Distinctives: Covenantal

 We are “Covenantal”.

 

A fundamental principle to understanding God’s Word in Scripture and his means of communication/communion with His people and with the world is the reality of covenants. Our understanding of God's covenants is that they are tangible or objective relationships (not just a contract) between God and His people and between God and the world he created. A covenant in the Bible is something that can be seen, something which is tangible, made with real flesh-and-blood people, involving real heart passions and binding commitments/obligations. The covenant community is not secret or invisible. There is often confusion between Covenant and Election. While God's sovereign prerogative in his decrees concerning election is certainly a critical Biblical doctrine to affirm, election is not the same as the Covenant. Deut 29:29 says that “ the secret things belong to the Lord, but the things that are revealed are for us, and for our children.” Election is God’s secret plan/purpose, but what is revealed is His Covenant – his relationship to His people and His world, along with the rules/stipulations which govern those covenantal relationships. God's covenants, as revealed in Scripture, inform our understanding of worship, church life, family life, civil life, and our relationships in/to the world at large. For example, God's covenantal ways inform us concerning......