Covenant of Peace: A Return to Holiness

1 God in Relationship with Humanity

God is in relationship with humanity as Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. God's character, voice, expression, and compassion are fully revealed in and through His indivisible nature. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are described with different characteristics having similar, intertwined, and unique roles. The church exists as sons and daughters of the Father, brides of Jesus Christ the Son, and as temples of the Holy Spirit. Having a biblical understanding of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is fundamental to understanding the unique covenant relationship between God and humanity.

God as Father is a loving provider. He shows compassion, provides every need, gives advice, lays down the law, protects His beloved, and makes a covenant with them. In the father's loving arms there is safety and security. If you're okay with God as Father, then it doesn't matter what anyone else says about you. If you mess up, you can turn to your father. He won't abandon you when you sincerely need his help. He is forever faithful.

The Father disciplines his sons and daughters out of love and compassion. We are only fooling ourselves if we neglect his wisdom. Sooner or later, we will have to face the consequences; besides, there is no way to avoid Him without losing out on His covenantal blessings and benefits.

We think of Jesus as the one who walks alongside us, just like He did with His first disciples. The roles he is known by include Word of God, Lamb of God, Bridegroom, Savior, Redeemer, exact imprint of the Father in human form, best friend who sticks closer than a brother, and the combination of Truth and Grace. In a sense, Jesus became the face of the invisible God to his disciples.

The church is often referred to as the bride of Christ. This implies that Jesus is a loving husband who relentlessly pursues his bride and wins her over with truth and grace. She finds it easy to be faithful to Him with unwavering commitment.

We think of the Holy Spirit as God who dwells in us. His roles are those of Teacher, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, the one who unites us in the fellowship with Father and Son, and the one who brings us into remembrance of what Jesus said.

The church consists of those who were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. They became His New Covenant temple. Although the Holy Spirit was present in individuals in the Old Testament, he wasn't gifted to the church until the advent of the New Covenant. There is nothing more wonderful than the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. Through the Holy Spirit, believers join the indivisible fellowship of the Father and Son. It is what seats believers in high places with God. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, the hope of glory, abides within believers.

God's redemptive plan is for the whole earth to be in covenant relationship with Him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from generation to generation, world without end, as Paul described in Ephesians 3:14-21.

8 Ephesians 3:14-21

14 For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,

19 and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

21 to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.