The covenant of divine sovereign grace

Today’s reading: Genesis 9: -10; Psalm 3:5-8; Proverbs 1:23-27; and Matthew 5:1-26

~ I establish My Covenant with you ~

The covenant of divine sovereign grace is love, mercy, forgiveness, and eternal salvation. It is a reminder to our Heavenly Father, and to us, that we are His. However, we tend to fall. Then Noah … drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent (Genesis 9:20-21). When we fall into temptation, we expose ourselves. Yet, God still loves us and when we come to Him for forgiveness, his mercy cover’s us. In the covenant of grace, we are also sustained. He saves us and blesses us daily.

However, when we remain fallen, we become cursed. And, when we are reproved of our sin and transgression, we have a decision to make. Either return back into the covenant of God’s divine sovereign grace, or refuse to return. And, whether we return, or not, we are filled with guilt. This is where the covenant of God’s sovereign grace and forgiveness manifests.

Under the banner of forgiveness, we come to admit the suffering, shame, and guilt our personal transgressions have brought upon us. Through His divine word, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind conviction of our sin. And, there is no coming to God and justifying the reasons behind our transgressions. We merely beseech Him to forgive us. We humble ourselves in all sincerity and seek those whom we offended and request forgiveness.

In the Old Testament, part of the process of seeking God’s divine forgiveness required sacrifice. In the New Testament, we learn that Christ fulfilled all the requirements of the prophets and the law. That does not mean we are free from the sacrifice forgiveness requires. For true repentance and forgiveness also means we are willing to make the necessary amends. The best amends we are capable of making, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is to genuinely make those necessary changes in our lives. This also requires us to sincerely seek God’s wisdom, counsel, and guidance in making those necessary amends. We also seek the courage and fortitude to not only ask for forgiveness, but to also engage in ways to follow through on our commitment.

Finally, we sincerely accept the forgiveness of God. Through our genuine repentance, we are restored back into God’s divine sovereign grace. This is the true heart of the covenant. We are assured that God fulfills His promises in forgiving us and restoring us.