A Covenant-Making God

Genesis 15-17; Luke 6

“When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire-pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces…On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram…’I will confirm my covenant between me and you…’ Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you must keep my covenant…’”

Genesis 15:17, 18; 17:2, 9

It is God who takes the initiative in establishing a covenant with Abraham, and a covenant with us through Christ. This covenant is personal and two-way. God promises to forgive our sins, redeem us from death, and fill us with his Spirit. We offer our lives to him, choosing to obey his Word and live according to his ways.

Have we experienced this kind of personal covenant with God?

The sacrificed animals were a symbol of both the cost and consequences of covenanting with God. Jesus offered his body as that sacrifice on our behalf, and we, in turn, offer our bodies as living sacrifices back to God, which is our reasonable act of worship.

“Lord God, thank you for covenanting with me and choosing to bless me through Christ, for your glory.”