Our discussion of the Covenant so far has covered the meaning and purpose of God’s Covenant with His people, who is able to receive the Covenant and how, and the numerous blessings God promises to give those who enter into the Covenant with Him. As we consider the Covenant, however, we must also realize that, as with any covenant agreement, both sides have certain responsibilities. So, then, what is our role in God’s Covenant? What do we need to do in order to experience the blessed and abundant life that God offers us?
Let’s dig in…
Do what is right and hate evil.
Our first call is to follow God’s instructions and do what we know is right in His eyes. This means we must let go of anything in our lives which we know displeases God or which takes away the power of God in our lives.
We see throughout the scriptures that God makes those who seek what is good to prosper. Let’s take a look at an example:
2 Chronicles 31:20-21
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.
Furthermore, Paul calls us to pursue a lifestyle which is honoring to God and which is a worthy example of the gospel:
Philippians 1:27-30
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
How do we live a worthy life? By standing fast together in one Spirit (unity!), seeking the will of God together, and by trusting God in every moment, knowing that He will be true to His covenant promises to us. Those who are worthy are simply those who have a true heart to live in the Covenant. In other words, the worthy ones are those who put the King above everything else and seek to walk with Him, under His will, throughout their lives. If we do not surrender to the King, we are in the flesh and cannot participate in the Covenant.
Be separate.
As Christians, we know that we have a call to be separate from the world. But what does this truly look like? Jesus has not taken us from this world, and He does not call us to be completely separated from the world. Jesus interacted with all kinds of people, including sinners, and we are to live lives which reflect His. In other words, we are not meant to reject relationships with non-believers. Then, what does it mean to be separate? When we are called to be separate, we are called to be separate from the influences of the world which would dominate us.
Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
According to this verse (among many others), we are not to receive counsel from those who are ungodly, or who do not have a heart to follow God or seek His will. Our closest friends and those whom we allow to speak into our lives ought to be those who are likewise living out the Covenant and seeking to walk with Christ.
Living under the Covenant means that we are called to be holy, and therefore cannot live with unholiness. Accordingly, we are not to be in any relationship where darkness starts to control us or influence us to step away from God’s Covenant life.
Live in faithful obedience.
If we seek God’s will and step into His Covenant life, He will give us instruction regarding the steps we are to take. He needs to move us at the right place, at the right time, and with the right people in order to fulfill His purposes for us. Our role is then to follow His instruction and be obedient to what He tells us.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2
1 “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.
This is different than our earlier discussion on pursuing a godly lifestyle. We are, of course, to follow the principles of godly living outlined in scripture. However, God will also give us specific instructions for our lives that we are to live in obedience to. He delivers these instructions through His rhema word, which comes when we allow His Holy Spirit to speak into our lives. To learn more about hearing the Spirit and receiving rhema word, consider taking our online course Hearing God’s Voice.
As we hear instruction and follow it, it is important to remember that God’s direction in our lives is often a process. It starts by asking God what He has to say. We are to seek His will and ask Him for direction. We are not to decide on our own what His will ought to be or what is a good idea. Rather, we are to listen for His direction and follow what He tells us. When we follow His will, we are blessed with great reward and joy through the Covenant.
Wait on the Lord.
One of the most important pieces of living in the Covenant is waiting upon the Lord. As we walk along His path and receive the promises of the Covenant, we must remember that everything comes in His timing and not our own. This can quickly become difficult when we face what feels like a long delay. When promises are not fulfilled quickly, we tend to take over and decide our own path. This will cause us to step out of covenant with the Lord. Waiting is critical to living in the Covenant. He asks us to wait and not take control of our situations. Instead, we are to trust what He is doing. His purposes are often much bigger than we could ever imagine. He is working all things according to His bigger story. The Covenant life will happen; we must simply trust and wait.
Psalm 62:5-8
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
These are just a handful of the many roles we must undertake as participants of the Covenant. If you would like to dive deeper into what the Covenant looks like and how we enter into Covenant promises, take our online course The Covenant and join the discussion of scripture on this topic. God has so much for you—He is simply waiting for you to join Him on the path.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here. We are always here to help you on your journey to abiding in Christ!
