The Way Covenants Work - #4

Another confusing thing about Jew-Israel/Gentile distinctions relates to the way covenant works.

A covenant is a bond involving several special aspects. There are differing models of how covenants work, but I am most familiar with Bishop Ray Sutton's five point model (found in his book on the subject; That You May Prosper).

A covenant is entered into in special ways involving witnesses, self maledictory oaths, signs and seals, systems of rewards and punishments (blessings and cursings), and provisions for succession. Christians are most familiar with the covenant of marriage. One man and one woman covenant together before God, his minister, and witnesses to be faithful to each other, love each other, etc. They take vows or make oaths. The oath has associated blessings and cursings. After the ceremony, the minister announces the man and woman to be husband and wife and presents them to God and the gathered witnesses. The provisions for succession come with passionate lovemaking; children.

You see, getting married involves several things. But what if the husband or wife breaks a vow. What if the husband commits adultery? Is he no longer her husband? No, he remains her husband, even though he is unfaithful and wicked. The marriage can only be ended through official divorce, a breaking of the bond. The covenant is declared cancelled or broken, again by a minister of God, and often involving witnesses, division of property, division of rights, etc. It is messy.

When God covenants with a people as He has with those who've joined His church, it is much the same. There are those who are unfaithful, but they are still church members or members of Christ's body. They remain so until they are officially charged with unrepentant and habitual sin and excommunicated. All the same, God's promises are to His people, whatever they happen to be called at particular times in history; Jews and Israel in the Old Covenant, Christians and Church in the New Covenant. But these were always a people based upon faith and not race, culture, blood, or nationality.

So, you see, there can be many unfaithful sinning "Christian" members of the church. If this is widespread, it gives the church a bad name, and God's name is blasphemed because of such hypocrisy. This is why habitual evil livers must be cut off as Jesus says; "if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you."

With the New covenant, God's individual people have a new name. They are called Christians. There is also a new name for the collective people of God; the Church. And all those who can be called Christians and members of Christ's church must believe in Jesus as the Christ of God. God in Christ does not have two special peoples. He does not have two brides.

DR

P.S. The last series of posts regarding Jew-Gentile distinction is a jumbled matrix of thoughts and needs a great deal of distillation. I'll be working on this eventually.