A Covenant of Life and Peace

Please turn to Malachi 2:5-8. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. “‘My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Here records the covenant God made with the Israelites.

We all know after a covenant is made, it should be highly respected. Both parties are equal in this regard because both must submit to the agreed-upon conditions. However, God really had no need of a covenant with us. He only needs to issue commands and we must comply, isn’t that so? All we have to do is obey and submit. But I think God is not this kind of God. If He is merely God, then possibly He may be like this; but if He has another title of ‘heavenly Father’, then I don’t think He would be like this. God does not need to develop a relationship with you at all; He could just regard you as a mere creature and discard you whenever He feels like. But if He is your Father, then He will never arbitrarily cast you aside. Actually, it is not possible that He could throw you away. No matter how tattered and torn you may be, He will think of any means to restore you to a better state. Is our understanding of God today centered on Him as God, or as a Father? This is not only limited to our relationship with God or our life within the church. We mustn’t forget that He portrays two roles: one of absolute sternness, the other, utter love; the two must coexist together perfectly.

God is willing to make a covenant with man. For example, many of us are in the midst of signing rental agreements with our landlords. We are afraid of being cheated by them, so we pore through the contract very carefully, looking for tricky clauses that may be traps. Once we sign the contract, we have the right to sue our landlord using this contract, and they too, can do the same to us. Both parties are equal in rights, and both must comply with the conditions of the contract.  

So when God is willing to make a covenant with us, I think this is a wonderful display of His love. In the New Testament the Lord said to his disciples, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” for the purpose of establishing a new covenant. Therefore, the new covenant we have with God today was created with His blood. This covenant then, is one that embodies love and generosity. It is no longer a covenant inscribed on stone tablets or paper; rather, it is using His life as a guarantee for the grace of His love. Let us consider: the covenant God made with the people was one of life and peace. I think these two things are deemed to be the most precious in life. Undoubtedly, in the course of our lives, we may forget about them for a time. If out of the blue, you received news that your native country is at war, you will immediately think of your family. Will you be concerned that they can still preserve their possessions, or are you relieved if you know their lives are spared? I believe this experience is common to all of us. When someone you love goes to a warring country or faces dangerous situations – or let us poses a more commonplace example – if someone you love phoned you to let you know that s/he was in a car accident. What would be your first reaction? Will you ask: was the car damaged? I don’t think so! You will surely enquire first: are you okay? If s/he says, I’m all right, I believe you would not care a whit if the car was completely destroyed, as long as s/he is fine, as long as s/he is alive, you are at peace.

Therefore in our lifetime, life and peace should be our two most prized possessions; and yet, we often neglect them. Only when we are in trouble do we suddenly realize the value of these two things. By then, it is probably a little too late. So I consider: God made such a wonderful covenant with us, why do we often reject it? Is that not so? Let’s not talk about someone else, let’s focus on our own selves. If God made a covenant of peace with you, or a covenant of life, would you consider this very important? Or if God made another covenant with you: within three years you will get what you desire (this is our hypothetical covenant with God). I will make a covenant with you: if you are able to stand by this covenant during your lifetime, I will grant you life. Another covenant is thus: within three years I will give you whatever you ask for, but you must accomplish certain tasks within these three years. I think we will probably make a greater effort to comply with the second covenant because it seems to be more realistic. If I am patient and conform to these conditions within these three years, I will be amply rewarded after the three years are done. Of course this is referring to things unrelated to our life. But if after being compliant throughout your entire life, you are merely given life, I believe this option is less attractive to us.

It is the same with peace. We all think that as long as we are not too greatly troubled in our lives, then it is quite acceptable. We do not need to sacrifice much in order to maintain peace. As long as our lives are about the same as everyone else’s, we are satisfied. I think maybe it is because of this reason that the people did not pay much attention to God whenever He makes a covenant with them. It just didn’t feel very important to them. Even when God gave up His life for the sake of the covenant, we are still hoping that this covenant does not appear so ordinary. (We may question God:) why do you talk to me about life and peace, why do you not talk about riches and success instead? Why do you only want to talk about life and peace? You have expended a great deal of energy, made such huge sacrifice, just so that You can bring me such seemingly insubstantial things. And these things cannot even be seen in our daily lives. A person who has received life. Okay! Today, all of us seem to have received life. But when you leave this chapel and re-enter into the crowd of people – nowadays the stations and airports are always packed with people – are you any different from the people around you? I don’t think so. Although you are one who has received life, although the surrounding people do not appear to have received the same life, there is nothing specific to showcase the fact that you possess this special grace.

But if the grace you received was of another kind, for example, you belong to the elite level of travellers who fly business class and do not need to wait in line to board the plane. Every time I have to fly I feel quite envious of these people. It’s true, I am telling you the honest truth. Especially if you are a frequent flyer, you will surely envy such people. You have to line up three hours before your flight, the elite flyers can arrive anytime and be courteously received by the airline staff. They enjoy so many special privileges, even passing through customs they have a special line marked ‘Number 1” just for them. At the airport, there are three designations in customs. One is for people without European passports, one is for people with European passports, and another ‘Number 1’ designated for elite travellers to breeze through, regardless of nationality. So I think, how wonderful it would be to enjoy such privileges! Although the airport is crowded, it’s their problem, not mine; because to me, it appears as if the airport is empty of people, since I can pass through everywhere easily and speedily. Thus it appears that receiving life have no discernible advantage. Truly, it cannot be seen; and because it is not seen, you do not feel this is very important.

I remember when I was younger, the church’s preaching began to change direction. At that time, some people commented that the sermons were too ‘empty’; instead, the content of the sermons should be more in keeping with everyday life events. Don’t talk all the time about resurrection and salvation, or carrying the cross and following the Lord. What has these to do with my daily living? Today, I have financial worries, health issues and relationship problems; these are the concerns that occupy my time every day. I want to hear more instructions with regard to these matters. Therefore, the ministers were requested to speak on topics more aligned to everyday living. As a result, daily and worldly events became topics of sermons. Initially, this all sounded quite reasonable, and I thought it was a good idea. But after I’ve been a preacher for a number of years, especially because this way of preaching has been going on for quite a long time, you will discover a phenomenon: the church feels a distinct drain in vitality, and brother and sisters seem to have lost a sense of peace. A steadfast peace and a vigorous life; these seem to be gradually diminishing, as if everyone’s life is shortened. After hearing the sermons, you feel an upward surge of growth, but after a while, the feeling withers and dwindles. You are comforted for a moment by hearing the word, but not long after, the sense of unease returns. Thus, the ministers became psychology teachers who are meant to help you solve your daily problems. So I began to analyze as to whether this direction is correct or not. How can the church lose such a precious thing? What exactly is God trying to give us? What was the reason for the coming of Jesus Christ? Was it only for the purpose of giving us a faith that is based on practicality? Was Jesus crucified on the cross so that we may achieve professional success or better health?

Thus I began to think this way. In a few weeks’ time, London will be hosting the Summer Olympic Games, although I’m not exactly sure when. Okay! My question to you is: out of the thousands of elite athletes, is anyone from the True Jesus Church? According to what I know, I do not believe so. I think, surely there are athletically inclined members in our church who would really love to be competing in the Olympic Games. Why did the Lord not bless them thus? Why are the top athletes who seemingly have nothing to do with our church, get to participate in these ultimate sporting events? Out of the top 100 richest persons in the world, is a True Jesus Church member included? I do not think so either.

So then I ponder: what did Jesus came to the world for? What is the reason for our belief in Him? What is this covenant between Him and us? The Bible appears to tell us very clearly that the covenant between us is one of life and peace. However, it was obvious that even back then, the people already rejected this covenant. That is why God sent prophets to rebuke them, saying, why do you not want this covenant? Even to today, it is the same thing; I believe it will always be like this. To God, this is of the utmost value, since He was willing to die in order to secure it for us, this covenant of life and peace. But our expectations are not for these. Really, what we expect to have in our daily lives are not these things. At least I myself do not ask for these things on a daily basis. Perhaps I expect that as long as I have been baptized and received the Holy Spirit, my entry into heaven is assured. Whether I have peace or not is not so important, because whenever I may have challenges, I just say, ‘hallelujah!’ and they shall all pass. As long as I can say ‘hallelujah!’ the troubles will be someone else’s to deal with, not mine. Therefore, in my entire life of faith, these two things are no longer very important. What I really want from God is for Him to give me things other than these. I wish for another covenant. I think it is because of this that the covenant was violated time and time again.

Thus I think our belief in God and the sermons we hear today should not be centered upon our daily living; rather, they should be focused upon our life. We should allow the teachings to become lessons on life. When you receive from God the force of life, your everyday life will become much simpler. But if you have yet to receive this life force, you will never be able to completely solve the issues you face today. Simply put, if your head and feet ache everyday, then you will focus on trying to find relief for your head and feet. However, I don’t think you should target healing of your head and feet only; rather, you should concentrate on the overall health of your entire body. When you achieve overall wellbeing of your whole self, then these aches and pains will take care of themselves. You will suddenly feel a renewed vigor in life.

Paul did not appear to be of a robust constitution. According to his many letters, he was often in poor health. And yet, we see how vigorous was his life force! He once wished for his faith to be connected directly to his health and life, thus he pleaded with the Lord three times to remove this thorn in his side. Perhaps because he felt that this thorn was adversely influencing his daily activities, but the Lord did not agree. Although God did not agree, yet at the same time as He disagreed with Paul’s request, He apportioned to him an abundant life force. Therefore Paul said, from now on, I will boast of my weakness. He no longer sees his weakness as something to be feared. Because within the ample life force that he has, this weakness has become a way to reinforce his strength.

So I think what we look for today should be ‘life’ first. If we are unwilling to seek life, even if we come to the presence of God, we will not feel connected to this life. If the content of your prayers does not have life as the main theme, you merely wish from God resolutions to your day-to-day issues. If your prayers are only about these and you never ask the Lord to reaffirm the covenant between us, or to revitalize your life, then I think this faith have become problematic on many levels.

Let us read John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus said it clearly here, I have come for one purpose only: to let the sheep have life, and have it to the full. What does this mean, to have life to the fullest? What advantage is there to have this fullness of life? I think this is very difficult for us to measure. Maybe we can pose an example this way: would you prefer to be like one of our Congolese brother or sister who is materially impoverished, but possesses a life force that is vibrant and thriving; or would you rather be a wealthy person who suffers from a weak constitution, but still able to move about with some effort? Which person would you prefer to be? After thinking about this for a while, you will consider first what you really need: do you need a vivacious life, or wealth untold? Thus Jesus Christ said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” So that they may have life to the fullest.

In our daily journey of faith, is our life increasingly flourishing and expanding? We know that as our money accumulate in our bank accounts, we will give thanks to God for this. But have we felt the incremental richness of our life and as a result, offer heartfelt gratitude to God? Or is it okay that as long as our wealth increases exponentially, a little decrease in our spiritual vitality is not too serious? Because you can say this: as long as I get into heaven, that’s good enough. In your daily life, you are not satisfied with merely having bread to eat only, you wish for tastier fare. But when it comes to spiritual life, you will not have such strong desires. However, the covenant we made with God is just like this. God wish to give us a more vibrant life and a deeper peace; but we seem not to pay a lot of attention to this covenant. If we examine the chronicles within the Bible, why was God so angry? Why was the covenant dismantled at the end? Because the people did not think it important enough, thus they chose to renege against it. At the end, God had to destroy the covenant.

All right then, let us examine our own faith to see if it is growing spiritually. Please read Philippians 4. This is a grace Paul received rather late in his life. v.11-13, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” I think this passage is able to describe aptly what it means to have a vigorous life. That is, the external influences can no longer impact the affection between him and God. We can even say that his faith is now severed from his daily physical living. The things that concern him are no longer of this world, rather, what he thinks about are heavenly matters. Of course, that is not to say things of the world are totally unimportant. But it is only through this mean can our faith bring to our daily lives a measure of strength and vitality. If you have not obtained this life, how can you resolve anything in this present lifetime? If you do not possess a dynamic spiritual life, how can you solve any of your day-to-day problems?

Let us read Luke 8:7. Jesus spoke of the parable of the sower here, “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.” Jesus explained in v.14, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” Jesus expounded clearly here: when the covenant of life and peace first came to us, we receive it with great joy and gladness, because it brings to us the impression of a new life and the sensation of utter peace. But after a lapse of time – for example: after we’ve lived here for a long while, although you felt the cold when you first arrived at this country, by now you feel it is actually quite warm, and you enjoy the seasons. So you no longer think this is anything special. I believe if you do not seek experiences within grace, it will be just like this. These people have already obtained life and peace, logically then, they should possess great power. But Jesus said, during the progression of their growth, when they get to a certain point, you should say their faith is even better compared to the previous two types, which have disappeared. The third type is now mature, meaning it has flourished within the Lord; he should be able to see things even more clearly, but reality indicates otherwise. At the end, the thorns choked them. What are the thorns? In v.14 Jesus says, they are the life’s worries, riches and pleasures, which strangle them, stifling their life force and preventing them from bearing fruits. I think this is a significant characteristic of the people who still remain within the church today. We all exist, we are all still here, we are not dead yet, our seeds have not been eaten nor scorched by the sun. We are all still alive, but we are unable to step out of our present state. We listen to the word and pray daily, but the reason we do this is to help us solve our present day challenges. Our faith today becomes merely a method by which we employ to resolve practical issues. Jesus is now our partner who can ensure our successes, but we have forgotten that He is the one who can bring us life. Therefore, the fourth type of seeds will not be crowded out. This is not to say they are free of daily worries, the difference is their ability to overcome them. Like the passage we read just now when Paul said, “in any and every situation…I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” This way, all difficulties become easier to deal with. Of course, there are many troubles we do not willfully seek out. We should not deliberately look for problems, since this is tempting God. On our journey of faith, hardships are inevitable; you must not avoid them, because they will assuredly happen on the way. When you encounter them, you triumph over them by relying in God.

I had a friend who, when he realized I was going to Congo next week, asked me if I had not seen the latest news. The French newspapers are full of news about the election lately, so I mostly read about those. We have a new president, new parliament and new political leanings, thus I focused more on the changes that will surely take place within this country. I was more concerned about these matters because they will directly affect the lives of some of our brethren in church; some of these political changes will be good news for them. When my friend asked me if I’ve read the latest news on Congo, I said no. He was surprised I did not know, so he went home and emailed an article to me; but to date, I have not opened it. I thought there was no point reading it, since my friend already told me. He said the rebels have already advanced to within 40 kilometers of the cities I was going to visit, it would be a dangerous place to be at. So I calculate the distance of 40 kilometers, within which include a few of the churches we were planning on visiting. We were going to be at two places where we will hold Youth Seminars, one of which is outside the 40-kilometer range, and the other is about 26 kilometers in. Thus I vacillate between going or not going. But then again I think: when is this war going to end? The war in Congo is never going to end, at least not within my lifetime. This war did not just start recently, it has been going on for a long time, the only difference is whether you know about it or not. While I was there, I had to pass from one zone to another; that is to say, go from government-controlled area to rebel-occupied area, the two merely separated by a simple checkpoint. So this does not mean it doesn’t exist, it is only we who did not pay it attention before. But now that we are focused on it, then it becomes a bit worrisome. However, I think this recent unrest should not interfere with our work, and there is no point waiting for a period of calm to descend first. It is actually next to impossible that peace can ever prevail. So I ask for your prayers in support, for myself and the other workers going with me. I believe it shouldn’t be too dangerous.

This is the way I see it: as we seek for a vital life force today, I do not claim that I have found it, I am merely saying that we should not allow too many worries to prevent us from working for the Lord. We should not be so harassed or preoccupied by worries that our desire to work and our life force cannot be expressed. According to historical records, keeping faith during the Apostolic era meant more dangers by far than our present day. We have also heard stories of how people in some countries manage to keep their faith in the past. At that time, they had to worship God in secret. It was like so in Taiwan at one time. They had to conduct water baptisms under the dark cover of night, since their lives were in grave danger. Even so, they were able to overcome all. If the preachers at that time had said, it is too dangerous, we mustn’t go! Or if the country at that time was politically unstable, so the preachers said, it’s too risky, we should not believe in God! I think if they had done that, the church would not exist today.

At the time Daniel was confronted with great danger when the king proclaimed the edict; he had no way to go if he continues to worship God, because it was a death sentence. But Daniel followed his usual routine. Since he is well aware that if he was to yield this time, there will be another edict coming soon. The king’s edict forbids the worshipping of God for 30 days. Only 30 days! You just have to keep a low profile for a short while, 30 days will pass in no time at all. But Daniel did not do this. He did not wait until the 31st day to do what he usually does. He knows that on the 31st day, there will be another decree issued, unless he surrenders his belief. If he wishes to keep his faith, he cannot allow such worry to influence his life. His life must be able to surpass these anxieties. Only this way, will he be able to taste the joy within his faith, to feel the true peace found in his belief. If someone is unable to gain life, how can he possibly experience the reality of peace? When you sense your life is about to draw to a close, I think at that moment, you will feel a grievous sense of apprehension.

A robust life force then, is the only way to secure long lasting peace. This spiritual resurgence of life is only possible if we heed the word of Christ and not allow these anxieties to crush us. In another word, don’t bother to think about them. True, they are our everyday worries; but if we attempt to solve them all, there will never be an end. Since the worries solved today, merely means more concerns tomorrow to take care of. How could you solve everything all at once? You can only ask God to help you reaffirm and strengthen this covenant of life. God has already promised us life and peace. Can you imagine how bounteous is the life of God? Can you conceive how enduring is His peace?

I think our problem today lies not in God being unwilling to give, but in our indifference. Since we do not see it as important, we do not bother to seek for it. Possibly because of this reason, I think a believer of God is more pathetic than a non-believer. Honestly, I often feel this way, and the feeling is becoming more and more intense. I discover that believing in God is worse off than not believing in God. If you are unable to obtain the vitality of life within your belief, if your belief is founded upon the fear of going to hell, or if your belief is merely a way to find a mate, then perhaps you have mistakenly signed a false covenant with someone else. You sought out the wrong party. The person you signed the contract with will wonder why you contravene against it almost daily. Thus neither party is very pleased. You say: why do you not solve my problems? You have some opinions about the other party. But the other party may counter: why are you so indifferent about my life and my peace? Therefore, keeping the covenant becomes burdensome. We then, will have to think of many ways to try and hide our lack of peace and waning life force. This kind of faith is quite miserable.

Conversely, there are many exemplary figures in the Bible who are the embodiment of immense peace and joy, and they all have a common characteristic. Their lives are not necessarily destined to be easy or hard, and some are rich while others are poor. But they all share a common trait of not regarding material things as very important; rather, they are more concerned as to whether or not their life force is rejuvenated. They follow the Lord in order to kindle their passion for life, they draw near to God so that their life force may be revitalized. Once their life is renewed, I believe many of their problems become blessings. And since all are blessings, they are then the most serene of all.

Now is the summertime, and most everybody have more free time. When you are having a coffee, or enjoying the sunshine and the gentle ocean breeze, consider this: life and peace, have I signed this covenant? If I did sign it, have I violated its terms? If we have transgressed against it, perhaps we will have to pay a heavy penalty.