First Church Charlotte

March 8, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms Covenant   1 Thes. 5:23 May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together - spirit, soul, and body - and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.   God is love… there is theological consequences to God's self-defining as love… not “teach” you love, the “source” of love, the “ideal” of love. But love as a noun. As a state of existence, not activity.   Love requires commitment or covenant.   Three things you need to understand about covenants in the bible:   1. Covenants are the backbone of the biblical story.  2. Covenant can be defined as follows: a covenant is a chosen relationship in which individuals make binding promises or commitments to each other.  3. Covenant in a spiritual sense is deeper than a contract.     It is for this reason that the Church itself is called a family or household in the New Testament.   A family without trust, without safety, without loyalty, is the greatest source of pain