead.
We are to remember or be mindful of the covenant, the benefits, the promises, the guarantee, the victory, the strength that God is to us. The absolute right in our lives meaning His covenant is absolutely right. Everything else is wrong, absolute right means God is always right in our lives no matter what our senses may be screaming. However in the New Covenant or Testament, God says he has placed these laws, covenant requirements and benefits in our minds already. It is our job now to exercise our faith to keep them in our hearts and minds instead of the circumstances of life that would try to overwhelm us with distractions. Because God has already placed them in us, it is now your job, your position, your relationship, your reaction, to exercise faith by keeping your hearts and minds intact
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Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 and in tune with the word of God, the covenant of God, the provision of God, instead of what you see facing you. That’s not easy to do, because what you see facing you is very real. We know it is very real and if you don’t get a grip on this very word of God, the covenant, then sooner or later those circumstances will kill you. I am referring to those circumstances that are attacking you. So you have to get a grip on the word and understand it to the point where it supersedes the demonic attacks that are after you. We liken this to when God cut covenant with Abram in the 15th chapter of Genesis. After Abram had cut the animals and divided them into halves, he had to guard it and keep the fowls of the air away that wanted to come down and eat the carcasses. Like a vulture after its’ dead prey Abram had to knock them away. That was his part. It is the same with us today. We have to keep the birds out of our thought life. The birds being the demonic, fiery darts of the enemy, that tell you things like how bad you are, how you not going to make it, how you are going to die, how you are going to go broke, or how nobody
God’s Covenant likes you, and all the host of other lies we tend to listen to. You’ve got to get rid of those things because they are demonic thoughts the same as the birds that feed on death in Abrams covenant. Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. We have that in us, our position is to believe it, to believe what’s ours even though it is an amazing thing. Many are teaching today, on radio and TV, yes even some of the big ministries, are talking with verbiage like “it’s coming, it’s on the way, it’s going to be here”. That is hope talking and not faith. That’s one of those birds spoiling the word. You have got to get it back. You have got to say no, it’s mine, today, right now, this moment, because I am in covenant with God and what is His is mine. Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.
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Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 This then is the conclusion, that we may come boldly into God's presence, and not only ask, but claim a covenant right through Christ Jesus to all the spiritual searching, and cleansing and knowledge, and power promised in the great covenant promises. That we may come boldly into God's presence, by the blood of the covenant, and not only ask, but lay hold of the promised answer. In other words, confess it is already ours and never again say I hope God gives it to me, or maybe I will see it. Instead we lay hold of it as our own now. Claim a covenant right through Christ Jesus to all the spiritual power promised in the great covenant promises. In fact, the quickest way for the church to wake up to the supernatural power granted us in this covenant would be for us to begin to say what God has said, instead of saying what the world is saying. “Blessed is the man who truly knows God as his covenant God,” this is a quote from Andrew Murray, in his book, the two covenants. “Blessed is the man who truly knows God as his covenant God; who knows what the covenant promises him; what unwavering confidence
God’s Covenant of expectation it secures, that all its terms will be fulfilled to him; what a claim and hold it gives him on the covenant-keeping God Himself.” Another quote from Andrew Murray, “The full knowledge of what God wants to do for him; the assurance that it will be done by an Almighty Power; the being drawn to God Himself in personal surrender, and dependence, and waiting to have it done; all this would make the covenant the very gate of heaven.” (From The Two Covenants by Andrew Murray) Ps 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Jer 33.20-21 Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. If ye can break my covenant of the day.
Did you know
when God created the world that He was speaking covenant? If ye can break my covenant of the day and - 19 -
Foundation of Our Faith, Lesson 1 my covenant of the night. God says that is His covenant. Then the covenant He gave to us is just as powerful and binding as the seasons of day and night. Since you cannot break the covenant of day and night, you can count on His covenant to you for your deliverance, your prosperity, your health, your salvation.
A comparison of the two covenants is found in the following scripture. 2 Cor 3.6-11 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
God’s Covenant For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
The Covenant of God can be trusted. If you can break His covenant of day and night, then you could wonder if His covenant promises to us might be able to be broken. Obviously night nor day cannot be broken, thus we have a strong refuge to lay hold of the God who cannot lie. We give Him praise!
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