By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

Ezekiel 37:26“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.”

Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

OUR COVENANT OF PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS

For a believer, it’s crucial to have a firm grasp on the foundation of your relationship with God. When this fundamental truth is unclear, the enemy can easily destabilize you, like shifting sand. This leads to instability and uncertainty – unsure if God is with you, if He has answered your prayers, or if He will even listen. Doubts may arise about the promises meant for you, as you struggle to understand why you deserve them. This uncertainty can even extend to questioning your salvation. This atmosphere of doubt breeds unbelief.

In response, you might begin devising your own ways to win God’s favor, attempting to make Him owe you blessings based on your own criteria. However, this self-devised strategy also leaves you uncertain, as true faith cannot stem from your own scheming. The outcome of all this is typically a significant letdown and failure. The enemy is deeply committed to sowing confusion regarding the foundations of your righteousness, your acceptance by God, the source of answered prayers, and the root of your authority in Christ. Additionally, he seeks to undermine your confidence in your identity within Christ. Should these foundations be shaken, your faith will also be shaken, a dangerous state for any Christian. Faith is paramount in our journey as believers. It guides our path; without it, our actions fall short of pleasing God. Faith is the key to answered prayers and the source of our victory. It acts as a shield, capable of deflecting the enemy’s attacks. The crucial truth is that faith is built upon the unwavering foundation of Christ Jesus and is reinforced by a superior covenant established through the blood of our Lord Jesus.

 THERE IS ONLY ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN HUMANITY AND GOD

1 Tim 2: 5-7 “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.”

HOW DID THE LORD JESUS MEDITATE THIS PEACE BETWEEN YOU AND GOD?

Let me quote from the book “HIS HEALING POWER by Lilian Yeoman MD.

“Jesus took the death penalty, which we had earned, and gave us His life, eternal life, instead. Hence, apprehension of Jesus Christ in all His offices by simple faith brings perfect peace; and thank God! “Tis everlasting peace, sure as Jehovah’s throne.”

This much we know because God tells us so in His Word, that under His holy law, which will never be altered or diminished in its requirements by so much as a jot or tittle, “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23.) That death is not only the disintegration and ultimate dissolution of the body by the processes which we call disease or decay but also the separation of the spirit from God; it is something we have justly earned. And God must pay us our wages. Must do so, I say, in conformity with the constitution of His being, which is in its very essence, righteousness and holiness. If I am sovereign of the realm under an absolute form of government and I owe you certain wages and emoluments, I must in common justice pay them. On the other hand, if—under the constitution of the realm— I owe you the death penalty, I must inflict it or cease to be just and right before men and the tribunal of my own conscience. God owes us something, and that something is death; and He must pay the debt. He will pay it in full—“the soul that sinneth, it shall die!” (Ezek. 18:20.) But Jesus Christ, who had no sin laid to His charge, ran in between the human race and the death penalty and bore it for us so that God, having made His Son suffer the full penalty for sin, can justly pardon us. Now He only requires of us that we acquiesce in this wonderful plan of redemption, that we let ourselves be clothed. Don’t come all dressed up in filthy rags of self-righteousness, but be arrayed body, soul, and spirit in the righteousness (rightness) of Christ. This is divine healing and divine health. Never forget that it comes only through the shed Blood.”

The covenant we have with God through our trust in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, the Son of God, and our Lord is unchanging and enduring. As Psalm 89:34-35 affirms, God’s covenant remains unbroken, and His promises are steadfast. Even in Isaiah 54:10, God assures us that His kindness and the covenant of His peace will never depart from us.] Our confidence in this covenant is well-founded because God’s nature does not change. Unlike humans who can be swayed by circumstances, He remains constant. Hebrews 6:13-15 underlines the unshakable nature of God’s promises, emphasizing His faithfulness in fulfilling them.

The essence of this covenant is our connection to God, and its foundation is Jesus’ shed blood. Hebrews 10:14 underscores the power in His blood, continuously cleansing and blessing us. This profound truth grants us forgiveness and purification as we take responsibility for our sins.

Hebrews 12:24 beautifully illustrates the transformative nature of Jesus’ blood, highlighting that it speaks of forgiveness, not condemnation. When God forgives, He forgets. Unlike human grudges, God’s forgiveness is complete and final.

Hebrews 10:15-19 reinforces the covenant’s assurance, promising God’s laws in our hearts and no remembrance of sins. Amid the enemy’s accusations, Jesus stands as our advocate, justifying us before God. His sacrifice atones not only for our sins but for the entire world, as emphasized in 1 John 2.

Through the sanctifying power of Jesus’ blood, we possess the confidence to approach God fearlessly. Rather than being separated due to our sins, His blood has set us apart as holy. It is this very blood that enables us to approach God’s throne of grace with assurance, seeking assistance in times of necessity. Ephesians 2:18 reinforces this truth, affirming that the Holy Spirit allows all of us to access the Father due to the work of Christ on our behalf.

 ABUSE OF THIS PRIVILEGE.MISUSE OF THIS GIFT OF LOVE AND MERCY

Titus 1:15 says that those with pure hearts perceive purity in all things, while the corrupt and unbelieving view nothing as pure, as their minds and consciences are tainted. They assert knowledge of God but their actions contradict this claim, rendering them detestable, disobedient, and inept for goodness. This tendency extends to even sacred matters like the new covenant of peace through Jesus’ blood. Jude 3 addresses the infiltration of ungodly individuals into the church, distorting the concept that God’s grace permits immoral living. Such distortion carries ancient condemnation, as they reject Jesus Christ as Master and Lord.

It’s imperative not to trivialize God’s grace, as some do. Our salvation rests solely on His grace manifested through the cross and received through faith. Neglecting this covenant of grace and mercy, established by Jesus Christ, is perilous. Galatians 2:21 reminds us of the importance of not rendering God’s grace insignificant. If righteousness could be achieved through the law, Christ’s sacrifice would have been unnecessary.

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the senior pastor of Fountain Of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.