READ:
GENESIS 17:1-6
Fifteen
years after god called Abraham, the Lord introduced himself as the All
Sufficient One, Jehovah El-Shaddai, and thereafter asked that a covenant be
entered into by the two of them which would affect Abraham’s seed after him. In
Genesis 17:1-23, God made 27 promises to Abraham, asking only four things from
him. God is a covenant-keeping God. He detests trucebreakers; hence he cannot
break his agreement with his children. God asked Abraham to walk before him. He
was also expected to be perfect in word, thought and deed. He asked Abraham to
circumcise every male, including himself and lastly, that anyone not
circumcised be killed.
Some Christians argue that it is not possible to be perfect. But God required perfection from Abraham after 15 years of following him. That standard remains today. Having known the Lord for a period of time, God expects you never to tamper with certain things. If you do, you betray your claim to having walked with him for that long. According to our reading, we see that God made a covenant with Abraham because he wanted to give him an inheritance. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, a new covenant was established between God and human beings, to secure us eternal life. As a result, God has certain expectations from you, to prove you have been covenanted to him.
In Judges 13:3-5, an angel appeared to Manoah’s wife and warned her not to drink wine, strong drink or eat anything unclean. She was not to shave the hair of the baby soon to be born, because he has been covenanted to God as a Nazarite, right from the womb.
You too are special before God, a prized possession and the apple of God’s eye. So, to enjoy all the covenant blessings like Samson and Abraham, you should strive towards perfection, have your heart circumcised through sanctification; abstain from wine and defiled spiritual food, as well as refusing Satan’s move to shave off the anointing of god upon your life. You have been bought with a price; you are God’s possession. God places a high premium on your life. Live up to your mandate!
Some Christians argue that it is not possible to be perfect. But God required perfection from Abraham after 15 years of following him. That standard remains today. Having known the Lord for a period of time, God expects you never to tamper with certain things. If you do, you betray your claim to having walked with him for that long. According to our reading, we see that God made a covenant with Abraham because he wanted to give him an inheritance. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, a new covenant was established between God and human beings, to secure us eternal life. As a result, God has certain expectations from you, to prove you have been covenanted to him.
In Judges 13:3-5, an angel appeared to Manoah’s wife and warned her not to drink wine, strong drink or eat anything unclean. She was not to shave the hair of the baby soon to be born, because he has been covenanted to God as a Nazarite, right from the womb.
You too are special before God, a prized possession and the apple of God’s eye. So, to enjoy all the covenant blessings like Samson and Abraham, you should strive towards perfection, have your heart circumcised through sanctification; abstain from wine and defiled spiritual food, as well as refusing Satan’s move to shave off the anointing of god upon your life. You have been bought with a price; you are God’s possession. God places a high premium on your life. Live up to your mandate!
MEMORIZE:
2 CORINTHIANS 6:17 –Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says
the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”
