Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Phil 2:1-4 NKJV

Have you ever considered the basis of traffic laws? Two realities – the laws of physics and the covenants of cooperation. For instance, physical law – mass (weight) times velocity equals impact. This is why opposing vehicles travel on different sides of the street, to eliminate devastating impact. Physical law – the higher the center of gravity, the centerpoint of the balance of mass or weight, the less stable the vehicle or object is, especially in a turn. Objects in motion tend to move in a linear direction, not curve. This is why vehicles are built low and wide and are commanded to slow down while turning. Going fast in a turn can cause you to flip over in your vehicle. It’s a law. What about the covenants of cooperation?

When you get licensed to drive – it’s a privilege not a right – you enter a covenant with the governing authority, that represents all the other drivers on the road, and pedestrians, and all within the sphere of influence of your vehicle, that you will drive your vehicle in a manner that is safe for all involved. You have a covenant relationship with every other person on the road. If you break that covenant, for instance through speeding or reckless driving, the governing authority has the right and the responsibility to all that they represent, to bring consequences to you…before you bring consequences to others by your breaking of the covenant. Do you understand?

Now, there are laws and covenants in the kingdom of God. The first question is twofold – what is a law, and what is a covenant?

But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” Ex 33:20-21 NKJV

A law defines how God operates. It’s amazing to me that people think that God can do anything, when it is clearly set forth in His Word that He can’t. He cannot be tempted with evil or tempt any man (James 1:13). He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He obligates Himself by covenant to us to fulfil His word. He cannot break it!  Just as an aside, do you think God breaks His word when born again ones DON’T get healed here, then die and go to Heaven? No, because He sees us as eternal beings. The Lord, from before the foundation of the world, already has reckoned them living together with Him for all eternity, this life being just a momentary thing. What is seemingly unfulfilled HERE is fully fulfilled THERE. Oh, to see things the way God sees them!

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17-18 NKJV

Here are three examples of God’s laws.

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Acts 10:34 KJV

A law defines how God operates. Here is a law – GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS. What does that mean? It means He must be just to every person who was ever conceived, because life begins, thus the Creator’s covenant relationship begins, at conception. He is just to everyone, everywhere, without exception or condition even of their conception. Now, let’s take it a step further. For those of us as born-again ones, He says that Christ is in us, giving us the same status, the same authority, the same ability as the resurrected Son of God. He is no respecter of any of his born-again ones. He clothes every born again one – young, old, male, female – with His same resurrected presence without respect of persons, enabling everyone potentially to live as fully and efficaciously as He Himself. Ponder that one for a minute!

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” Matt 9:29 NKJV

Here is another law, which teaches us how God operates – BE IT UNTO YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH. Jesus said there can be great faith, little faith or no faith in the situation-by-situation areas of our lives. The fruits of our lives are indicative of our level of faith in that area. We all start out with little or no faith and gradually our faith grows, if we pursue those things that build faith. This is why God gave you parents, so that they teach you faith. Dad teaches you to work hard. Mom teaches you to clean your room and excel in school. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is older, he will not depart from it. Good parents train up your faith! The requirement of faith allows the Lord to be just to every man. You receive according to your faith!

Love never fails. 1 Cor. 13:8

Another law that shows us how He operates – LOVE NEVER FAILS. The great plan of God for all creation was the plan of a Father with His family. God is love, and from before the foundation of the world, Love sought a family. He knew of, anticipated and planned around every betrayal of angel and man to bring His plan to pass, and He has succeeded. Love never fails. Love energizes faith (Gal.5:6) that overcomes the world (1John 5:4). If we can integrate great love with deep spiritual perception and honest intellect, producing the genius anointing, we can solve the problems of any people, because love never fails.

So, what is a covenant? A covenant is an agreement, an obligation to fulfil that is binding even unto death. Jesus made a salt covenant with the apostles – specifically with Judas – at the last supper. Judas should have never betrayed Jesus after making that covenant. If he had not killed himself, it would have been the responsibility of the avengers of blood, in this case the apostles, to execute him. Now, we have lost the understanding of covenant, and because of that society is falling apart. Marriages ending in divorce. Covenant breakers! Contracts broken, resulting in lawsuits. Covenant breakers! Criminal activity that threatens the very fabric of communities. Covenant breakers! I mentioned earlier that we who are drivers have a covenant with everyone else within our sphere of influence of our vehicles to drive safely. Tucson drivers are known to be the worst drivers in the USA. Just this morning I watched as three cars in succession ran a red light that could have caused a devastating accident to other drivers. Covenant breakers!

The body of Christ must be covenant keepers.

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom 10:8-13 NKJV

Romans Five details out the covenant the Lord has entered with each of us who are believers in Him.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

Christ in Our Place

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Rom 5:1-11NKJV

The Lord’s obligation is to save you and make you a member in His body, in His family forever. Your obligation to Him is to make Him Lord, to obey Him fully. By extension you also enter a covenant relationship with every other member of the body of Christ, to love them unconditionally, to esteem them as more important than yourself, to support them in love, to bring out the best in all involved. When we realize that we are in covenant with God and with every other born again one, it changes our whole world view. No longer do I live unto myself, to seek only my success, wealth and comfort. I relate to all that I have as a steward and not as an owner.

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Cor 5:14-15 NKJV

The nature of unsaved man is the nature of a rebel, a narcissist, a self-worshipper. But our nature has been completely and utterly made new in the new birth. We have become covenant members of the body of Christ where our God has committed His all to us, and we have given our all to Him, and by extension, to all our brothers and sisters. This is the challenge to love one another, which means fulfilling our covenant to Him who is love and to all His family. We are covenant keepers, and this is the covenant life. Amen? Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…