by
Pastor Sharron I. Scott, Let Go and Soar Ministries
7/16/14,
revised 1/31/15
Is
covenant dead in America? In order to answer that question truthfully
or accurately, we need to define the word “covenant”.
Vine's
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines covenant
as:
(literally, a coming
together), which signifies a mutual undertaking between two parties
or more, each binding himself to fulfill obligations...
What
is the difference between covenant, promise and contract?
Vine's
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines promise
as:
An undertaking to do or
give something. Frequently signifies a gift graciously bestowed, not
a pledge secured by negotiation, as in “the promise of the Spirit”
(Gal. 3:14)
Webster's
Dictionary defines contract as:
“a written, binding
agreement between two or more parties”
If
we explore the relationship each of these has with the others, we can
see their differences. Covenant
is a “coming together.” Two or more willingly become one in mind
and spirit, binding themselves to each other to fulfill agreed-upon
obligations.
Genesis 9:8-17
8Then
God said to Noah and to his sons with him? 9”I
now establish my covenant
with you and with your descendants after you 10and
with every living creature that was with you-- the birds, the
livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the
ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11I
will establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be
destroyed by waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to
destroy the earth.”
12And
God said, “This is the sign of the covenant
I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a
covenant for all generations to come: 13I
have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the
covenant
between me and the earth. 14Whenever
I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
15I
will remember my covenant
between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never
again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16Whenever
the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the
everlasting covenant
between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
17So
God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant
I have established between me and all life on the earth.”
This is an example of
covenant between God and all living creatures. It is an everlasting
covenant. It will never end. It was spoken to Noah. Terms,
conditions, agreement, honor, trust; all much deeper than a promise.
A
promise is
something one can do alone (to yourself or to God). You may do it FOR
another person (for example, promising to never tell a lie again,
promise to pay back a debt). It is something one takes upon oneself.
Certainly promises are broken frequently. But a promise does not
require action from another person, other than accepting and
trusting. A “mutual promise” still is an individual action, as
each party decides within themselves what they will or will not do.
Luke 24:49
49I
am going to send you what my Father has promised;
but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on
high.”
Jesus fulfilled God's
promise to his beloved by sending his Holy Spirit. God's promises are
never broken.
A
contract is a
legally binding document, signifying an agreement between parties.
There is usually a “penalty clause” for severing a contract,
which involves sever penalties. BUT it is agreed-upon by all parties
concerned, as signified by signatures and seals. In my research I
have yet to discover a contract in scripture. It may well be that it
is a man-made documentation of a promise or agreement.
Now,
taking a slightly different path, let's look at the word “honor.”
(as a noun and verb) It is primarily a valuing, a price paid or
received, i.e. to be paid honor, or to receive an honor. Or a reward
for an act well done. Also to hold in esteem, as in to honor God.
Valuing Christ, valuing a person. Honor bestowed by the Father upon
him who serves Christ (John 12:26). As in the duty of children to
honor their parents, the duty of all to honor the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. It has also been used synonymously with “glorify; to
have glory or be made glorious”. So honor is a thing, and it is
also something you can do or bestow upon someone.
Deuteronomy 26:19
19He
has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor
high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people
holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.
Here we see that God is
honoring his beloved faithful who are obedient, according to his
promise. So he promised to honor his faithful people. Amazing.
How
about the word “respect”?
To esteem, regard, to honor. We can see that respect and honor are
close, and may even be synonymous at times. And they both require
that we hold “value”.
1 Peter 2:17
17Show
proper respect
to everyone, love the
family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
I love this passage. It
teaches us to respect, love, fear and honor appropriately.
Is
there really such a thing as Covenant in America?
And now we will address
the main question: “Is Covenant in America really dead?” If you
were to ask any person under the age of twenty the meaning of
“covenant”, chances are you would be staring at a rather blank
look on their face. At least that has been my experience. There are
some who are a bit more perceptive of what you are really asking, and
from those you may hear the response, “It's something like a
promise.”
Indeed, we can even
venture to say that many of the over-twenty crowd would not have a
more enlightened answer. I find that quite alarming. My reasoning is
this: If the average person who has supposedly completed a secondary
education, at the very least, cannot define the word “covenant”,
can we safely say it is not taught in public education, or at home,
or discussed in churches?
Why
is this important? It is our belief that if we are not teaching the
principle of covenant to our youth, we are also not teaching them the
value of honor and
respect. Oh, we would say that most of them are familiar with the
term “promise”, and don't give much weight to it. We can fairly
confidently say that the majority of us still remember the last time
someone broke a promise they made to us. Many of us grew up realizing
that a person's word means next to nothing in most cases. They idea
of an agreement sealed with a handshake is amusing. “I give you my
word” is an obsolete phrase.
How does this relate to
or reflect upon respect? Well, within my scope of experience, when
someone breaks a promise they have broken trust. There are exceptions
to this, however I believe it to be true most of the time. And
without trust, respect is non-existent.
So, if most people we
have questioned about the definition of covenant believe it to be
just another word for “promise”, and our theory on the validity
of promises holds true, then most people think that covenants are
also unreliable, and hold little to no value.
Let's tie this in with
honor. If you were to ask the same group of young people (or anyone
for that matter) the definition of “honor”, what would you hear?
In my experience asking this question, the response I get back is “to
pay respect to”. Or “to acknowledge an accomplishment” (as with
the 'honor roll' at school). What does honor have to do with
covenant? Well, let's think about that. If you have entered into a
covenant, it certainly can contain a promise. It must contain honor
and respect for all parties. We have also mentioned the word “trust”.
Certainly covenant has a huge amount of trust involved. And parties
involved must hold these core values.
In
my experience, the covenant(s) I have chosen to enter into do not
have any “escape clauses”. It is my solemn vow to keep a mindset
and heart and core value until the day I die. It takes an “attitude
of servitude”. That doesn't mean I won't make mistakes or trip up
occasionally. I still have my human nature. But it means that the
covenant is still in place regardless of my mistakes. And it also
requires LOVE. Covenant is a heart
matter. In covenant you must give of yourself. And you must receive
from another. It is an exchange of “Agape” (pure, unconditional)
love, although it takes two.
Now, if we do not teach
this to our children in our words and actions, and they grow up not
valuing covenant or even considering it a part of life, they will not
teach it to their children. They will grow up without value of
life-long commitments. They will not know how to properly honor and
respect and value others or themselves. And to me that is a
devastating thought. I already see this reflected in our society
today. If they do not see covenant, grow up experiencing it as love,
they cannot live it out.
I
know this is a weighty statement, but look around; in our society,
what is the divorce rate in and out of the church? How many children
do you know who actually have and show respect to authorities in
their lives? We all make mistakes, but how do we explain the
recidivism in our prisons and jails? You see, to receive and
participate in covenant, you must take responsibility
for your own part. It is a huge undertaking. And it is, or can be a
real Romans 12:2 journey:
Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will
is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
I believe that until we
begin to teach covenant, respect, honor, trust and value for
authority, and live and walk in pure love exhibited to those in our
own care, the deterioration of marriages and families will continue.
The rate of homelessness and the mindset of entitlement will continue
to grow. The misuse of funds intended solely for those unable to work
due to serious physical or other disabilities will continue to
increase and the funds will run out because of the deceitfulness of
those “working the system”.
I believe this also
spreads out into the workforce. If we do not teach our youth to value
“working your way up the ladder”, and learning by experience, and
instead continue to allow them to live off of others or wander from
town to town without a home and be content to do so, we will continue
to see the rate of unemployment rise.
Questions like “Why
should I respect that person? They don't respect me!”, “Why
should I treat them with love? They don't treat ME with love!” and
the inability to keep a job through tough times are symptoms of not
being able to cope with adversity. Teaching our children to honor and
respect their family and friends and co-workers and employers, as
well as law enforcement and government officials, those serving our
country in and for any type of government service, and the armed
forces, directly effects how they will see themselves. Approximately
less than 10% of US citizens have ever served in our military. It
will also effect their ability to work well with others. And it will
also determine how successful they will be in finding the mate that
is right for them, and raising a family that will hold together.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to teach
any of these values without GOD. Yes, I said it and I meant it.
Without God present, it is not a covenant. “Civil union” is not
marriage. There is no covenant in a “civil union”. We cannot, for
our own convenience, re-invent or adapt or change that which God has
created. Marriage is very specifically between a man and woman and
God. It is a covenant that can't be entered into by any other
combination of people. He would not be a part of that. He would not,
and will never bless that. We can't re-define what God has defined.
That provision was not given to us. When we try to do so, we are
trying to be God.
“Civil Union” is just
two people agreeing to “try”. Without God present in the hearts
of both people, they will never truly be able to work through the
hard times that inevitably come. Standing in front of a clerk's
window and signing a marriage certificate is not marriage. At
best, it is an agreement to “try”. Without the love of Jesus
present in their union, there is only selfishness. And if BOTH
partners do not have the Holy Spirit within them, they cannot give
that love to another. They can't expect God to bless that marriage.
Therefore it is destined to fail, or recede into a loveless
partnership.
I truly believe that only
with the presence of the Holy Spirit in a marriage can a man and wife
learn how to love each other unconditionally. It is not an automatic
thing. It must be learned. And it is a choice. Also, unless it is
modeled by the parents, it cannot be present in the children. They
cannot give what they don't have, and the children can't receive what
isn't given.
If that foundation is not
set in the beginning, then it is also not going to be present in
future relationships, whether personal or professional. Again, we
cannot give what we have not received. We cannot teach what we have
not learned.
I
also believe that, because of the world we have all grown up in, we
must, MUST teach new Christians what covenant, honor, respect, and
trust look like. We must teach them how to walk in these things. We
must teach them how to respond to situations differently, with the
heart of Jesus. It does absolutely no good to hand them a bible and
tell them to read it, and ask questions when they have them. Or tell
them to go to a home group. Those things are good, but when
confrontation or difficulties come, how will they know exactly what
to do? How will they respond in a crisis? Chances are they will
revert to old, familiar behaviors and responses.
We must give them, and
our children (grown or small) coping skills. Actual tools to use when
they are confronted with life situations. Yes, it's great to give
them scriptures, but showing them how to battle from a place of honor
and respect is far more powerful. Learning how to “Stop and
think--'Is that what love looks or sounds or feels like?' or “How
does Jesus see this person or situation right now?” or “what
would make Father God happy in this situation?” Then quickly ask
Holy Spirit to give you strength to respond in love and to use you to
be a blessing. Or ask yourself how you can be a blessing to someone
on purpose today. Honor someone you don't even know. These are
practical examples of how to handle daily situations in addition to
scripture and prayer.
And quite possibly the
most important, we must teach the value of HUMILITY. The definition
of humility is “to be made low”. Bummer. We don't like that whole
concept. But I prefer the mindset of placing my own needs and desires
on the back burner, and thinking of the other person's needs first.
To be humble is to honor others before you receive honor yourself.
There is also false humility. God never asks any of us to be
doormats. However, we must realize we are all equal in God's eyes. We
are all his favorites. Therefore, to hold yourself above others is
wrong. To have a humble heart is to realize that you are no better
than anyone else. Just different. And if washing feet was good enough
for Jesus, then it needs to be a part of who we are. In order to
enter in to covenant you must be humble. You must be willing to think
of others before yourself. And you MUST be willing to put God FIRST.
So you see, without these
qualities—honor, respect, trust, humbleness, and without a
heart-value for covenant, we will continue to struggle with life's
circumstances instead of being blessed by God's Truth.
Connection
at the click of a button?
The
rate of development of technology is astounding. In one generation
(my lifetime) computers have gone from being roughly the size of an
industrial refrigerator in 1973 to being small enough to fit in the
palm of your hand today. Communication has been made an instantaneous
thing. This is good in some ways, but it has fueled the instant
gratification mindset we saw begin in the 1970s. “Gotta have it
NOW!” It has birthed socially impossible relationships.
Relationships with absolutely no honesty, no transparency. Connection
can and many times does exist only on the device, and can begin and
end at the touch of your fingertips. There is no desire to (or need
to?) connect physically, emotionally, relationally, beyond the image
on the screen. The enemy enters in gleefully, knowing this is a field
wide open to his manipulation.
Teaching
your toddler to operate a tablet and play games on line has become a
surrogate parent; many times in the guise of “expanding his/her
knowledge base”. Please don't misunderstand, I don't think all
computer use or electronic devices should be banned from early
learning. I recall my children watching Sesame Street every day. That
was nearly as controversial, as the television became the babysitter.
You may love your devices, but I guarantee they will NOT love you
back.
My
whole point is, if you do not have time to sit with your child and
interact on the tablet, or computer, or phone or even television,
something is wrong. Your priorities are off. Soon you will be
complaining that your child is not paying enough attention to the
appropriate tasks. Soon you will find their ability to focus on the
spoken word is greatly hampered. If your priorities are keeping your
child quiet and happy so you can do what you want to do, soon they
will find their happiness elsewhere. And it will affect their
attention span in school, at home, and later behind the wheel and in
the workplace. They will not have a work ethic, because they never
learned what that means. Neither will they be able to connect on a
loving, spiritual level, or function in a loving, affectionate
relationship in a fully reciprocal way.
“Work
ethic is a term you don't hear much anymore. The average person keeps
a job 2 years or less, from the most recent polls. When a problem
(perceived or real) arises, we switch jobs or just quit, instead of
working through it. It is by working through
a problem that things change for the better. If this skill is not
learned at home by practice and by example, it is not taught
elsewhere; therefore children will be flying by the seat of their
pants, wondering what to do next. They will do what their feelings
dictate at the time, which is not a good way to make decisions.
It is now normal to
depend upon technology to connect with others, to entertain, and to
inform and educate. Now, I'm not saying this is a bad thing. I have
re-connected with lost family members and our ministry has connected
with people all over the world via social media. But the good is
contrasted by the very bad. We all are aware of pornography,
pedophile sites, bomb construction instructions, terrorist sites and
more that are available to anyone who can type in a search engine
box. We know the good and bad sides of all of it. However, people who
utilize electronics multiple times all day long (if not 24/7) are
extremely sensitive about the topic of social detachment.
This, coupled with a lack
of value for honor, respect and covenant in a child's upbringing are
a petri dish for disaster in families, schools, workplace and
government. You see, it's easy to connect emotionally with someone
you only chat with on line, or visit on video chat. You can always
have “a bad connection” or just flat out “hit the red x” if
you get bored or disagree with that person. You can even block them
from making contact with you in the future. How does this teach the
life skills needed to develop relationships? It certainly does not
teach the value of appropriate physical affection. I would even go so
far as to say it separates people further, putting them in danger of
only seeing and knowing what that person chooses to reveal (or
manufacture) on line. You may meet in person, spend time together,
sometimes you marry. But somewhere down the line the real person will
be exposed. Yes, this can happen in physical encounters, and does.
But I believe physical presence makes the difference. We cannot learn
discernment of character if we don't see the person physically and
look into their eyes. And we all, every living person, need physical
touch. You see, we were given sensors by our creator God, not just in
our hands but in our eyes, ears, mouth and brain. The flat image on a
computer is deceiving, and after a while we forget to use these
sensors. And that is where danger begins.
Putting
it all together
In a society where the
majority of our time is spent in front of some sort of impersonal
device (television, computer, phone, tablet, video game), how do we
teach the value of covenant, honor, respect, and trust? And why is
this important?
Let's take movies and
television, for instance. Most of us will agree upon the lack of
value for respect, honor, trust and other positive values, in the
media. Let's carry this thought through. IF we are spending most, if
not all of our spare time this way, and these core values are not
contained in what we are taking into our minds, what will the
behavioral outcome be? Your behaviors will only be changed by those
things you value. You must perceive or find personal gain from them.
If a child grows up in a
home where he or she is constantly subjected to aggressive behavior
and language on television and in real life, they will manifest those
same behaviors, unless somewhere they are shown other options. And
they are shown value for those options. If children are not taught to
respect others, and are allowed to do what they want, when they want
(including screaming when they don't get their way—until they do--
or constantly and rudely interrupting when others are speaking), and
if they are not raised by parents who value and respect each other,
the problem becomes generational.
I personally see a
connection to all of this and our decreasing church attendance. I
believe that children aren't brought up to value anything that they
don't perceive to be centered around their lives. They hold no value
for God or a church family. “After all, what's God ever done for
me?” This is evident in their immediate gratification mindset; they
won't work to earn anything, and won't wait for what they want.
So
where did Covenant Go?
So, is covenant dead in
America? I believe it is drawing what could be its last, staggering
breath. What will our country be like if covenant, and all its values
completely disappear? I don't want to know. I believe in the majority
of cases that the concept of being “dissed” has taken on a whole
new meaning. Honor is a joke. Respect is something you only have out
of fear. Trust is non-existent. In many cases this is true, but not
in all.
Somewhere in America
there are families who sit around the dinner table without their cell
phones, and talk about their day—with each other-- and learn to
listen in order to understand. They help each other clean up after
dinner. The children (yes, even the teenagers) listen to, obey and
honor their parents. When they run in to problems, they ask their
parents for help and advice. The family prays together, goes to
church together and the kids even SING in church! They work together.
When someone within the family or community needs help, they make a
point of doing what they can. Somewhere in America there are whole
communities of families who honor God, worship together, and value
each other. They love our country and serve in whatever capacity they
are able.
“Yeah,
right.” I can hear people thinking this as they read. Is this your
reality? Or have you come to the point where you believe this is
euphemistic thinking, and will never happen? Well, I know
it can.
We are the only country
in the world who openly acknowledges that it is covered by God. What
do I mean, and how can I make a statement like that? Think back when
you used to recite the pledge of allegiance:
“I pledge allegiance to
the flag of the United States of America
and
to the republic for which it stands, one nation,
under God,
indivisible, with liberty
and justice for all.”
No other country in the
world says that. NONE. Why is that important? We are primarily a
Christian nation. Now efforts are being made legally to remove the
name of God from everything—curriculums, government buildings, our
pledge of allegiance, music, art, insurance policies, and many other
places. What does this teach our children? What does it show to the
rest of the world? Think on this—God is love. Removing God...remove
love. Do we need love in our government? Oh, you betcha!
We are God's people. We
have his favor, if we choose to receive it. We don't have to earn it;
it's already there. We just need to believe and receive. What
difference would this make? When you believe in God, you must
respect, love and honor him. If, as a Christian, you have surrendered
your life to Christ his son, and received him as your savior, and the
gift of the Holy Spirit, you must love yourself and others equally.
If you are a child of
God, you are covered by him (to be “under God”). He protects you,
guides you, is always with you. This doesn't mean nothing ever goes
wrong. It means, just as with our own children, when we fall he picks
us up. He loves us unconditionally. He will never, never leave us or
forsake us. What is the value of that? When God is present, we have
no successful enemies.
I believe if we as the
body of Christ and as a nation walk in our faith, according to the
core values of the word of God, and live as examples Jesus taught us
to be, our nation will better reflect the heart of God. You see, he
entered into covenant with us. His word shows us over and over again
how he has made allowance for our failings. How he has loved us in
spite of our bad decisions, and still loves us. I believe that the
Everlasting Covenant of Jesus is available for us all. Individually,
and as a nation.
Yes, we are a “melting
pot”. I am not saying we have to convert everyone to Christianity.
That's not our responsibility. You heard me right...that's NOT our
job. It's God's job. OUR job is to be Christ to the world, starting
right here in our own families, towns, counties, state and nation. We
are to emulate the example Christ gave us. In order to do that well,
we need to stay in fellowship with the body of Christ, and immerse
ourselves in God's word. We need to be in Christ, and he in us, as he
is in the Father. This is the example the world needs. When they look
at us, they need to see Jesus. That is our responsibility. Why?
If we treat everyone,
regardless of ethnic origin, religion, economic status or other
factors, as equals; with love, respect and honor, whether or not we
agree with their choices-- they will begin to see who Jesus is. If we
do not, then we will appear to not have the same values Jesus did.
Indeed, it would appear that we do not value Jesus as we value
ourselves. We owe the world an encounter with Christ. When we treat
them with love, we are giving them God.
Jesus Christ rose from
the grave three days after dying for us on the cross. He sits next to
his Father in heaven for eternity. Eternity in heaven in the presence
of the Father is also available to everyone, regardless of our past
decisions. All we need to do is ask Jesus to forgive our sins and
become our savior. But to do this, we must believe in him.
It is only through love,
honor, respect, covenant, trust and value that we can convey the
grace of God. And it is only through the grace of God that our
country can be mended and made whole. Somewhere down the line our
value for entitlement superseded our value for honor. Our wants and
selfish desires have taken the place of caring for the needs of
others. It would seem that America's core values have drastically
changed from honor above all, to “personal rights” and
entitlement above all.
Yes, you may find
qualities of kindness, honor, gentleness, respect and core values in
other belief systems. But they are based on teachings of people who
are dead. We have a living God, who gave us his living word. A God
who pursues us relentlessly because his love for us is so deep. There
is no other God above him. His goodness and kindness follows us all
the days of our lives.
You see, we have
forgotten what we believe. And if we forget, we don't pass it down to
our children. And if we don't pass it to our children, they cannot
walk in it. If they don't walk in it, all God's core values perish.
Without the core values of God's word, our nation will falter and
perish. We will succumb to the powers of this world, rather than find
victory in Christ.
Yes, we say we love our
country. Do you stand and sing when the national anthem is played
and/or sung? Do you remove your hat and salute the flag? We say we
want to see our country thrive. But what we dwell upon, we bring into
being. What does your life reflect? Are you a person of honor? Do you
walk in a lifestyle that reflects the values of Christ? Only in
Christ can we see victory. Only in Christ can we overcome the enemy.
Only in Christ can we recover what we have lost.
God entered into covenant
with his people. He heard “one nation under God”, and he believed
us. He was present at the signing of our Declaration of Independence,
and our Constitution. He is doing his part. Are we?
I want to encourage you
to walk in integrity. Bless others daily. Live up to your promises.
Be honest and trustworthy. Resist temptation to take the easy way
out. When others meet you, they need to meet Jesus. Be the good news
of Christ, and teach this to your children and grandchildren. Show
them the freedom of living “under God”. And be the person you
want them to grow up to be.
These are life decisions
that can be difficult. But it's all about decisions. God gave us,
through the Holy Spirit, the gift of self-discipline. Use it. Ask for
help if you need it. We can change our nation, or we can allow others
to.
We must not let Covenant
die, or our country will follow suit. At least that's the way I see
it. I encourage you to thoughtfully put together your own personal
covenant with God. What will you do for him for the rest of your
life, even unto eternity? What will you covenant with him?
He gave you his one and
only son, who is the Everlasting Covenant. What will you give him?
I believe in the victory
of our country over evil. I believe in our victory over self-centered
mindsets. I believe our country is the greatest country on earth. I
am grateful to God every moment of every day that he created me at
this time to live here in this place. I am excited at the
possibilities we have before us. But I must consciously decide to
walk in grace, truth, peace, honor, and all that God is. I must give
my life for what he stands for. I must surrender my life to him. And
I do, every moment of every day.
God is waiting patiently
for your decision. He's holding up his end of the covenant. Are you?
Grace and peace to you,
and may God bless you, and God bless America!
