God's Three Covenants of Promise.
A covenant is an agreement. The covenant of the Bible represents the principles or rules by which men are able to gain their true spiritual heritage and possess the riches of the kingdom of God.
Believers must be true to the Spirit of Christ within him. If a believer follows false doctrine, false gods that is, material things, he will fail to enter into the spiritual state that God has promised him. A believer must be true to his real self that is the in dwelling Christ or the the Christ consciousness if he would reap the benefits of the riches of the kingdom of God.
God has promised all His children perfect health, prosperity, peace, light, and happiness, but it is necessary for us to abide by the spiritual law if we would gain the blessings of the Spirit. We must keep faith in God and seek Him diligently. Then His good will be ours. We must not follow after lesser goods or gods. We must keep faith in our own spirituality if we hope to use our spiritual powers and handle spiritual substance.
Our previous study showed that due to the state into which mankind fell as a result of sin, redemption is a dire need.
The hope of Redemption is set forth in three great covenants of promise which form the basis of all Bible teaching.
References to them are found throughout the Scriptures, and particularly in such statements as the following:
"Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers; and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy" (Rom. 15:8-9).
"There are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13).
The first of these three covenants of promise was given in Eden, after Adam and Eve had sinned; and it promised life in contrast to the state of mortality to which they had become subject in consequence of sin.
The second was made to Abraham, as he wandered a stranger and homeless in the land to which he had been directed, and it promised him an eternal inheritance.
The third was made to King David, and set forth the hope of an enduring throne of glory, free from the hostility that he had experienced during his lifetime.
There is progression in those three great covenants of promise.
The Edenic Covenant (Genesis 3:15) promised mankind what had been lost through sin: even LIFE.
The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12, 13, 22), promised that which Abraham lacked: an earthly possession where that life could be lived, even an ETERNAL INHERITANCE.
The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7), promised Divine RULE on earth, by which the inheritance will be efficiently governed.
The first offered LIFE; the second promised INHERITANCE; the third proclaimed eternal AUTHORITY.
In each case, that which was promised, and which is to be obtained only in Christ, is greater than that which was lost, or given up.
The LIFE promised in Eden is ETERNAL and therefore greater than that which was lost through sin.
The INHERITANCE promised Abraham will be FOREVER, and therefore more than compensates for that which he gave up when he left Ur to serve God.
The KINGDOM promised David will be both SECURE and EVERLASTING, and therefore far more glorious than that over which he reigned and which was subsequently overthrown.
Moreover, these three covenants of promise which shall be outlined in detail in subsequent studies, form the basis of every doctrine, teaching and prophecy contained in the Bible.
