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Walking With God

Loyal
Can you imagine? Walking with God, spending time with Him in the quiet evening, the sparkling morning? Can you imagine? The conversations you might have as you go along, asking Him questions, He asking you questions...It can be done...Enoch walked with God, Noah walked with God
John 14:23
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Now you may say that this verse refers to Christians, but does it really? Do Christians really love Him, do Christians really keep His words? Just askin.

You may even say that Enoch and Noe were special people....That would be false. Both of them were ordinary men. They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like us. They both needed to bathe or they stank, just like us...
If they could walk with God, then so can we.

What do you think? Do you want to walk with God?
 
Loyal
Gen 6:8; But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Exod 33:17; The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name."

1 Sam 2:26; Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men.

Acts 7:46; "David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

Luke 2:52; And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

I have wondered why God "favors" some people over others, Is it simply because of favoritism? Some people say we can't make God love us more or less by anything we do.
(There are scriptures to the contrary John 14:21; John 15:10; 1 Jn 5:3; ) - but can we make God favor us by anything we do?

Prov 12:2; A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.
 
Loyal
Gen 6:8; But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Exod 33:17; The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name."

1 Sam 2:26; Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men.

Acts 7:46; "David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

Luke 2:52; And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

I have wondered why God "favors" some people over others, Is it simply because of favoritism? Some people say we can't make God love us more or less by anything we do.
(There are scriptures to the contrary John 14:21; John 15:10; 1 Jn 5:3; ) - but can we make God favor us by anything we do?

Prov 12:2; A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.
Hebrews 11 talks to that part quite a bit....I woke up this morning with God showing me things. He often teaches me things as I wake up in the mornings....I was thinking about the Walking with God thing. Enoch, Noah, even Adam walked with God but Adam messed up royally (I won't judge him. I've messed up badly too). But they were Old Covenant people....Now! That's when we are...Now! We have a new and better covenant! The Holy Spirit lives in us...He talks to us....Now if we were to listen to Him, we could answer back, ask Him questions and totally interact with him even better than the Old Covenant saints did. Faith= trust. Obedience...Could we say that equals love...Yes, we could...He said.."If you love me you will keep my Words" and of course seeking after Him...."Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...." What thinkest thou? Hmmmm I thinkest its in the wrong order....Seeking after Him....Faith......Then Obedience. Now what thinkest thou? And what thinkest thou of my biblical manner of speech? :laughing:
 
Loyal
In what way did Adam mess up royally. Other than eating of the fruit of that tree. He had a lot of kids and lived hundreds of years.
 
Active
There was no covenant in the beginning between God and Adam. We ought not confuse "covenant" and "contract". When Adam broke relationship with God, there was no strength in Adam to offer anything to amount to a contract and certainly no covenant. A contract is an agreement between men, saying"if you do something as agreed to, I will pay you what you required." God owed Adam nothing, as Adam made no deal, nor did God.

The first ever covenant was from God to Adam. He dealt with Adam's sin with a promise, without agreement from Adam, which included both blessing and curses. A covenant is a one-way deal whether the party offered complies or not.
 
Loyal
I just looked up 'covenants' -- in Biblical terms -- an agreement between two parties -- some of the covenants -- Davidic covenant -- Abrahamic covenant -- the sign for it was circumcision.
 
Loyal
Dovegiven, You said. "There was no covenant in the beginning between God and Adam. We ought not confuse "covenant" and "contract". When Adam broke relationship with God, there was no strength in Adam to offer anything to amount to a contract and certainly no covenant. A contract is an agreement between men, saying"if you do something as agreed to, I will pay you what you required." God owed Adam nothing, as Adam made no deal, nor did God.

The first ever covenant was from God to Adam. He dealt with Adam's sin with a promise, without agreement from Adam, which included both blessing and curses. A covenant is a one-way deal whether the party offered complies or not."

A covenant and a contract are the same things. Where a contract is signed with pen and ink, a covenant is signed in blood....Where a lawsuit may result from a broken contract, a broken covenant usually resulted in death. A covenant, like a contract involves both parties doing something! I suggest you dig in deeper as to covenant.....I'm not aware of any Adamic covenant, I do know that God made a promise. But this is not the subject of this thread. Not at all[/QUOTE]
 
Loyal
I just looked up 'covenants' -- in Biblical terms -- an agreement between two parties -- some of the covenants -- Davidic covenant -- Abrahamic covenant -- the sign for it was circumcision.

Right you are Sue...And most Christians know little to nothing about covenant, even though we are a covenant people.
 
Active
Can you explain what you mean here?

A "covenant" in the Bible is based on a promise by God to a man or men in general, not requiring ratification by receivers. The rewards of a covenant typically contained a blessing(s) and curse(s). In the beginning there was the blessing of God for man in Gen 1:28-30, and again in 2:21. None of that was of any contract or covenant basis, nor was Adam or Eve required to acknowledge what God did or told them He did. Adam had no need of anything further from God, as all provision was made already for man. Man and woman would simply live a good life since God declared that and everything He did that week was "good". Those were blessings. We have no "deal" between God and mankind, just blessings. There was no alternative action or promise. Only God can truly bless since nothing can be added to God that He already has. Man is the needy party.

Also came commandment #1 in 2:16. That didn't require agreement from man. So we have blessing and commandment. Upon sinning, the grace of God arose for the sake of man. God made a declaration of a curse upon the serpent. The curse didn't require the serpent to receive it willingly, nor the prophetic future action of God through the seed (Jesus) of the woman. Eve had no requirement to agree or perform any direct action since the doing of that promise was all on God's behalf. So that established the fact God could and would exact curses punitively. That was the first covenant, which came upon mankind, entirely of His actions, required due to sin entering the world.

The creation was no longer entirely "good", changing mankind and nature dramatically, and changing man's relationship with God from friendship to adversarial. That sin required major changes in the world, leading to the fulfillment of the greatest covenant, the gospel of Christ. That doesn't require help from man either. Obey or not, the covenant remains a directive from God that is higher than the law of sin and death.

The punishment for their sin was forced upon them in the covenant of 3:16-19 It would have been a contract between God if Adam had come back to God with "My wife and I will agree to your proposal if you will take the part out about the thorns and cursed ground". If God had agreed on that provision, it would have been a contract. A contract requires two or more parties agreeing to terms that each can perform. Otherwise, there is no deal due to lack of agreement.

A perfectly understandable explanation of "covenant" is that given to Noah after the flood. Noah didn't have a commandment to follow, had no responsibility toward the following Covenant with a sign God would never forget.
Genesis 9:8-17 (KJV)
8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

It didn't matter whether Noah acted upon that or not, as that was also between God and all living creatures.

When Moses came down with the Law, we don't find a contract proposal with men saying they will go along with it if the terms of 'death' were removed, to be replaced by a prison sentence or fine.

Covenant: One way directive, all terms imposed upon parties other than God. Men can do that, like in 1 Samuel 20:16 when Jonathan made David swear not to reveal his plan for David to save David from Saul. The plan was all of Jonathan, and David had only to be blessed by it. That foreshadows the gospel of salvation by Christ. David didn't have to supply works to fulfill Jonathan's plan, but to simply submit to it.

A contract always contains terms of works between parties. A life insurance policy promises benefits if and only if the insured keeps the payments up. When the insured commits to the terms, the policy becomes a contract based on works of both parties. If the insurer fails to maintain lawful financial support, the laws of the land can dissolve the contract, and the insured has only to stop payments. I have a $10K life insurance policy based on a promise of the US government to all veterans. It's a covenant, not a contract. One GI might only serve 3 months to a disability and qualify. Another might serve 20-30 years and be eligible for that same policy. It's an award since I have no required action to activate it besides to die. I contract design services for outdoor construction. My plan is present at a price to own, or is credited to another company charge to install items of the plan. That's a contract. If I promised all potential customers a free detailed plan with nothing owed on their part or any other party, that would be a covenant I couldn't afford to maintain.

God uses covenants no mortal man could stand behind forever.

I've been working all day and adding to this post, which I will admit already might not have been thoroughly thought through, but it looks OK to me. If you all would check out some scholarly writings (besides a dictionary) about the difference between covenant and contract, I expect most to understand. There are many other covanants, as with king to king in the OT, or subject to king, or Jesus to apostles I could have referenced. Please add instances that speak to you.
 
Loyal
A "covenant" in the Bible is based on a promise by God to a man or men in general, not requiring ratification by receivers. The rewards of a covenant typically contained a blessing(s) and curse(s). In the beginning there was the blessing of God for man in Gen 1:28-30, and again in 2:21. None of that was of any contract or covenant basis, nor was Adam or Eve required to acknowledge what God did or told them He did. Adam had no need of anything further from God, as all provision was made already for man. Man and woman would simply live a good life since God declared that and everything He did that week was "good". Those were blessings. We have no "deal" between God and mankind, just blessings. There was no alternative action or promise. Only God can truly bless since nothing can be added to God that He already has. Man is the needy party.

Also came commandment #1 in 2:16. That didn't require agreement from man. So we have blessing and commandment. Upon sinning, the grace of God arose for the sake of man. God made a declaration of a curse upon the serpent. The curse didn't require the serpent to receive it willingly, nor the prophetic future action of God through the seed (Jesus) of the woman. Eve had no requirement to agree or perform any direct action since the doing of that promise was all on God's behalf. So that established the fact God could and would exact curses punitively. That was the first covenant, which came upon mankind, entirely of His actions, required due to sin entering the world.

The creation was no longer entirely "good", changing mankind and nature dramatically, and changing man's relationship with God from friendship to adversarial. That sin required major changes in the world, leading to the fulfillment of the greatest covenant, the gospel of Christ. That doesn't require help from man either. Obey or not, the covenant remains a directive from God that is higher than the law of sin and death.

The punishment for their sin was forced upon them in the covenant of 3:16-19 It would have been a contract between God if Adam had come back to God with "My wife and I will agree to your proposal if you will take the part out about the thorns and cursed ground". If God had agreed on that provision, it would have been a contract. A contract requires two or more parties agreeing to terms that each can perform. Otherwise, there is no deal due to lack of agreement.

A perfectly understandable explanation of "covenant" is that given to Noah after the flood. Noah didn't have a commandment to follow, had no responsibility toward the following Covenant with a sign God would never forget.
Genesis 9:8-17 (KJV)
8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

It didn't matter whether Noah acted upon that or not, as that was also between God and all living creatures.

When Moses came down with the Law, we don't find a contract proposal with men saying they will go along with it if the terms of 'death' were removed, to be replaced by a prison sentence or fine.

Covenant: One way directive, all terms imposed upon parties other than God. Men can do that, like in 1 Samuel 20:16 when Jonathan made David swear not to reveal his plan for David to save David from Saul. The plan was all of Jonathan, and David had only to be blessed by it. That foreshadows the gospel of salvation by Christ. David didn't have to supply works to fulfill Jonathan's plan, but to simply submit to it.

A contract always contains terms of works between parties. A life insurance policy promises benefits if and only if the insured keeps the payments up. When the insured commits to the terms, the policy becomes a contract based on works of both parties. If the insurer fails to maintain lawful financial support, the laws of the land can dissolve the contract, and the insured has only to stop payments. I have a $10K life insurance policy based on a promise of the US government to all veterans. It's a covenant, not a contract. One GI might only serve 3 months to a disability and qualify. Another might serve 20-30 years and be eligible for that same policy. It's an award since I have no required action to activate it besides to die. I contract design services for outdoor construction. My plan is present at a price to own, or is credited to another company charge to install items of the plan. That's a contract. If I promised all potential customers a free detailed plan with nothing owed on their part or any other party, that would be a covenant I couldn't afford to maintain.

God uses covenants no mortal man could stand behind forever.

I've been working all day and adding to this post, which I will admit already might not have been thoroughly thought through, but it looks OK to me. If you all would check out some scholarly writings (besides a dictionary) about the difference between covenant and contract, I expect most to understand. There are many other covanants, as with king to king in the OT, or subject to king, or Jesus to apostles I could have referenced. Please add instances that speak to you.
???????????????????????????????????????????????/!! Sir, you usually share good stuff....This is a real exception....I wish you had learned it correctly. But again....What does this have to do with the original post? I mean....besides nothing.
 
Active
I ought to add this which came while mowing the lawn.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 (KJV)
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

A vow is a man's covenant proposal to God, or a contract with the only party with a required work is the person, while the one vowing might hope for a benefit from God or another man. God is not obligated to honor a vow unless suggesting that vow. If He does for one man, He might never suggest again, or continue it as with Samson's Nazarite vow taken up by Paul.

The innate weakness of man is a reason God doesn't engage in contratural deals. Man will practically always fail the terms. But God will never fail His covenants. The Noahic Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenat have held up true, and Law of Moses Covenant promised blessing for those keeping all of it, and only curses for anyone failing in one part, which is still true for Jews without Jesus Christ and all the gentile lawless.
 
Loyal
Covenant (Noun and Verb):

primarily signifies "a disposition of property by will or otherwise." In its use in the Sept., it is the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning a "covenant" or agreement (from a verb signifying "to cut or divide," in allusion to a sacrificial custom in connection with "covenant-making," e.g., Gen 15:10, "divided" Jer 34:18, 19). In contradistinction to the English word "covenant" (lit., "a coming together"), which signifies a mutual undertaking between two parties or more, each binding himself to fulfill obligations, it does not in itself contain the idea of joint obligation, it mostly signifies an obligation undertaken by a single person. For instance, in Gal 3:17 it is used as an alternative to a "promise" (vv. 16-18). God enjoined upon Abraham the rite of circumcision, but His promise to Abraham, here called a "covenant," was not conditional upon the observance of circumcision, though a penalty attached to its non-observance.
"The NT uses of the word may be analyzed as follows:


(a) a promise or undertaking, human or divine, Gal 3:15;


(b) a promise or undertaking on the part of God, Luk 1:72; Act 3:25; Rom 9:4; 11:27; Gal 3:17; Eph 2:12; Hbr 7:22; 8:6, 8, 10; 10:16;


(c) an agreement, a mutual undertaking, between God and Israel, see Deut. 29; 30 (described as a 'commandment,' Hbr 7:18, cp. Hbr 7:22); Hbr 8:9; 9:20;


(d) by metonymy, the token of the covenant, or promise, made to Abraham, Act 7:8;


(e) by metonymy, the record of the covenant, 2Cr 3:14; Hbr 9:4; cp. Rev 11:19;


(f) the basis, established by the death of Christ, on which the salvation of men is secured, Mat 26:28; Mar 14:24; Luk 22:20; 1Cr 11:25; 2Cr 3:6; Hbr 10:29; 12:24; 13:20.


"This covenant is called the 'new,' Hbr 9:15, the 'second,' Hbr 8:7, the 'better,' Hbr 7:22. In Hbr 9:16, 17, the translation is much disputed. There does not seem to be any sufficient reason for departing in these verses from the word used everywhere else. The English word 'Testament' is taken from the titles prefixed to the Latin Versions."*
[* From Notes on Galations by Hogg and Vine, p.144.]
See TESTAMENT.
 
Active
Covenant (Noun and Verb):

primarily signifies "a disposition of property by will or otherwise." In its use in the Sept., it is the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning a "covenant" or agreement (from a verb signifying "to cut or divide," in allusion to a sacrificial custom in connection with "covenant-making," e.g., Gen 15:10, "divided" Jer 34:18, 19). In contradistinction to the English word "covenant" (lit., "a coming together"), which signifies a mutual undertaking between two parties or more, each binding himself to fulfill obligations, it does not in itself contain the idea of joint obligation, it mostly signifies an obligation undertaken by a single person. For instance, in Gal 3:17 it is used as an alternative to a "promise" (vv. 16-18). God enjoined upon Abraham the rite of circumcision, but His promise to Abraham, here called a "covenant," was not conditional upon the observance of circumcision, though a penalty attached to its non-observance.
"The NT uses of the word may be analyzed as follows:


(a) a promise or undertaking, human or divine, Gal 3:15;


(b) a promise or undertaking on the part of God, Luk 1:72; Act 3:25; Rom 9:4; 11:27; Gal 3:17; Eph 2:12; Hbr 7:22; 8:6, 8, 10; 10:16;


(c) an agreement, a mutual undertaking, between God and Israel, see Deut. 29; 30 (described as a 'commandment,' Hbr 7:18, cp. Hbr 7:22); Hbr 8:9; 9:20;


(d) by metonymy, the token of the covenant, or promise, made to Abraham, Act 7:8;


(e) by metonymy, the record of the covenant, 2Cr 3:14; Hbr 9:4; cp. Rev 11:19;


(f) the basis, established by the death of Christ, on which the salvation of men is secured, Mat 26:28; Mar 14:24; Luk 22:20; 1Cr 11:25; 2Cr 3:6; Hbr 10:29; 12:24; 13:20.


"This covenant is called the 'new,' Hbr 9:15, the 'second,' Hbr 8:7, the 'better,' Hbr 7:22. In Hbr 9:16, 17, the translation is much disputed. There does not seem to be any sufficient reason for departing in these verses from the word used everywhere else. The English word 'Testament' is taken from the titles prefixed to the Latin Versions."*
[* From Notes on Galations by Hogg and Vine, p.144.]
See TESTAMENT.

I explained all that without contradiction. It appears to me you need to be better educated, as you are lacking the ability to realize someone is actually in agreement with you. Why throw definitions at me? Read and comprehend! But since you are not comprehending even that which you copy & post, I award you an F grade. Try again next semester.
 
Loyal
If you all would check out some scholarly writings (besides a dictionary) about the difference between covenant and contract, I expect most to understand.

I understand a covenant very well.

Dovegiven said:
A covenant is a one-way deal whether the party offered complies or not.

That is what I asked you about.

A Covenant is the Highest form of a contract.
 
Loyal
I explained all that without contradiction. It appears to me you need to be better educated, as you are lacking the ability to realize someone is actually in agreement with you. Why throw definitions at me? Read and comprehend! But since you are not comprehending even that which you copy & post, I award you an F grade. Try again next semester.
Whatever....Back to the OP
Can you imagine? Walking with God, spending time with Him in the quiet evening, the sparkling morning? Can you imagine? The conversations you might have as you go along, asking Him questions, He asking you questions...It can be done...Enoch walked with God, Noah walked with God
John 14:23
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Now you may say that this verse refers to Christians, but does it really? Do Christians really love Him, do Christians really keep His words? Just askin.

You may even say that Enoch and Noe were special people....That would be false. Both of them were ordinary men. They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like us. They both needed to bathe or they stank, just like us...
If they could walk with God, then so can we.

What do you think? Do you want to walk with God?
 
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