By Rudy Hagood
We often hear people say, “I’m in a relationship with Jesus Christ.” That’s good, but what does it mean? Could it be we’ve settled for the language of emotional attachment when God calls us into the sacred bond of covenant?
Let’s be clear: a relationship can come and go, like changing social media statuses. A covenant, on the other hand, is a binding promise, sealed with reverence and marked by sacrifice.
The Challenge of a Preacher
God’s messenger Malachi stepped into a society that had grown numb—not from ignorance, but from indifference. They knew the rituals, recited the prayers, and offered sacrifices. But it was all mechanical. Their worship lacked heart. Their lives lacked honor.
Malachi had a burden to share—a holy discontent. He wanted to restore genuine worship, not just empty gestures. He addressed corruption among priests, rising divorce rates among the people of God, and the infiltration of worldly priorities into sacred spaces. Politicians had taken office in the sanctuary. The community of God was unraveling from the inside.
Does this sound familiar?
Like ancient Israel, we too have become experts at disintegrated relationships. We can quote Scripture but ignore its meaning in our practice. We can raise hands in worship while harboring bitterness in our homes. We’ve confused emotion for devotion. But the issue isn’t that we don’t know better, I fear it’s that we don’t care enough to change.
What Is a Covenant?
The word covenant isn’t just spiritual jargon. It’s deeply biblical and profoundly serious. A covenant is a binding agreement, a sacred promise sealed by sacrifice. In God’s Word, it is a divine promise that redefines the future. Malachi reminded Israel’s priests of their calling: “My covenant with him was one of life and peace . . . he revered Me and stood in awe of My name” (Malachi 2:5, Holman Christian Standard Bible).
God’s covenant with Levi was rooted in reverence and truth. The priesthood was to preserve knowledge, guide others in righteousness, and serve as God’s messengers. But the priests had become corrupt, turning people away from truth instead of toward it.
The result? A fractured covenant. A broken community. A dishonored God. Yet this wasn’t just about priests then. First Peter 2:9 tells us, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession.” We are the priests now. We are the messengers. The call to covenant is not just ancient; it’s our calling today.
Covenant in Marriage and Community
Malachi’s rebuke extended beyond the altar into the home. “You cover the Lord’s altar with tears. . . because he no longer regards the offering. . . . Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Malachi 2:13–14).
The people wept because God seemed distant. But his silence was a response to covenant betrayal. They had abandoned their marriages. The sanctity of covenant was broken at home long before it was noticed in the temple.
And it wasn’t just about personal choices. God saw each broken marriage as an offense to the entire community and to himself. Because a covenant with your spouse is also a covenant with the people of God, and ultimately, with God himself.
This truth still stands. Our private compromises have public consequences. What we honor (or dishonor) in marriage, in friendship, and in community reflects our view of God’s covenant with us.
Covenant Love Is a Choice
Let’s be honest: puppy love is emotional. It fades when it’s no longer fun. But covenant love is volitional. It chooses to stay when everything screams to run.
Mark 12:30 reminds us of the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Covenant love encompasses every part of who we are. It’s not a fleeting feeling; it’s a decision. As the late Timothy Keller said, “Jesus didn’t love us because we were lovely. He loved us to make us lovely. That’s why I am going to love my spouse.” That kind of love—unconditional, unwavering, covenantal—is what Christ modeled for us on the cross. In his agony, he stayed. He forgave. He fulfilled his vow.
The Ring Has No End
I want you to imagine my wedding ring. It’s not the sparkle that makes it beautiful; it’s the shape. There’s no beginning. There’s no end. It’s a circle, a perfect symbol of never-ending covenant.
In a world full of terms and conditions, covenant says, “I’m in this, no matter what.” It’s the same love God extended to Abraham, to Israel, to you, and to me through Jesus Christ. And it’s the kind of love he now calls us to live out—with our families, our churches, and our neighbors.
God Cares . . . Do You?
God cares deeply about your commitments, your words, your promises, your relationships, your worship. And he’s calling you not just into a feeling of faith, but into a covenant of faithfulness.
So the question now becomes, “Do you care?” Do you care enough to honor your vows? Do you care enough to stay when it’s hard? Do you care enough to live like you believe God is real?
Covenant-keeping Christians change families. Covenant keepers change their communities. Covenant keepers change the world. Let’s no longer hold to the doctrines of the world. Let’s honor covenant with God!
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