Condition Of The Covenant

 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:” -Isaiah 29:13

If you have ever been around a God fearing, Christ obeying married couple, then you are blessed.  Not just two people who bury the issues to fend off divorce, but really love God, and love each.  Yoked in perfect fellowship with Christ and one another.  United under the banner of holiness and fighting alongside one another to advance the cause of Christ. These marriages are Christ centered and exemplify communication, love, commitment, sacrifice, devotion, fulfillment, servanthood, submission.  They begin at the covenant.  They begin with the vow.

As a good marriage shows us how our relationship with Jesus ought to be; so, a glamorized wedding reminds us of the lip service that we once, or are presently, feeding to God.  Before marriage you typically have a wedding.  Typically.  A wedding is an occasion where friends and family gather to celebrate the union between a man and women, before God.  At some point the bride and groom will make a vow to one another to be faithful, to serve one another, and to love until death.  The sad reality is that sometimes marriages are aborted before the debt from the wedding is paid off.  If you do not enter into a marriage totally committed to God first, and your spouse second, then you are doing both a disservice.  You can dress it up, but if you don’t wholly commit to one another, it’s all in vain.  Sure, the service was beautiful, the bride was beautiful, everything looked and sounded wonderful; but what of the condition of the covenant?  The same question looms in front of every sinner that comes to God and every sanctified soul that is currently serving God.  What of the condition of the covenant?  Is it genuine?  Is it continuous?  Do you know Christ died for you?  Have you repented of your sin, confessed Jesus as Lord, surrendered to Him, and filled with the Holy Spirit?  Are you walking in holiness, delivered from all sin?  Are you free from the want and will to commit sin?  Are you still wholly devoted and dedicated to Christ and Him alone?  Or are you just going to church?  Going through the motions, and making it by?  The Pharisee’s of Jesus' time are a prime example of glamorization without commitment.  Ceremony without sacrifice.  Devotion without doctrine.  They looked the part, acted the part, but their life was an outward spiritual extravagance while their heart was far from Him.  They were not committed to God, so much as they were committed to the benefits that they received.  They did not love Him or His Son.  The wedding ceremony was worthy of the tabloids, but the marriage was worthless.  

Jesus doesn’t want a beautiful wedding; he wants a beautiful marriage.  He wants a relationship with us.  One that is filled with love, devotion, commitment, sacrifice, communication, and all the attributes of a holy life.  One that glorifies the Father.  That promotes love instead of lust, devotion over extravagance, commitment above excitement.  This begins and abides within the covenant.  The promise to love God with your all every day until your dying breath.