The Trinitarian Covenant
Model
In my book ‘Praying for Rain’ (1998) I already suggested that the concept Covenant of Grace receives a greater filling throughout the biblical history. Its gifts and promises become richer with the broadening of God’s self-revelation.
1)
Consider Romans 1.[1] God
has revealed himself to ‘people’, but ‘they’ neither sought him, glorified him,
nor thanked Him for his gifts and blessings. This is about all humanity. God has also revealed himself to them as their Good Father: their life-giver and care-giver.
He has given them many gifts, so they owe it to Him to seek Him and to walk
with Him.
2)
In the next two chapters, we read that God has further
revealed Himself to the Jews. They received the Word: the Law and the prophets. Yet, they did not live in
accordance with the Law and did not heed the prophets’ warnings. Now, the Law
and the prophets were supposed to bring God’s people to their knees before Him
in anticipation of God’s own Sacrifice. The
Word-became-flesh is the climax of the covenant.
In 3:21 through chapter 7, Paul explains that justification
only comes by faith while true faith will produce fruit of righteousness. They
had been under the law and slaves to sin, but now they have (voluntarily)
become slaves of Christ, under grace.
3)
In chapters 7 and 8 Paul comes to the new life in the Spirit. That is the mark for those,
who are in the New Covenant. Their lives no longer revolve around self and sin,
but around God’s Word and Spirit.[2]
4) Even so, life for the Christian involves ongoing warfare. The enemy does not
easily give up his prey, and deep down, also in the reborn Christian, there
remains a craving for things that would distract us from the new life in the
Spirit[3].
Who is the true ‘Child of God’?
So, we can summarize the status of a person ‘as
child of God’ accordingly:
1 God
has created humans in his image to be His children, for His glory.
Through the Fall, humans have
turned their backs to Father-God and have become slaves to Satan and sin. And
so, they have been ignoring God, His gifts for them, and his claim on their
lives.
Although their image-of-God has
been corrupted, God is still their rightful Father to whom they must return.
2 In and through Abraham’s seed, God has
revealed Himself in His Law and by his prophets, and eventually by His Son and
Holy Spirit. In His Word, he gives the promise of reconciliation, forgiveness,
the indwelling Spirit, and eternal life with Him. Through Christ’s death on the
cross people can be restored as children of God, when –revived by God’s Spirit-
they begin (in trust and obedience) to look again like children of God.
3 Now, in the New Covenant, the real
sign of being a ‘child of God’ is that this person no longer loves to serve
self, sin, and Satan. They love God, and they walk by the Spirit. Dressed in
God’s armor, equipped by God’s Spirit they do not shrug their shoulders,
saying, “Ah, you know, we’re all wretched sinners anyway!” No, they hate sin,
and they actively wage war against sin and Satan![4]
4 We’re not there yet! Only at the end
of time will the true sons-of-God be revealed and will our adoption as God’s sons
be complete.[5]
Creating Space: The 3-D Covenant Model
About a
year ago we ‘happened to’ walk into a Klezmer concert in the city of Leeuwarden
in The Netherlands. The group of three musicians called themselves C to the
third power. Their names all started with a C, and they felt that each one of
them not only contributed of his own experience and skill, but he also inspired
the other two to greater accomplishments.
So, the accumulated benefits of
the group were much greater than just three times that of one artist. So,
instead of 3 + 3 + 3 (=9), the effect was rather like 3 x 3 x 3 (=27).
Geometrically we can see this when we consider dimensions.
·
A point is
none-dimensional; it has location, but it does not take up space.
·
A line is
one-dimensional. We experience time this way. It is like a railway-track
without switches. It gives a lot more options than the point, yet it is quite
restrictive.
·
A plane is
two-dimensional. We can walk a field in all kinds of directions, but anything
up or down (from the field) is still no option. There gives much more freedom
than the train-track (much more than just two crossing tracks), but something
greater still exists.
·
Space (as we experience
it) has three dimensions. With airplanes and drones, we can go up and with
submarines we can go down. In fact, in most cases we rely on sophisticated
technology to utilize some of the third dimension.
So, I picture the Covenant of Grace as a
three-dimensional model.
It starts out with one line, one axis. It is of
infinite length but limited reach. Then, a second line is drawn and together
they form a flat plane of infinite area. Finally, when the third line is drawn,
perpendicular to the first two, the full 3-D spectrum opens up.
Actually, if we use fixed dimensions, we get
successively: a line-segment, a square, and a cube. I like it this way, because
in the Bible God’s Holy Presence is also symbolized by a cube. We see this in
the shape of the Most Holy Place and at the end: in the New Jerusalem.
1. After the Flood, God made a new beginning. He promised
to be the Father-creator and Father-provider, sustainer of all creation, all
humanity. God keeps giving sunshine and rain to all, and all must seek Him,
trust in him alone, and live in thankfulness to Him.
2. After the dispersion from Babel (Gen.11) God selected
Abram to make a new beginning. Over the centuries God made Israel into a
numerous nation and gave them the lands of people groups that had become very
perverted over time. After a long period of quarantine in Egypt, God set them
free from slavery and presented them with his Law. Over time, God gave further
revelation through his prophets. The purpose was that Israel should live as a
light on the mountain for the glory of the rightful King.
3. When the time had come for God to ‘remember His
covenant’, He sent his Son to fulfil the Law and to pay the price of human
obedience. To those, who follow Him in obedience and trust, He gives His Spirit
to dwell in them. They are now called to remain steadfast and to produce fruit
of the Spirit. As the parable of the seed-sower (Matthew 13) teaches us, not
all the seed that germinates in faith does persevere and bear fruit. Therefore…
if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
Overview
Noah; all creation
|
Abraham-Israel
|
Church and Mission
|
|
Promise
|
Creation;
Sustenance;
Providence
|
A great nation; a prosperous land
|
Inheritance
of the New Earth; co-government with Christ, the King
|
Scope
|
Creation;
All humanity
(Noah and family)
|
All who hear God’s Word and experience His grace: Abraham’s
offspring > Israel
|
All who accept hrist as their only Savior and follow Him
in voluntary service
|
Institution
|
After the Great
Flood
|
At Mount Sinai
|
Pentecost; Jerusalem
|
(New) Revelation
|
In creation, providence
|
In God’s Word: Law and Prophets; Christ and apostles
|
By His Spirit, who uses the Word and provides leaders,
teachers
|
Sign
|
The (rain)bow: sun and rain together
|
The blood; circumcision
|
The Spirit; baptism
|
Gracious Gift
|
Saved from drowning; new life
|
Saved from slavery; the Law and the Prophets
|
Forgiveness of sins; transformed heart; everlasting life
|
Promise
|
God’s Fatherly Care
|
Protection; blessing
|
Spiritual guidance, church leaders
|
Obligation
|
Respect and protect humans as God’s image-bearers
|
Trust and
obedience
|
Perseverance
and fruitfulness
|
Commission
|
Seek God, expect all good from Him alone; thanksgiving
|
A light to attract the nations in darkness to the Living
God
|
Call all people to faith and repentance
|
[1] 18 The wrath of God is being
revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who
suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about
God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the
world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been
clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are
without excuse.
[2] 9 You, however, are not in the
realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of
Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in
you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the
Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in
you. (Rom.8)
[4] 12 Therefore, brothers
and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according
to it. 13 For
if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you
put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are
led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you
received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather,
the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are
children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we
share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
[5] 18 I consider that our
present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed
in us. 19 For
the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be
revealed. 20 For
the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the
will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory
of the children of God.
22 We know that the
whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to
the present time. 23 Not
only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to
sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For
in this hope we were saved.
No comments:
Post a Comment