Reading back my 9 posts on Covenant, it is pretty hard work to read them, and I wrote them. There are a lot of points in there.
I will now try to summarise my basic underlying beliefs about the Bible, regarding the Sinai Covenant and the New Covenant.
For a long time I called out to God for understanding about what was fundamental about His Character as revealed in the Bible. Yes, God is love, and we cannot in any way minimise that. But I wanted a little more detail and filling out.
In particular I wanted to understand more fully the picture behind these two main covenants between God and man.
I believe God has started to answer me. I am indebted of course to others I have read and considered, without agreeing on everything they have said. I have particularly benfited from Terry Virgo and Joseph Prince. Going back further my theology has been shaped by Watchman Nee, Rick Joyner ('There were Two Trees in the Garden') and Colin Urquart.
I believe there are two basic approaches for man when he believes in God. They might be summarised as 'negotiation' or 'surrender'. Also by 'self-righteousness' or 'contrition'. By 'proceedure' or 'relationship'. By 'demands' or 'empowerment'. 'Struggling or yielding'. 'Worrying or resting'.
Continuing using Scriptural ideas, these two ways of relating to God involve 'The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil' or 'The Tree of Life'. Also 'Hagar or Sarah', 'Ishmael or Issac', 'Law or Grace', 'Faith or Works'. 'Slave or Friend'. Also 'Judgement or Mercy'.
Actually many of these pairs of ideas are not either/or but a matter of emphasis.
They are not about God himself. God is the same throughout the Bible. He remains Holy, All Powerful, All Knowing, All Loving, Unchangeable, without beginning or end.
The two perspectives are about how we see God and about how we attempt to relate to Him.
The first of each either/or pair above is where the emphasis is for the Sinai (Old) Covenant. The second is about where the emphasis is for the New Covenant.
Is this important? Yes, extremely. Galatians is all about shifting ones perspectives from the Old to the New and keeping it there.
The old Covenant is about how the deluded and self-righteous imagine they could relate to God sucessfully. The New Covenant is about how God knows how sinful man may sucessfully relate to Him. The contrast is there to keep you from banging your head against a spiritual brick wall. It comes from God's heart of love after all. The message is; reject ways of trying to relate to God which belong to the Old Covenant, and embrace the ways that belong to the New.
I will now try to summarise my basic underlying beliefs about the Bible, regarding the Sinai Covenant and the New Covenant.
For a long time I called out to God for understanding about what was fundamental about His Character as revealed in the Bible. Yes, God is love, and we cannot in any way minimise that. But I wanted a little more detail and filling out.
In particular I wanted to understand more fully the picture behind these two main covenants between God and man.
I believe God has started to answer me. I am indebted of course to others I have read and considered, without agreeing on everything they have said. I have particularly benfited from Terry Virgo and Joseph Prince. Going back further my theology has been shaped by Watchman Nee, Rick Joyner ('There were Two Trees in the Garden') and Colin Urquart.
I believe there are two basic approaches for man when he believes in God. They might be summarised as 'negotiation' or 'surrender'. Also by 'self-righteousness' or 'contrition'. By 'proceedure' or 'relationship'. By 'demands' or 'empowerment'. 'Struggling or yielding'. 'Worrying or resting'.
Continuing using Scriptural ideas, these two ways of relating to God involve 'The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil' or 'The Tree of Life'. Also 'Hagar or Sarah', 'Ishmael or Issac', 'Law or Grace', 'Faith or Works'. 'Slave or Friend'. Also 'Judgement or Mercy'.
Actually many of these pairs of ideas are not either/or but a matter of emphasis.
They are not about God himself. God is the same throughout the Bible. He remains Holy, All Powerful, All Knowing, All Loving, Unchangeable, without beginning or end.
The two perspectives are about how we see God and about how we attempt to relate to Him.
The first of each either/or pair above is where the emphasis is for the Sinai (Old) Covenant. The second is about where the emphasis is for the New Covenant.
Is this important? Yes, extremely. Galatians is all about shifting ones perspectives from the Old to the New and keeping it there.
The old Covenant is about how the deluded and self-righteous imagine they could relate to God sucessfully. The New Covenant is about how God knows how sinful man may sucessfully relate to Him. The contrast is there to keep you from banging your head against a spiritual brick wall. It comes from God's heart of love after all. The message is; reject ways of trying to relate to God which belong to the Old Covenant, and embrace the ways that belong to the New.
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