The word “covenant” is key to our understanding of God. Before I understood God’s grace as I do today I used to think of a covenant as a contract. We are all familiar with various kinds of contracts, and they all involve benefits as well as dangers. If either party breaks the contract there is a strong possibility of conflicts and even lawsuits. A successful contract depends on equal parties that are all capable of living up to their responsibilities.

A covenant has nothing to do with a contract. It is the bestowal of God’s favour to us through Jesus Christ, not due to our ability to live up to a contracted obligation. Religion is all about contracts. If you do such and such, then God will respond in a commensurate way.

The Gospel on the other hand is grace freely given long before we ever responded to God, not due to any effort of our own, but simply contingent on Christ’s finished work 2000 years ago.

The church needs to discover the Gospel Covenant!

Once the church knows the Good News, the world will know it also.