Let Covenant Love Continue And Dealing With Insecurities
1 John 3:1-3 NKJV
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
In the New Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator, revealed to us God as a Father. Throughout the Old Testament, God is know as “God Almighty,” the “Great I am” and we can identify 15 other different names, which also unveiled God’s character. Jesus introduced for the first time the concept of fatherhood and also He talked about the possibility for everyone who came to Him (Jesus) to have a covenantal relationship with God the Father, and of course this outraged the religious leaders of that time, because they were the ones who knew all the law and they very much enjoyed the difference between the clergy and laity.
But let’s just look at the marvellous love the Father has extended to us, such love that He calls us His children without respect of persons, everyone is invited to this relationship. Amazing!
1- Understanding the spiritual realm
A. Discerning of spirits.
This covenant relationship with God the Father can only be made possible by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son. We must believe in the Son and that He is the Mediator of this better covenant with God.
The problem is that many don’t know Jesus personally, they only know religion, rituals and superficiality. Many Christian churches are full of people who are religious but not saved, this is very sad. 1 John 4:1 NKJV says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
The religious spirit is very deceiving, it talks a good talk but doesn't walk the talk. A religious person says, “Jesus is the Son of God and was perfect because He was divine not like us humans who are full of sin and wickedness,” this statement is in part true, but they say this to excuse their sin yet have no intention in humbling themselves before God to receive a God’s new nature in them. Jesus was 100% human, He came in the flesh and experienced all we experience, yet He didn’t sin because He was the Son of God. He shed His blood and paid the punishment of sin for us so we can enter into a covenantal relationship with God. Therefore, when we are born again we become sons and daughters of God and the power of sin gets broken over us, it cannot hold us slaves any longer. See what John 8:32-36 NKJV tells us, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Also 1 John 3:8-9 NKJV tells us, “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
Not only Christ was 100% human and 100% Son of God, now because of what He did for us, we are 100% human and 100% sons and daughters of God, and sin has no power over us just like sin didn’t have power over Jesus. We could still sin if we wanted too, just like Jesus could of have sinned if He wanted to, but He didn’t and now in Christ we don’t want to. The power of sin and the struggle to stay holy is broken, we are now holy in Christ. Praise the Lord!
B. The three witness.
There are three witnesses in Heaven and three witnesses on earth that testify that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised Messiah, as 1John 5:5- 12 (AMP) says, “Who is the one who is victorious and overcomes the world? It is the one who believes and recognises the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. 6 This is He who came through water and blood [His baptism and death], Jesus Christ—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is the [Holy] Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. [He is the essence and origin of truth itself.] 7 For there are three witnesses: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement [their testimony is perfectly consistent]. 9 If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [that is, if we are willing to take the sworn statements of fallible humans as evidence], the testimony of God is greater [far more authoritative]; for this is the testimony of God, that He has testified regarding His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies confidently on Him as Saviour] has the testimony within himself [because he can speak authoritatively about Christ from his own personal experience]. The one who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him [out to be] a liar, because he has not believed in the evidence that God has given regarding His Son. 11 And the testimony is this: God has given us eternal life [we already possess it], and this life is in His Son [resulting in our spiritual completeness, and eternal companionship with Him]. 12 He who has the Son [by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour] has the life [that is eternal]; he who does not have the Son of God [by personal faith] does not have the life.
This is the amazing truth of the New Covenant, that anyone who believes and surrenders to Christ becomes a son or a daughter, and through the Spirit of God we can call God, our Dear Father, see Galatians 4:6 NKJV says, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
2- Knowing who you are
If you don’t know who you are in Christ and the Covenant you have entered into, you will be dealing with insecurities because you will feel insignificant and the enemy will be messing with you. In the book of Romans we find the key to deal with insignificance, insecurities and pride. Let’s read it,
Romans 12
1 I beseech [urge] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Verse 3 in the Message translation says, “It’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.” And in the Passion Translation says, “God has given me grace to speak a warning about pride. I would ask each of you to be emptied of self-promotion and not create a false image of your importance. Instead, honestly assess your worth by using your God-given faith as the standard of measurement, and then you will see your true value with an appropriate self-esteem.
People who do things for approval or recognition and have an unhealthy desire for popularity must examine their motives because they could be dealing with insecurities or pride, and this is what Paul is referring to. It is true that as children of God who have been accepted by the Father and given an inheritance as His sons and daughters and insecurities, rejection, and feelings of insignificance have no room is us; yet many genuine Christians could loose their focus on Christ and begin to think their success is because of their doing. Others may think that when they go through a difficult season God’s favour have been lifted off from them and begin to question God and His love for them, this is wrong. We must be unshakable in our identity, the fact is, that we are God’s children because we have decided to surrender to Christ and to follow Him and in this truth we must be establish.
Disillusion is the result of unrealistic expectations that we have set for ourselves or on others and they don’t come to pass. You could have been setting expectations in the ministry, in your marriage, on your children, having a great job, etc. Remember your identity doesn’t come from your ‘doing’ but you ‘being,’ knowing and relating to God the Father in a covenantal relationship. You are a member of the Body of Christ and as Romans 12:4-6 NKJV tells us, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us.” God has given you a grace for you to function in the Kingdom, serving God is not only narrowed to holding a microphone, there are many ways to serve God in our everyday lives in ordinary ways but still influencing and telling people about Christ.
Read Romans 12:9-21 for your job description.
3- The greatest fulfilment of the New Covenant
Because we have been made Sons and daughters we can begin to behave like our Father God, and He is love. He fills us with His love and teaches us to love others, all of us didn’t really know how to love, our so called love was tainted with selfishness and ulterior motives, but God’s love is pure and sacrificial. This is what Jesus said in John 13:34-35, KJV “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The New Covenant is fulfilled in us when we love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and when we love others as we love ourselves as Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV tells us, “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Be the light in the dark, be the lily in the thorns, the salt in the unsavoury place. Be the warmth in a cold place. Be kind in a cruel place. Be humble and walk in love because you are God’s child and the Spirit that God the Father has deposited in you is greater than the spirit of the world.
I John 4:4 NKJV
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Karina Maile