- The Five Aspects of the Everlasting Covenant
- The First Aspect of the Covenant: “Perception”
- The Second Aspect of the Covenant: “Prophecy”
- The Third Aspect of the Covenant: “Personal”
- The Fourth Aspect of the Everlasting Covenant “Possession”
- The Fifth Aspect of the Everlasting Covenant: “The Picture”
- The Everlasting Covenant: The Conclusion
The Everlasting Covenant was revealed to Abraham by God, Who is a Spirit. Abraham was a Spiritual man, who possessed Faith (Galatians 3:7, 9). This Covenant applied also to the Spiritual Seed of Abraham (even Jesus):
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16)
“…till the seed should come to whom the promise was made…” (Galatians 3:19b)
The Promises made to Abraham were made to Christ. Therefore, the Promises were Spiritual in nature. See Galatians 3:14:
“That the blessing (or promises) of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (or through Christ, Who is the Faith).”
The Gift of the Holy Spirit coming on the Church on the Day of Pentecost came through Christ, Who is God. Jesus said to His Apostles, just before the Cross, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18). The Spirit (or Christ) came on the Day of Pentecost and dwelled in the Church (Acts 2:1-39).
From that moment on, God’s chosen people were given regeneration at His appointed time. That is, they were baptized into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthian 12:13).
The Church is “the land”; it is the Spiritual City of God, a Habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22).
The Church is the Bride of Christ, even His Inheritance:
“And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.” (Galatians 3:17)
“For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” (Galatians 3:18)
“Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” (Galatians 3:21)
“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” (Galatians 3:22)
The Everlasting Covenant that God revealed to Abraham was concerning physical things. But they were only types and shadows of the Promises to Christ, The Seed.
The Promises had to do with:
- The Coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church;
- The Church being birthed and manifested;
- The Church made up of those regenerated by the Spirit.
Therefore, the Church is the City whose Builder and Maker is God; a better Country, a Heavenly Country.
Abraham looked for a city (Hebrews 11:10-16), a heavenly country. He was not looking to a physical land. Abraham had the land physically, but he “looked for” that city whose builder and maker is God. So he looked for a Spiritual City.
The Everlasting Covenant was not to Abraham’s physical descendants, but to his spiritual descendants: Isaac, Jacob, and the Twelve Tribes, especially the Tribe of Judah, to Christ.
Paul explains in Romans 9:6-8; Romans 10; 11; and Galatians 3:22-29:
“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” (Galatians 3:22)
“But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” (Galatians 3:23)
“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)
“But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” (Galatians 3:25)
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26)
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)
The Everlasting Covenant included Jew Elect and Gentile Elect, “the children of the promise… the vessels of mercy“:
“That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” (Romans 9:8)
“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,” (Romans 9:23)
“Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:24)
The Everlasting Covenant did not include the children of the flesh; Ishmael, Esau, etc. But it came only through Isaac, Jacob, etc. (See Romans 9:9-22.)
Therefore, it was to a spiritual seed; with Christ being the Head Seed, the First-Born, the First Fruit – and His Elect in Him.
If we miss this one point – that the Everlasting Covenant was to Jesus and His seed, the Church (which is made up of Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male and female; children of Faith, the same kind of faith Abraham had, even Jesus Christ living in them) – then there is no way to explain Galatians 3:1-29; Ephesians 3:1-21; and Hebrews 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
Regeneration by the Spirit (being Born from Above, etc.) is Spiritual. The Covenant is Spiritual – it is not physical – it is not speaking of a physical land.
If it were a physical covenant, no Gentile could be included; since their father in the flesh was not Abraham.
But Galatians 3:1-29 and Romans 9:23-24, Romans 10, 11
plainly declare that the Elect Gentiles are a part of the Everlasting Covenant (Acts 13:46-48).Reader, as a Child of Grace, if your eyes have not been opened to this truth, my prayer is that the Almighty God will in time reveal to you this truth; and then you can rejoice with Abraham.
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