God Will Honor His Covenant Promises - Jay Younts

As the turmoil grows more intense around our lives we are tempted to lose sight of the true reason for human history on our planet. What appears as chaos to our eyes is actually God being faithful to his promise to Eve and then to Abram. The first time human sin impact our world was in the garden. But God in his gracious, sovereign provision assured Eve that her offspring would crush the head of the serpent, thus giving hope and purpose for all mankind throughout history in his glorious covenant of grace!

Centuries later, this promise was repeated to Abram as God established a nation based on faith in his great name in Genesis 12:1-3:

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abraham responded in faith as he looked ahead to a city whose foundation was in heaven. But he as he lived here, on earth, God honored and blessed him because of his faithfulness to his covenant promise.

In these few words in Genesis 12, we see all of human history unfolding before eyes. These people and nations who will bless the gathered n of God will be honored. Those who do not will be cursed. Even so, all the families, the nations, of earth will be blessed.  God has mission for the family of faith, his church2

Two thousand years later, God once again speaks to all the nations of the earth in giving us more insight into the reason for human history.  The Holy Spirit records these words in Matthew 28:18-20:

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that  I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Here God’s promise to Eve and to Abraham is realized. Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and as triumphed, crushed the serpent’s head, at the cross.  God will continue to bless the nations of the earth through his gracious covenant promise. The reason the earth and mankind exist is to serve God by claiming a people for himself and rescuing them from the torment and chaos of their own sin. Through the making of disciples, who follow God in faith, the earth and those whom God will call will be restored. When mankind loses sight of God’s purpose for life, tyranny, and chaos result. This is the story of human history. This is the story we see being played out on the front pages of news media each day. 

God’s word is clear, blessing and peace are the results of honoring God’s purposes for man. It is in Christ, and in Christ alone, that purpose and wholeness are found. From Eve to Abraham, to Christ, the story remains consistent. It is in following Christ, in becoming his faithful disciples, that blessing occurs. 

In the report of Synod’s Committee concerning the Denominational Ministry Fund, two significant trends were noted. The first is that we are seeing more of our covenant children walk away from the covenant community. The second trend is fewer are coming to embrace the light of the gospel by our corporate witness for Christ and his kingdom.

I pray that we would trust God once again to embrace the gracious promise of the gospel, the true hope of mankind. This is the promise given to Eve, Abraham, and made real by the person of Jesus Christ. The gospel is our hope and of our world. It appears as if the torment and chaos of sin may have the upper hand. We may cry with the Psalmist, “how long, O Lord!” However, like the psalmist, God calls us to praise his name and recount his greatness to all, to make disciples of the nations.

God has another gracious word for us in 2 Peter 3:9.  God is not slow in keeping his promise. He is faithful to his covenant!  He is patiently providing the opportunity for his church, for you and for me, to follow the call of Christ and call out for repentance. He calls us to live such good lives among the nations that they will seek us out for the answer for the way we live that brings honor to Christ. I Peter 3:8-15

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  

This is genuine hope, not only for our denomination but for a world that has lost its way. May God continue to bless us as we embrace the promise of God’s faithfulness repeated throughout history and even in 1782.