Life Walk Bible Lesson 47: One Covenant — Many Radiant Facets
For the Patriarchs of old, a relationship with God was always based on a covenant made between God and the one He chose to walk with. Through baptism into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit of God, the covenant made by a Christian, to walk with God wholeheartedly, is also a multi-faceted agreement between God and the believer.
A Covenant of Sonship
John 1:12-14
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
A Covenant Of Sanctification
John 17:17
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.”
John 8:31-32
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”
Scripture Reading:
1John 1:1-10
A Covenant of Freedom from Sin
Scripture Reading 1John 2:1-29
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Cross References:
John 17:5
John 17:22-26
John 8:34-36
“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say unto you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’”
A Covenant Of Spirit-Led Mentorship
Romans 8:12-19
“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die [or: are going to die]; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Romans 8:22-25
“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is not seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
Cross Reference: Hebrews 11:1
A Covenant Of Marriage
Genesis 2:24
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” [quoted by Jesus in Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:1-12]
Genesis 12:1-3 Abraham is told to leave his family and country, follow God and be blessed
God as our Husband: Isaiah 54; Ezekiel 16:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-33; 1 Peter 3:5-7; Revelation 21-22
Isaiah 56:3
“Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely separate me from His people.’ Nor let the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’”
Scripture Readings:
Ephesians 5:1-33
Ephesians 6:1-24
Hebrews 11:6
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Luke 18:8
“…However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
2 Peter 3:14
“Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless.”
Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:10-27
Cross Reference:
Genesis 49:1-33 — The 12 sons of Israel
Deuteronomy 33:1-29
A Covenant Of Intercessory Prayer
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 49:1-26
Isaiah 49:16
“Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.”
Isaiah 59:16
“And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him.”
Note: God is looking for people who are praying to Him, for one another, for Jesus ever lives to intercede for us.
Hebrews 7:25
“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Ezekiel 22:30
“I searched for a man among them who could build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.”
2 Chronicles 7:13-15
“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.”
Isaiah 53:12
“Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.”
Romans 8:26-27
“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He Who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He interceded for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:34
“…Christ Jesus is He Who died, yes, rather Who was raised, Who is at the right hand of God, Who also intercedes for us.”
A Covenant Of Friendship
Exodus 33:11
“Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”
2 Chronicles 20:7
“Did you not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?”
Isaiah 41:8-9
“But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend, you whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its remotest parts and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.’”
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Sirach 6:5-17 [Catholic Bible] — On Friendship
John 15:13-15
“Greater love has no one that this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for a slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
James 2:22-24
“You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
Scripture Reading: John 17:1-26 ~ Jesus prays for His friends
A Covenant Of Heavenly Citizenship
1 Peter 2:9-10
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s Own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” [Philippians 3:20 a heavenly citizenship]
A Covenant Of Priesthood
Psalm 110:4
“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’” [Hebrews 5:6]
A Covenant Of Blessing to be a Blessing
John 15:16
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” [Genesis 1:11; 2 Corinthians 9:10-11]
Note: God gives us all the seed-bearing plants for our nourishment, a blessing, so that we can be a blessing.
Cross references: Genesis 1:11
“Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation [grass], plants yielding seed [herbs], and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind [after its kind], with seed in them [in which is its seed];’ and it was so.”
2 Corinthians 9:10-11
“Now He Who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.”
God’s Promise: In God’s Kingdom, with God’s Name
Note: When God “gives glory” He “becomes one with” — hence, in Isaiah 42:8 God says, “I AM the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.”
John 12:28
“‘Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came out of heaven: ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’”
John 5:43
‘I have come in My Father’s name…”
Jesus goes on to teach us that, in Christ, we can now also come in His name, saying, “Our Father, Who is in heaven…” and ask God for all things to be provided from God’s riches in glory. [Matthew 6:9-13; Philippians 4:19]
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:1-11
John 16:24
“Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”
John 16:26-27
“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.”
John 14:23
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him.”
John 17:6
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and you gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.”
God’s Name and His Glory:
Exodus 33:12-23
Exodus 34:5-7
