The Covenant Only God Can Keep

God's Consecrated Covenant: Understanding the Depth of God's Promise
In Genesis 15, we find one of the most profound moments in Abraham's journey with God. This chapter reveals not just a promise from God, but a sacred covenant that demonstrates the depths of God's commitment to His people.

What is the difference between salvation and sanctification?
Before diving into Abraham's experience, we need to understand an important distinction. When we first come to God, we experience salvation - God accepts us not as we are, but in Christ. However, until we truly enter into faithful following of Jesus, we never really enter the place of sanctification.

Salvation is our initial covenant with God, but sanctification is where God makes the covenant even deeper. While salvation is about being accepted by God through Christ, sanctification is about living in the abundant life God promises.

How did God establish His covenant with Abraham?
In Genesis 15, God appears to Abraham in a vision saying, "Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." Abraham had already committed to following God despite making mistakes along the way. He had settled in his heart that God was the way to go - no more Egypt, no more worldly compromises.

When Abraham expressed concern about not having an heir, God showed him the stars and promised descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Verse 6 tells us, "Abraham believed God, and He counted it to him for righteousness." This wasn't righteousness unto salvation (Abraham was already saved), but righteousness unto sanctification.

What was the significance of the covenant ceremony?
God instructed Abraham to prepare a sacrifice - a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. In the cultural context, when two parties made a covenant, they would divide animals and both parties would walk between the pieces, essentially saying, "May this happen to me if I break this covenant."

Abraham prepared everything exactly as instructed and protected the sacrifice from scavenging birds. Then something remarkable happened. As Abraham fell into a deep sleep, he saw a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passing between the pieces - but Abraham himself didn't walk through.

This is extraordinary! God alone passed through the covenant pieces. This means the covenant didn't rely on Abraham or anything he had done - it relied solely on God. God was essentially saying, "If this covenant is broken, I'll pay the price."

How does this ancient covenant relate to our lives today?
This covenant foreshadowed what Christ would do. When the covenant was broken (for all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory), God gave His life as the sacrifice. Hebrews 10:15-18 explains that through Christ, God put His laws in our hearts and minds, and our sins and iniquities He remembers no more.

While we still sin in our flesh (which will always be at enmity with God until we receive our incorruptible bodies), this isn't permission to sin. We should strive to honor the covenant by offering our lives as sacrifices to Christ daily.

Romans 12:1-2 instructs us: "Present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

How can we live a sanctified life in practical terms?
Living a sanctified life requires both the Word of God and the Holy Spirit:

1. The Word of God is "sharper than a two-edged sword," dividing the thoughts and intents of our heart.
2. The Holy Spirit is God's "down payment" in our lives. Jesus said it was good that He would leave so the Comforter could come.

We need a daily devotional life - intentional time spent with God. This should include:

• Starting with praise and thanksgiving
• Honest prayer and confession
• Reading God's Word, asking Him to speak to your heart
• Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you

What happens when we live a sacrificed life?
Throughout Abraham's journey, we've seen how faith moved him to follow God, even when he occasionally stumbled. When we allow the Word and Spirit to consecrate our sacrificed lives, several things happen:

1. We're transformed into Christ's image rather than conforming to the world
2. We lay up treasures in heaven
3. We learn contentment in all circumstances
4. We become equipped to rescue others who are perishing
5. We become "peculiar people" - not weird, but a special set-apart treasure for Christ
6. We become "zealous of good works" - passionate about serving God

Life Application
The path to living in God's promises follows this progression:

1. Hear God's Word, which gives us faith
2. Allow faith to move us toward God, trusting He alone is the way
3. Come out from the world and be separate
4. Offer ourselves as living sacrifices
5. Allow the Word and Spirit to permeate our lives

This might sound like a lot of work, but remember - the abundant Christian life isn't about material rewards. It's about walking through life with the One who gives life.

Ask yourself:

• Am I willing to sacrifice just 15 minutes of my day to spend time with God?
• What areas of my life am I still holding back from God's sanctifying work?
• Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to cover me completely, or am I trying to live the Christian life in my own strength?
• Do others see Christ in me, or do they just see me?

The rewards of a sanctified life aren't a nicer vehicle, house, or fatter wallet. The true reward is walking through life with the One who gives life itself.