AN EASTER REFLECTION ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD (NCL 1985)

At this day few people realize the value of a covenant between individuals, much less the value of a covenant between a person and God. A covenant is an agreement between parties which is more than an exchange of services. It is not a conditional agreement, such as "if you, then I." That is a contract. 

Rather, a covenant is a statement about purpose and intention regardless of outcome. The verbal form of the covenant is: "I will and you are invited to . . . ." Contracts are made and kept by the natural part within us and serve many important functions. Covenants are made by the spiritual part within us and serve eternal purposes. It is important not to confuse the two. 

Keeping a covenant regardless of outcome is in itself a wonderful thing. Even an idolator may be benefited by a commitment they make to spend an hour a day bowing before a stone image. At least they will learn self-discipline, a valuable lesson.  Consider for a moment the learning there may be in carrying out a covenant we have made which becomes onerous. Here is where we see the difference between a covenant and a contract. 

A contract focuses on what the other must do first, then we will do our part. A covenant focuses on what we will do regardless of the response we get. A covenant puts responsibility on oneself first; a contract puts responsibility on the other first.  Our relationship to the Lord is a covenantal relationship. He will do His part regardless of the response He gets from us. He will love us and care for us and mercifully work for our salvation no matter how much we [engage] Him. 

Similarly, if we are to accept His salvation, we must keep our relationship to the Lord as a covenant, not a contract. We must be willing to do our part even when it seems there is no response from the Lord. It is vitally important that we view our part as a covenant, because the Lord [teaches] us there will be times when it will seem that we are getting no response from Him.

EDM - Yet nothing could be further from the truth!  As we are taught:

“For every person ought for their own part to approach God, and the more nearly they do so, the more closely does God on [on God’s side] enter into them. It is similar to the building of a church: its construction by human hands must come first, and then afterwards it must be consecrated, and finally prayers must be said for God to be present and unite…with its congregation. The reason why the actual union was fully achieved by the passion on the cross is that it was the last temptation which the Lord underwent in the world; and temptations create a link. In temptation it looks as if a person is left to themselves, but they are not, since God is then most closely present in their inmost, secretly giving them support.”  (Swedenborg, True Christianity 126)