It has been some time since I have written, and I have been promising for some time that I would write on the myths about covenant that have been put forth in the process of introducing our work on the church's Constitution and Bylaws. As you may know, the church elected a Bylaws Team in August of 2008 to review our current Constitution and Bylaws and recommend changes. I serve on this team, and have written about how this came together in an earlier blog post. In the course of our work, we noticed that churches are utilizing covenants as a part of their membership process. Our church currently has one in our Bylaws, but our team proposed having a new membership covenant to be signed by prospective church members before they join the church. In our current draft of the Constitution, we have a place for a signature. The goal is to have prospective members be thoughtful about the commitment that they are about to make with regard to joining the church. My generation and younger have not had a good track record with regard to commitment; the proposed covenant outlines the expectations of church membership (praying for one another, attending, giving, and loving one another).
During the town hall meetings that we had in 2009 when we first introduced the proposed Constitution, I heard some folks express some misconceptions about the idea of covenant. I would like to dispel those here, and hope to encourage the members of our church to delve deeply in God's Word about covenant.
Myth #1: "My covenant is with God, throught Jesus Christ. I cannot enter into a covenant with anyone else."
Truth: It is true that our covenant with God is cut in Jesus, literally. The Hebrew word that we translate as "covenant" is beryth (which means "a compact made by passing between pieces of flesh")1. When this word is used to speak of an agreement between God and man, it is accompanied by signs, sacrifices, and a solemn oath that cements the relationship.2 Our bond with God has been made by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ--His precious blood poured out on our behalf and His miraculous resurrection from the dead. So, in essence, we do have a covenant with God. However, this covenant with God does not preclude making other covenants, or entering into covenant relationships. One may be a Christian and be married, for example. The wedding ceremony signifies a covenant that is enacted between a man and a woman. In addition, it is permissible for a person to enter into a covenant of friendship or loyalty, such as David and Jonathan did. This is recorded in 1 Samuel 18. 1 Samuel 18:3 says: "And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself." Jonathan agreed to look out for David and to be loyal to him. The next verses in chapter 18 reveal the aspects of the covenant ceremony and the implications for Jonathan: The giving of his robe, the giving of his tunic, the giving of his weapons--all meant to signify that Jonathan was willing to take on David's enemies; he would defend David. There is rich treasure in studying covenant, and how the covenants of the Bible reveal truths about the character of God. Our covenant relationships on earth should draw us closer to God, as well. In short, there is no Biblical restriction to Christian brothers and sisters entering into covenants with God's people.
Myth #2: "I can't keep a church covenant, and will fail, so I mustn't enter into one."
Truth: In our own power we can do nothing. We can do all things through Christ, who enables us to do them (Philippians 4:13). Will I make every effort to pray? Will I know what to pray? Of course, you will--through the power of the Holy Spirit! God is the might and the power of the universe. He gives us life, heals us, enables us, and is our provider. We diminish His might when we say, "I can't keep a covenant." This also reveals our lack of faith, and our own selfish tendencies. God is in control, and we can enter into a covenant or commitment to His Church because it is a righteous thing to do and He will enable us to carry out that commitment.
Myth #3: "I can't say 'I will pray' or "I will attend". I would rather say 'I will try to', or 'I will endeavor to'."
Truth: In the Bible, there are no covenants that the people of God enter into where God's people say "I will try..." in response to God's covenant promises. God's chosen people demonstrate for us a model with regard to our response to God: "I will." In Exodus 24, the Israelites confirm the covenant offered to them by God at Mt. Sinai by saying, "Everything that the LORD has said we will do (verse 3)". Either we will believe God, and do what He asks, or we don't, and we won't. Again, the idea is not that we are perfect, but that God will enable us to do great and righteous things for His Kingdom.
There is an element of faith in all that we do. We must believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do. Our faith is demonstrated in the commitments that we make and keep. If our actions and relationships are marked by fear and distrust, then we must examine our faith. We are not our own as Christians. We belong to God, and He expects us to love Him and one another. I hope that this brief treatise on covenant myths and truths has been informative and helpful to you.
May God's richest blessings flow over you,
Jennifer
1Arthur, K. Our Covenant God (WaterBrook Press: Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1999), p. 31.
2Ibid.
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