The Bible, if you will, is a love story. It’s roughly 840,000 words that tell us how special we are to God. Everything’s going well in the beginning. God has created the heavens and earth, and His favorite part of the day is spent with Adam and Eve in the garden. But, by the end of the third chapter, only 2,100 words in, they have sinned and been separated from God’s presence.
In Genesis 13, God promises Abram that if he is obedient, all nations will
be blessed by his descendants. In those days, covenants were literally signed in blood. The two parties divided animals in two and walked through the blood, each signifying their part of the contract. God was the first to pass through. The Bible says, “a deep and terrifying darkness” came upon Abram; he was scared to death. So, God walked through the blood again, in effect saying, “I will keep the covenant for both of us.” God understood that we would never be able to fulfill the covenant. God was more concerned about a relationship with Him rather than perfect behavior.
You don’t have to read far, and you won’t be surprised to find out we did not hold up our end of the bargain. But of course, God understood that we would never be able to fulfill the covenant. God was more concerned about a right relationship with Him rather than perfect behavior. The purpose of the Crucifixion wasn’t to change God’s mind about us but to change our hearts toward God. There are numerous examples in the Old Testament of God forgiving people; God’s love is the theme of the Bible.
At the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Hebrews tells us, “For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.”
God relentlessly pursues a relationship with us. Our response to this profound love story is not passive but active. It is a call to surrender our lives to Him, to walk in obedience to His word, and to share this good news with others. Just as God has extended grace to us, we are called to extend it to others, reflecting the transformative power of the cross in our daily lives.
Chris Lambert, Director, Meals on Wheels Oklahoma City
