Readings for today: Genesis 12-13
The Bible is clear…God wants a relationship with us. Jews and Christians both live by this fundamental truth. Religion for us is not about a list of rules we follow in order to make our way to God. It is not a way for us to earn our way into heaven. It is not a way for us to earn God’s favor or blessing upon our lives. It is fundamentally a relationship. The intersection of God’s Life with human life. The exchange of Divine Love with human love. This relationship takes place at God’s initiation. He makes the initial approach. He makes the decision to leave the heavenly dimension where He lives in eternal glory and come to the earthly dimension to meet us where we are. Without God making this decision, we could not have a relationship with Him for we do not have the power to move from this world to the next. He must come to us.
God speaks to Abram. “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3 MSG) Notice God places no conditions on His covenant. He will do these things for Abram simply because He loves him. He will do these things for Abram because He has a plan for the world and He desires to use Abram to bring about His will on earth. Abram is almost a bystander to this covenant. God appears to Abram. “I will give this land to your children.” (Genesis 12:7 MSG) Once again, there are no conditions. No expectations. God is simply going to give Abram a gift. One more time in our readings for today, God speaks. “Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I’m giving it all to you.” (Genesis 13:14-17 MSG) Once more, Abram is blessed. Not because of his obedience. Not because of his faithfulness. Not because of his goodness. He is blessed simply out of grace.
This is the difference between a covenant and a contract. A covenant is relational. A contract is transactional. A covenant operates by grace. A contract by works. In a covenant, both parties respond to each other out of love. In a contract, both parties respond out of obligation. Yes, Abram leaves his home and kindred and country. Yes, Abram builds altars to God. Yes, Abram prays. But these responses are not grounded in duty or debt but in the natural, loving response one makes when in an intimate relationship with their Creator.
In Jesus Christ, God comes to us. God meets us on our level. He takes on our sin. He removes our guilt. He does this purely out of grace. Not because we’ve earned it or achieved it or won it through our own effort. Through Christ, God initiates a covenant of grace with us and those who have been adopted into this covenant find themselves naturally responding to such grace with loving obedience. We don’t have to think about it. We don’t have to strive for it. We don’t have to make ourselves do it. We love because He first loved us. We serve because He first served us. We give because He first gave to us. This is the heart of the gospel.
Take some time and reflect on your relationship with God today. Do you find yourself obeying out of gratitude or guilt? Do you find yourself worshipping out of thankfulness or obligation? Is serving Christ a chore or is it a joy? The answers to these questions will tell you whether you see your relationship as a covenant or a contract. If the latter, know that God is extending you an invitation today to let go of your need to strive and work so hard and live by grace!
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 14-16