OurCovenantWithGod

CONTENTS

Introduction

1Abraham'sCovenant

2TheBlessingofAbraham

3TheCurseoftheLaw

4OurRedemption

5TheSeedofAbraham

6TheDaughterofAbraham

PrayerforSalvationandBaptismintheHolySpirit

AbouttheAuthor

Introduction

Oneofthemostembarrassingsituationsforanybusinessmanistofindouthehaslostvastsumsofmoneyneedlesslyortolearnofassetshecouldhavebeenenjoyingforyearssimplybecausehe did not know the fullness of the contracts he had enteredinto.

I remember the story of a poormanwho scrimped and savedeverycentuntilhecouldbuyaticketonagreatshiptocometoAmerica.

Heonlyhadenoughmoneylefttobuysomecheeseandalittlebreadtoeatonthetrip.Hewouldgazelonginglyintothediningrooms andwatch the people eat the beautiful food and enjoythemselvesso.OnthemorningoftheirNewYorkarrival,oneofthe ship's officers asked theman if they had offended him inanywaysincehehadnoteatenhismealswiththem.

"Oh,no!"themanreplied."Ionlyhadenoughmoneytopayformyticket.Ididn'thaveenoughtoeatinthediningrooms."Theofficer lookedatthemanalmost inunbeliefandsaid,"Sir, I'msosorry.Yourmealswereincludedinyourfare."

SomanyChristianpeoplearelivingonbreadandcheesewhenGod'sbestistheirsall6

OurCovenantWithGod

the time. They don't know the terms of their contract, theircovenant—theNewTestament.IbelievethisbookwillhelpyoufindoutwhatbelongstoyouinyourCovenantwithJesus.

1

Abraham'sCovenant

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Genesis1:26-27says,

AndGod said, let usmakeman in our image, after ourlikeness:andletthemhavedominionoverthefishofthesea,andoverthefowloftheair,andoverthecattle,andover all the earth, and over every creeping thing thatcreepethupontheearth.SoGodcreatedmaninhisownimage, in the image of God created he him; male andfemalecreatedhethem.

Fromthedustoftheearth,Godformedaman,namedthatmanAdam,andplacedhiminthemidstoftheGardenofEden.Thisman Adamwas given the awesome authority of lordship overGod's creation on earth. God gave him dominion over everyliving thing on the face of this earth. He was to subdue theearth and replenish it. Adam was given the right to be thefatherofGod's family.Hewas tosire thehumanrace.Whataprivilege!

At creationGod set intomotion a lawwhich I call the law ofgenesis, or the law of beginnings. According to this law ofgenesis,everylivingthingwascreatedbyGodto8

OurCovenantWithGod

produceafter itsownkind.Manwasnoexceptiontothisrule.GodisaSpirit,andAdamwascreatedinGod'sownimageandlikeness,aspiritbeing.Togethertheywalkedinclosefellowshipand communion, and Adam's descendants were to live inharmony with God, their spiritual Father. But somethinghappenedintheGardenthatcausedagreatandterriblechangetooccur.SatanapproachedAdam'swife,Eve,anddeceivedherinto disobeyingGod's command. ThenAdamwillfully followedherinthisrebellion.

Accordingtothelawofgenesis,mantakesonthenatureofhisspiritual father or lord. God was Adam's spiritual Father; butwhen Adam disobeyed God and bowed his knee to Satan, hechanged spiritual fathers. Satan became the stepfather ofmankind.Adamcommittedhigh treason; andat that point, all

thedominionandauthorityGodhadgiven tohimwashandedovertoSatan.Suddenly,Godwasontheoutsidelookingin.

Untilthistime,Satandidnothaveanyauthorityonearth.Allofhis authority had been taken awaywhen he led the rebellionagainstGodinheaven(Isaiah14:12).Hecameintothepictureabsolutely void of authority; but by deceiving the woman hemanipulated man's authority into his own hands and becamethegodof thisworld (2Corinthians4:4). InLuke4:4-7,whenSatan tempted Jesus in thewilderness, he took Jesus up on ahighmountainandshowedHimallthekingdomsoftheearth.

Hesaid, "Iwillgive these toyouand thegloryof them if youwill worship me. They are mine to give for they have beendelivereduntome."

Somepeople think thiswas justoneofSatan's lies;buthad itbeena lie, itwouldnothavebeena temptationand theBiblesays that Jesuswas sorely tempted. Thiswas real temptation,brother!Satanhad it togive. Jesuswas tempted,butHeusedthe weapon for which there is no defense. He said, "It iswritten..."andSatanhadtofleefromHim!

AfterAdam'sFall,GodfoundHimselfinapeculiarposition.Hehad given Adam unquestionable authority over the earth, butwhenAdamcommittedhightreasonagainstGodandbowedhiskneetoSatan,spiritualdeath—thenatureofSatan—waslodgedinhisheart.ActuallyAdamwasthefirstpersonevertobebornagain.Hewasbornfromlifeuntodeath,fromspirituallifeuntospiritualdeath.

God had said, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good andevil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatestthereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17). God said thatAdamwoulddietheverydayheatetheforbiddenfruit,yethelived several hundred years longer. God was not referring tophysicaldeath.HemeantthatAdamwoulddiespiritually—thathewouldtakeonthenatureofSatanwhichisspiritualdeath.

ThisprocessisreversedwhenyoumakeJesustheLordofyourlife. You are born from death unto life. The law of spirituallordship isourwayback into thehandsofGod.Youtakeonanew Lord and receive the nature of your new Lord which iseternal life (John 3:16). This is why Jesus went to the cross.FirstJohn3:8

says,"ForthispurposetheSonofGodwasmanifested,thathemightdestroytheworksofthedevil."Jesusturnedtothemostreligiousmen of His day and said, "Ye are of your father thedevil" (John8:44).Bygoing to the cross as the sinlessSon ofGod, Jesus took away the dominion Satan had over mankind.

FirstCorinthians2:8 states that had theprinces of thisworldknown,theywouldneverhavecrucifiedtheLordofglory.Thiswas a trap that the Father and Jesus had set for Satan. Hewalkedintoit,anditcosthimhislordshipovertheearth.

After Adam's Fall in theGarden,God needed an avenue backintotheearth.HeneededsomewaytobreaktheunionbetweenSatanandmankind.Sincemanwas thekey figure in theFall,man had to be the key figure in the redemption, so Godapproached a man named Abram. He re-enacted with AbramwhatSatanhaddonewithAdam,exceptthatGoddidnotsneakinandusedeceptiontogetwhatHewantedasSatanhad.GodofferedAbramapropositionandAbramboughtit.

Let's look at Genesis 17 for a moment and examine thisagreement God made with Abram: And when Abram wasninety yearsold and nine, the Lord appeared toAbram,and said unto him, I am theAlmighty God; walk beforeme, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenantbetweenmeandthee,andwillmultiplytheeexceedingly.AndAbramfellonhisface:andGodtalkedtohim,saying,As for me, behold, my covenant iswith thee, and thoushaltbeafatherofmanynations.Neithershallthynameany more be called Abram, but thy name shall beAbraham;forafatherofmanynationshaveImadethee.

NoticeparticularlythatGodsaid,"Asforme...."Yousee,Abramdidnothave toacceptGod'sdeal.Hewasnotbeing forcedtodo anything; it was his own free choice. God laid out Hisproposition andAbram accepted it. It gaveGod access to theearthandgavemanaccesstoGod.Atthistimemanhadnorealknowledge of God's nature. The people only knew what theirfathershadpasseddowntothem.AfterAdamdiedandseveralgenerationshadpassed,noonereallyknewmuchaboutGod.

You need to understand the authority that was placed in thecovenant. This was an absolute agreement between God andAbram, sealed on both sides. God sealed His own side andsworebyHimself(Genesis22:16).Inotherwords,therewasnohigherstatethatGodcouldswearby,soHesworebyHimself.Technically, ifGodeverbroke thecovenant,Hewouldhave todestroyHimself.Man'spartof thecovenantwassealed in thecircumcision of his flesh (Genesis 17:10-14). It was madeofficial, spiritually and physically, by the shedding of man'sblood.TheHebrewwordcovenantmeans

"to cut where blood flows." This is the strongest word foragreement in any language. A covenant is a contract, oragreement, made between two parties and sealed by theshedding of their blood. Once this is done, the covenant canneverbebroken.Everyheathen tribeon the faceof theearth

has a blood covenant. The blood covenant between God andmanwasmarkedinman'sfleshthroughcircumcision.Inotherwords,circumcisionwas"thecutofthecovenant."

Fromthattimeforward,AbramwasacovenantmanwithGod.GodevenchangedhisnametoAbraham.InGenesis18wefindGodconsultingwithHiscovenantmanaboutthedestructionofSodom and Gomorrah. Can you see the strength of thiscovenant?Itwaspowerful!

ThebookofExodusprovidesmore insight intothestrengthofthe covenant throughwhat tookplace among the Israelites inEgyptandthenduringtheirwanderingsinthewilderness.

Exodus 2:23-25 says, "And the children of Israel sighed byreasonof thebondage,and they cried, and their cry cameupunto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard theirgroaning, and God remembered his covenantwith Abraham,withIsaac,andwithJacob.AndGodlookeduponthechildrenofIsrael,andGodhadrespectunto them."God rememberedHiscovenantwithAbraham. Itwas inbehalf of this covenant thatGodfoundamannamedMosesherdingsheeponthebacksideofthedesertandcalledhimtoleadtheIsraelitesoutofEgypt.

After the Israelites were set free and journeyed into thewilderness, we find another situation so critical that Moseswent on his face before God for forty days without food orwater.

This is the only fast in the entire Bible where a man goeswithout drink. It had to be a supernatural existence becauseMoseswouldhavediedwithoutliquid,buthejustrefusedtoletgo of God. Exodus 32:9-10, "And the Lord said untoMoses, Ihave seen thispeople,and,behold, it is a stiff-necked people:Nowthereforeletmealone,thatmywrathmaywaxhotagainstthem,andthatImayconsumethem:andIwillmakeoftheeagreat nation." God wanted to destroy Israel and start a newracewithMosesasHehadwithNoahafter theFlood.Verses11-14,

And Moses besought the Lord hisGod, and said, Lord,why doth thy wrathwax hot against thy people, whichthou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt withgreat power, and with amighty hand?...Turn from thyfiercewrath, and repent of this evil against thypeople.Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, towhom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst untothem,Iwillmultiplyyourseedasthestarsofheaven,andall this land that Ihave spoken of will I give unto yourseed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lordrepented of the evil which he thought to do unto his

people.

Godrepented!Why?BecauseofthecovenantHehadmadewithAbrahamsomanyyearsbefore.

2

TheBlessingofAbraham

GodpromisedtocareforAbrahamandhisdescendantsineveryway—spiritually,physically,financially,socially.InGenesis17:7

God said to Abraham, "And I will establish my covenantbetweenmeandthee...tobeaGodunto thee,andto thyseedafterthee."TheHebrewnameforAlmightyGodisElShaddai.

Elmeans"supreme;"Shaddaimeans"thebreastyone."Inotherwords,Godwaspromisingtobetheirfather,theirmother,theirnurse—thesupremeproviderofeverythingtheywouldneedinlife.HespokethewordsofthecovenantandsworebyHimselftokeepit.Thiswasanironcladagreement.

The people of Israel badly trampled the covenant at MountSinai,butthroughMoses'

intervention,Godforgavethem.Atthispoint,GodhandeddownthelawandinstitutedtheLeviticalpriesthoodtohelprepairthedamagethathadbeendone.Godwassworntotheirdestructionfor breaking the covenant, but instead He allowed sacrificialofferings to cover their sins. The Levitical priesthood wasbroughtOurCovenantWithGodintoexistenceforonepurpose:toministerbetweenGodandmankind,tobridgethegap.

Hebrews9:22statesthatwithoutthesheddingofblood,thereisnoremissionofsin.

TherehadtobeamediatorbetweenGodandIsraelbecauseofthe blood covenant that existed. The first mediator was theLevitical priesthood; the last mediator was Jesus—our HighPriestWhoever liveth tomake intercession for us (1Timothy2:5;Hebrews7:25).

InDeuteronomy,MosesrecordedGod's lawandthearticlesofthe covenant. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 lists the blessings of Godpromised to those who will put His Word first place in theirlives.

Anditshallcometopass,ifthoushalthearkendiligentlyuntothevoiceoftheLordthyGod,toobserveandtodoall his commandments which I command thee this day,thattheLordthyGodwillsettheeonhighaboveall the

nationsoftheearth:Andalltheseblessingsshallcomeonthee, and overtake thee, if thou shalthearken unto thevoiceoftheLordthyGod.

Blessedshalt thoube in thecity,andblessed shalt thoubeinthefield.

Blessedshallbethefruitofthybody,andthefruitofthyground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thykine,andtheflocksofthysheep.

Blessedshallbethybasketandthystore.

Blessedshalt thoubewhen thoucomest in, andblessedshaltthoubewhenthougoestout.

TheLord shall cause thineenemiesthat rise up againstthee to be smittenbefore thy face: they shall come outagainsttheeoneway,andfleebeforetheesevenways.

The Lord shall command the blessingupon thee in thystorehouses,andinallthatthousettestthinehandunto;andheshallblesstheeinthelandwhichtheLordthyGodgiveththee.

TheLordshallestablishtheeanholypeopleuntohimself,as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep thecommandmentsoftheLordthyGod,andwalkinhisways.

And all the people of the earth shall see that thou artcalledbythenameoftheLord;andtheyshallbeafraidofthee.

AndtheLordshallmaketheeplenteous ingoods, in thefruitofthybody,andinthefruitofthycattle,andinthefruitofthyground,inthelandwhichtheLordswareuntothyfatherstogivethee.

The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, theheaven to give rain unto thy land in his season and toblessalltheworkofthinehand:andthoushaltlenduntomanynations,andthoushaltnotborrow.

AndtheLordshallmaketheethehead,andnotthetail;and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not bebeneath;ifthatthouhearkenuntothecommandmentsofthe Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, toobserveandtodothem:andthoushaltnotgoasidefromanyof thewordswhichI command thee thisday, to therighthand,ortotheleft,togoafterothergodstoservethem.

PraisetheLord!ThisistheblessingofAbraham.Iwantyoutonotice that it covers every area of life—spiritual, physical,mental,financial,socialandpolitical.MightyarmieshavecomeagainstthepeopleofIsraelandfailedmiserably.AslongastheIsraelites were walking under the covenant of God, as longastheyweredoingwhatGodsaidtodoinHisWord,theywerenotharmed.Hisagreementwiththemsaid,"Ifanenemycomesoutatyouoneway,Iwillcausehimtofleeseven."

Somepeoplehavesaid,"Yes,BrotherCopeland,butthat'swhatGodpromisedtodofortheJews."No,JudahisonlyonetribeofIsrael. This promise was given to Abraham and to all hisdescendants.ItbelongsasmuchtothetribeofBenjamin,LeviandalltheothersasitdoestoJudah.

3

TheCurseoftheLaw

WhenamanundertheAbrahamicCovenantrefusedtoobeythelawandreceivehisblessings,therewasonlyonealternative—thecurse.WhenamanstepsoutfromunderthecovenantwithGod,heautomatically stepsover into thehandsofSatan.ThecursewasintheearthfromthetimethatAdambowedhiskneeto Satan in the Garden. It was only God's covenant thatprotectedthepeoplefrombeingcompletelydestroyedbySatan.AbrahamhadplentyofproblemsbeforeGodapproachedhim.

Whathedidnothavewasawayoutoftheproblems.Thereisno area where a man stands in the middle between theblessings ofGod and the problems of theworld. If he doesn'thave the blessings of God, he has the problems of theworld.There is no in-between. When God made His covenant withAbraham, He didn't do away with the curse: He just offeredAbraham a way to live free from its effect by providing anumbrella forprotection.He said, "If youwillwalkperfectandupright before Me, I'll protect you." Thus Abraham and hisdescendantswouldbeprotectedfromthecurseintheworld.

However, when they stepped from beneath the protection ofGod'sWord,Satanwaswaitingtocomeagainstthem.

Let'slookatthecursebeginninginDeuteronomy28:15:

But it shall come to pass, if thouwiltnot hearken untothe voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all hiscommandments and his statutes which I command theethisday;thatallthesecursesshallcomeuponthee,andovertakethee:

Cursedshaltthoubeinthecity,andcursedshaltthoube

inthefield.

Cursedshallbethybasketandthystore.

Cursedshallbethefruitofthybody,andthefruitofthyland, the increase of thy kine, and of the flocks of thysheep.

Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursedshaltthoubewhenthougoestout.

The next several verses refer to many different plagues anddiseasesthatarepartofthiscurse.Verse29mentionspoverty,"Andthoushaltnotprosperinthyways:andthoushaltonlybeoppressedandspoiledevermore,andnomanshallsave thee."Itgoesontolistmaritaldifficulties,cattledestruction,sicknessin the legs and knees, sores that cannot be healed, cropdestruction.

Verse44referstobeingindebt,he(thestranger)"shalllendtothee,andthoushaltnotlendtohim;heshallbethehead,andthoushaltbethetail."

Verse61says,"Alsoeverysickness,andeveryplague,whichisnot written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bringupon thee, until thou be destroyed." ALL sickness andALLdisease—eventhosenotmentionedhere—comeunder thecurse.

4

OurRedemption

"Christhathredeemedusfromthecurseofthelaw,beingmadeacurseforus:foritiswritten,Cursediseveryonethathangethon a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on theGentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive thepromiseoftheSpiritthroughfaith"(Galatians3:13-14).

JesusofNazarethwasaproductoftheAbrahamicCovenant.Hewas an Israelite circumcised the eighth day. Aswe have readfromGenesis17:1,GodcommandedthatAbrahamwalkperfectand upright before Him; but it was not until Jesus that thiscommandwasfulfilled.JesuswalkedperfectbeforeGodunderthearticlesof thecovenant,andGodbackedHisministry100percent.Heusedthecovenanttocontrolthelawsofnature.Hespoke the words that broke the bonds of death and broughtLazarusforthfromthegrave.GodwasboundbyHisownwordsto dowhat Jesus said. TheBible tell us inHebrews 4:15 thatJesuswas,"inallpointstemptedlikeasweare,yetwithoutsin."

Hefacedasmuchtemptationtosinasanymanonearth,yetHewithstooditallandcontinuedtowalkperfectbeforeGod.

According to Levitical law, the high priest was to take anunblemished lamb and offer it as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus ofNazareth served as the final sacrifice under this AbrahamicCovenant.ThehighpriestofferedupthespotlessSonofGodonthealtaroftheCrossforthesinsofmankind.ThebloodofJesuswaspouredoutinbehalfofthecovenantHeupheld.

He was our substitute—bearing our sins, our diseases, ourpovertyandourspiritualdeath.

RememberwhatwaslistedunderthecurseinDeuteronomy28?Poverty of every kind, political failure, drought, war, everycalamityknowntomankind;andJesushasredeemedusfromitall. ALL sickness and ALL disease, even those not mentionedthere,comeunderthecurse.Therefore,weareredeemedfromallsicknessandalldisease.Youneedtofightthetemptationtobe sick just as youwould fight the temptation to lie or steal.Satanwill temptyouwithsickness,butyoudon'thavetogivein.Youcanresisthimwiththe.WordofGodlikeJesusdid!

Jesusfulfilledthetermsoftheoldcovenantandbroughtanewcovenant into being, a better covenant based on betterpromises. He died and paid the price to finish that oldAbrahamic Covenant. He satisfied it completely and wasresurrected from the dead a new man—a new covenant manuntouchablebysin,untouchablebydeath.NowHeisseatedattherighthandofGodtocarryoutthisnewcovenant.

ThenewcovenantisbetweenAlmightyGodandJesusChrist,animmortalman incapableof failure.Godwillnot fail, Jesuswillnot fail; therefore, the covenant between them will not fail!Jesus was capable of failure when He walked the shores ofGalilee.Hehadtostandthe testAdamfailed,andHestood itwithoutfailure.AstheSonofGod,Heacceptedthepenaltyofdeathforsin.HewastakenillegallybySatanintothebowelsoftheearth;butGodproclaimed,"It isenough!"andJesuscameforthoutofhelltriumphantinthepowerofGod!Thecourtsofeternal justice were satisfied. Sin was completely remitted,wipedaway.Godtookman'splaceandsufferedthepenaltyforbreakingthecovenant.ManonceagainhaslegalrighttoentertheFather'spresenceintheHolyofHolies(Hebrews4:14-16).

The cut of the old covenantwas the shedding ofman's bloodthroughcircumcision.

ThecutofthenewcovenantwasthesheddingofGod'sbloodonthe Cross. Jesus is called the Lamb of God. He was thesacrificiallambthattookawaythesinsoftheworld(John1:29).

There is no curse under the new covenant because Jesusbecamethecurseforus!PraiseGod!

5

TheSeedofAbraham

We have read from Galatians 3:13-14 that Jesus Christ hasredeemed us from the curse so that we, the Gentiles, mightreceivetheblessingofAbrahamandthepromiseoftheSpirit.Let'stakethisalittlebitfurtheranddiscussitinmoredepth.

InGalatians3:16weread,"NowtoAbrahamandhisseedwerethepromisesmade.

Hesaithnot,Andtoseeds,asofmany;butasofone,Andtothyseed, which is Christ." God's promise was made throughAbraham, but it was actually meant for one person, JesusChrist. We have seen from the book of Genesis that GodapproachedAbramwithHispropositionforacovenantbetweenthem. God's purpose was to provide an avenue back into theearth—toopenthewayforJesustocomeforth.

In his lifetime, Abraham operated only basic parts of God'scovenant.Theninthefollowingyears,GodrevealedmoreofHisWord to the prophets. TheseOld Testament prophets handledthe Word and operated under the covenant, but the promisewas made to Abraham's seed—Jesus Christ. They used thecovenantasbesttheycould,butitwastoodifficultforthemtofollowcompletely.Theywerejustnotstrongenoughspirituallytohandleit,butJesuswas!Thepromisewasmadetooneseed,whichwasChrist.

Throughout the Old Testament, God promised to care for Hispeople in every way—spirit, soul and body. He said, "I willprotect you from your enemies. If they come against you oneway,theywillfleeseven.IwillbeyourGodandyouwillbeMypeople."InIsaiah58:9,Godsaid,"Thenshaltthoucall,andtheLord shall answer...." In the Hebrew language this literallymeans, "You call and the Lord will answer, even before youfinishthesentence."Godmadethesepromises,andtheywereperfectly fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus. When Jesus spoke,Godmoved!Hesaid,"Peace,bestill!"andthehandofGodfellon that storm so strongly that it had to cease! Jesus said,"Lazarus,comeforth!"andLazarushadnochoicebuttocomeforthfromthegrave!

We need to realize the reasonwhy these things took place inJesus'earthlyministry.ItwasnotbecauseHewasthespotlessSonofGod.JesusdidnotministerastheSonofGod.

Hecouldhave.HewasGodmanifestintheflesh.TheimportantthingtousisthatHedidn't.

Jesus ministered on earth as a prophet under the AbrahamicCovenant. He took the principles in the Word of God andministeredthemtoIsraelinfaithandintheloveofGod.SomepeoplehavetheideathatJesusintroducedhealingtotheworld,buthealingwasaprovisionofthecovenantfromthebeginning.He did not use one tool in His earthly ministry that was notavailabletoeveryIsraelitethroughtheircovenantwithGod.Hedidn'tuseHisSonshipasaweaponagainstSatan;HeusedtheWord of God and said, "It is written...." He used the writtenWordofGod,faithinHisFather,andthegiftsoftheHolySpirit.Hesaid,"TheFatherthatdwellethinme,hedoeththeworks"

(John 14:10). Everything Jesus used inHis earthlyministry isavailabletothebelievertoday.TherewasonlyonethingJesusdidthatnootherpersononearthcouldeverdoandthatwastodieonthecrossastheSonofGodandpaythepriceforsin.GoddidnotanswerJesus'

prayerssimplybecauseJesuswasHisSon.HeansweredJesus'prayersbecauseofthecovenant,orthepromise,thatJesuswasoperating under—the covenant which God had allowedAbrahamtohandlesomanyyearsbefore.

Inthelightofthis,let'sreadagainfromGalatians3,beginningwithverse16:

Now to Abraham and his seedwere the promisesmade.Hesaithnot,Andtoseeds,asofmany;butasofone,Andto thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that thecovenant,thatwasconfirmedbeforeofGodinChrist,thelaw,whichwasfourhundredandthirtyyearslater,cannotdisannul,thatitshouldmakethepromiseofnoneeffect.For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more ofpromise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.Whereforethenserveththelaw?

It was added because of transgressions, till the seedshouldcometowhomthepromisewasmade.

You see, the lawwasbrought in to protect the promise. ThenwhenJesuscameforth,thepromisewasinforce.

OnceGod'sWordhasbeenloosedintheearth,thereisnothingSatancandoaboutit.

Isaiah55:11says,"Soshallmywordbethatgoethforthoutofmy mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shallaccomplishthatwhichIplease,anditshallprosperinthethingwhereto I sent it." God'sWordwill come to pass. There is no

waySatancanstopit!Whenyoureceivedsalvation,whenyoumadethedecisionandactedonit,nodevilinhellwaspowerfulenough to stop the new birth from taking place in your life.Satan ishelplessbeforetheNameof Jesusbecausethepowerof thecursehasbeenbroken.Hewillwalkalloveryou ifyouallow him to, but his actual power has been removed. Thepowerofsinhasbeenbroken,andSatancannotdominateyouonceyourecognizethepoweroftheWordofGodandallowthatpowertooperateinyourlife.

Intheoldcovenant,wecanseethatthepowerofsinwasverymuch in force. Satan took the authority that Adam had givenhimandperverted it, using fear anddeath onmen instead oflife and faith. The power of sinwas operating throughout theOld Testament. Aman couldmake the decision to live in linewithGod'sWord,butsinwouldstillplaguehimnightandday.Forinstance,Noahperformedthegreatestactoffaithknowntomanand thengot roaringdrunk! This iswhy the decisions oftheOld Testament saints spoken of inHebrews 11were suchoutstandingfaithfeats.Thepowerofsinwasstill insidethem;spiritualdeathwas lodged intheirhearts.ThenJesuscametoearth,borethepenaltyofspiritualdeath,brokeitspower,andwas raised from the dead in triumph over Satan and hiskingdom.WhenyoumadeJesusyourLord,thepowerofeternallifeenvelopedyourspiritandanewmanwasborninsideyou.

"Therefore if anyman be in Christ, he is a new creature: oldthingsarepassedaway;behold,allthingsarebecomenew.Andall thingsareofGod" (2Corinthians5:17-18).This is thenewcovenant!

Whereforethenserveththelaw?Itwasaddedbecauseoftransgressions, till the seed should come to whom thepromisewasmade,and itwasordainedbyangels in thehandofamediator.Nowamediator isnotamediatorofone,butGodisone.Isthelawthenagainstthepromisesof God? God forbid: for if there had been a law givenwhich could havegiven life, verily righteousness shouldhavebeenbythelaw.Butthescripturehathconcludedallundersin,thatthepromisebyfaithofJesusChristmightbegiventothemthatbelieve.Butbeforefaithcame,wewere kept under the law, shut up unto the faith whichshouldafterwardsberevealed.Whereforethelawwasourschoolmaster to bring usunto Christ, that wemight bejustifiedbyfaith.Butafterthatfaith iscome,wearenolongerunderaschoolmaster.ForyeareallthechildrenofGodbyfaith inJesusChrist.Forasmanyofyouashavebeen baptized into Christ have put on Christ...there isneitherbondnor free,there is neithermalenor female:for yeare all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's,then are ye Abraham's seed, andheirs according to the

promise(Galatians3:19-29).

IfJesusChrististheLordofyourlife,thenYOUareAbraham'sseed.Noticethatthewordseedinthis29thverseisassingularas it was in verse 16 when it was referring to Jesus. ThepromiseistoyouandwillworkinJesus'NameeverybitaswellasitdidforJesusinGalilee.

WehaveputonChrist.WeareonewithHim.

JesushaspassedthepromisetoyouasHisjointheir!Youhavetheright to functionexactly thesameway Jesus functioned intheearthbyusingHisName.Itisyourpromise.Hehasgivenittoyou.

Withthisunderstanding,let'slookonceagainatGalatians3:13-14."Christhathredeemedus fromthecurseof the law...Thatthe blessing of Abrahammight come on theGentiles throughJesus Christ; that wemight receive the promise of the Spiritthroughfaith."

We have always read this thinking that "the promise of theSpirit"referredtoreceivingthepromisedHolySpirit,butthereismoretoit.

TheHolySpiritisapartofthepromise,butthisverseactuallymeans that through faithwemight receive thepromisewhichtheSpiritmadetoJesus.ItisreferringtotheentirepromiseofGodgiventhroughAbraham.

ThispromiseofGod shouldbe so real to youas an individualbeliever that youwill receive it andactupon it the samewayJesusdid!However, youmust realize that youhave towork itaccordingtotheWordofGod,notaccordingtohowyouthinkorfeel.Thenaturalminddoesnotconsiderprayeranswereduntilthe answer can be seen; but prayer is answered themomentyou receive the answer by faith from the authority of God'sWord.Quitdealingwiththeproblemandbegintodealwiththeanswer from the Word of God. Start confessing the answerbeforeyoucanseethemanifestation.

ThisiswhatJesusdid!Hespoketheendresult.

TheBible says inRomans4:17 thatGodspeaksof things thatarenotasthoughtheywere.Weshoulddothesamething!

The promise God gave to Jesus has now been given to thebeliever.WearetoreceivetheblessingofAbrahamassetoutinDeuteronomy28.As the seed ofAbraham, I intend to receiveeverythingthatisminebyChristJesusasaglorytoGod.God'sWord tells us thatwe have a right to pray and expectGod toanswer,notbecauseofwhatwehavedonebutbecauseofwhat

Jesushasdoneforus!Godsaid,"Ifyebewillingandobedient,ye shall eat the good of the land" (Isaiah 1:19). Obedient towhat? The Word of God, the new covenant of God. The oldcovenantwasfulfilledbyJesusonthecross.HewalkedperfectanduprightbeforeGod,thentookthepenaltyforbreakingthecovenant.Hewent to hell and paid the price for our sin; butbecause He was sinless, because He had not broken thecovenant,hellcouldnotholdHim!

He whipped Satan and took the keys of death and hell!(Revelation1:18)

YoucanexpectGod tomovebecauseofHisWord,becauseofHis promise to Abraham's seed. Find out what the covenantsays.PuttheWordfirstplaceinyourlife.Matthew8:17says,

"Himselftookourinfirmities,andbareoursicknesses."That isGodspeakingdirectlytoyou,thebeliever.ChristhasredeemedYOUfromthelawsothattheblessingofAbrahamwillcomeonYOUthroughJesusChrist,thatYOUmightreceivethepromiseoftheSpiritthroughfaith.TheblessingsofGodbelongtoeveryborn-againbeliever.Allyouhavetodo isstandonGod'sWordandallowtheseblessingstomanifestthemselvesinyourlife.

Deuteronomy28:7-8says,"TheLordshallcause thineenemiesthat rise up against thee tobe smitten before thy face: theyshallcomeoutagainsttheeoneway,andfleebeforetheesevenways. The Lord shall command the blessingupon thee in thystorehouses...." In Ephesians 1:3, the Apostle Paul wrote thatGodhas

"Blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places inChrist." When I first realized this, I thought, Lord, I've beentrying to get You to bless me when You have alreadycommandedtheblessingsuponmethroughJesusChrist.

Asabeliever,youhavearighttomakecommandsintheNameofJesus.EachtimeyoustandontheWord,youarecommandingGodtoacertainextentbecauseitisHisWord.

Wheneveranhonestmangivesyouhisword,heisboundbyit.Itisnotnecessarytoorderhimaroundbecauseatrulyhonestmanwillbackhisword.Whenyoustandonwhathehassaid,heiscommandedtodoit.Inthesameway,youputacommandonGod through His Word. "Put me in remembrance" (Isaiah43:26).SometimesIjustholdtheBibleuptoGodlikeamirrorandsay,

"Father,thisisYourWordandIamstandingonit.Youhavesaidthatnoweaponformedagainstmewillprosper,sointheNameofJesusIexpectittobeaccordingtoYourWord."ThisplacesacommandonGod.NowIdon'tsay,

"Look here, God, You have to do this because I said so!" No,that'sridiculous! IsimplygobeforeHim in theNameof JesusandremindHimofHisWord.

6

TheDaughterofAbraham

Let'slookatLuke13:10-12:"Andhewasteachinginoneofthesynagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, therewas a womanwhichhada spirit of infirmityeighteenyears,andwasbowedtogether, and could innowise lift upherself. Andwhen Jesussawher,hecalledhertohim,andsaiduntoher,Woman,thouartloosedfromthineinfirmity."

NoticethatJesusdidnotsay,"Iamgoingto looseyou"or"Beloosed."Hesaid,"Womanyouareloosed."Jesusdidnotwastewords;Heusedthem.WordshadanextremelyhighpriorityinHisministry. "And he laid his hands on her: and immediatelyshewasmadestraight,andglorifiedGod."

WhentherulerofthesynagoguequestionedHimabouthealingon the Sabbath day, Jesus said, "And ought not this woman,being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo,theseeighteenyears,beloosedfromthisbondonthesabbathday?" Thatwomanwasadaughter ofAbraham, and thereforeshehadarighttobeloosedfromthatinfirmity.Yousee,shehadlivedwith her infirmity for 18 years because she didn't knowtheblessingofAbraham,theblessingthatwouldsetherfree!

ThissameignoranceofGod'scovenantcausedIsraelto liveinbondagefor400years.

TheWordofGodwasjustasvalidandrealwhentheywentintobondageasitwasthedaytheyweresetfree.Theonlyproblemwastheydidnotknowit.GodhadtocallMosesandexplainthecovenanttohimsothathecouldleadthemoutofEgypt.Moseswent before Pharaoh in behalf of that covenant and led theIsraelitesoutofbondage. Itwas the sameGod,andHisWordwasjustastrue400yearsbefore,butthepeoplehadlostsightofit.

Jesus did not pray for that daughter of Abraham.He told herthatshewasloosed,andthenHelaidhandsonher.IntheGreatCommission(Mark16:15-18),Jesusdidnotsay,

"Thesesignsshallfollowthosethatbelieve...theyshallprayforthesickandtheyshallrecover."Jesusdidnotmentionprayingfor the sick. He said, "Lay hands on the sick, and they shallrecover."Thereisnothingwrongwithprayingforthesick,butmanytimeswehaveourmindssorigidthatwemissthereality

ofthewords.Hesaid,"Goyeintoalltheworld,andpreachthegospel to every creature." Jesus was saying that the gospelwoulddothejob.Whenwepreachthegospel—thegoodnews,the Word of God—then we can expect the sick to be healedwhenwelayhandsonthem.First,wemustpreachthetruth—thatGodwasinChrist,reconcilingtheworlduntoHimself,notimputingtheirtrespassesuntothem—thatHeWhoknewnosinwas made to be sin for us that we might be made therighteousness of God inHim. Preach the truth...the signswillfollow!

Whatareapair of crippled legs that theywouldnotobey thevoice of the Righteousness of God! What are blind eyes thatthey would refuse to see after Jesus said in Luke 4:18, "TheSpiritoftheLordisuponmetopreachtherecoveringofsighttotheblind."GodistheCreator;HeistheFather,SatanhasnorighttorunroughshodoverGod'schildren.

Oughtnotthiswomanbeloosed,seeingsheisadaughterofAbraham?

Youcanapply this to yourself because "ifye beChrist's, thenare ye Abraham's seed, andheirs according to the promise."Oughtnotthismanbeloosedfromfinancialbondage,seeingheistheseedofAbraham?Oughtnotthiswomanbeloosedfromarthritis,seeingsheisaseedofAbraham?

Jesus spoke the words, "Woman, thou art loosed from thineinfirmity."TheninhonoroftheWordofGod,HelaidHishandson her. The power it took to enforce God's Word came intoactionandimmediatelythewomanwassetfree!

PraisetheLord!

Ihaveused this fact ofbeing redeemed from the cursemany,manytimes.WhenSatanwouldcomeatmewithsomeproblem,I would open my Bible to Galatians 3:13-14 and say, "PraiseGod!I'vebeenredeemedfromthat.Satan,youarenotgoingtoputthatonme.I'llnotstandforit!"

When a person lives out fromunder the curse and iswalkinguprightbeforeGod,hehasthepowerofGodinhiscorner.Hehas thepowerof theSpiritHimselfbackinghim.TheWordofGodstatesveryclearlyinHebrews7thatJesusisthesurety,orthe guarantee, of this new covenant. JesusChrist ofNazarethwillhavetofailbeforethecovenantcanfail,andinHimthereisnofailure.Why?BecauseJesusisloveandloveneverfails.

GototheWord.Thatiswhatitisfor.Thatiswhyitwaswritten.It isacopyofyourcontract—yourcovenant—withGod. ItsetsoutthethingsGodpromisedJesusthatHewoulddo.Hebrews1speaks of Jesus' inauguration as Lord of the universe. It says

thatHeisupholdingallthingsbythepowerofHisWord.

Ifyouwanttobeupheld,getontheWord.

Once you make Jesus Lord over your life, you become acovenant man under the new covenant. Remember God said,"As forme, these thingsareso."Hesaid, "As forMe,youarehealed.AsforMe,youareredeemedfromthecurseofthelaw.As for me, the blessing of Abraham is upon you." The onlyreasontheseblessingsarenotoperatinginyourlifeisbecauseyouhavenotstoodupandsaid,"Well,asforme,itissotoo!"

MakethisconfessionfromyourheartbeforeGod:

"Father, in theNameof Jesus, Ibelieve inmyheart that Jesushasbeenraisedfromthedead.ImakeHimLordofmylifenowwiththeconfessionofmymouth.IamHisandHeismine!Jesushasredeemedmefromthecurseofthelaw.Sicknesswillhavetodepart.Diseasewillhavetodepart.Povertywillnolongerbeinmyhouse,forIamredeemedfromthecurseofpoverty.Iamabelieverandnotadoubter.IhavetheNameofJesusandthepower of the Holy Spirit. Thank God, darkness is over. Thestormsof lifewillnolongerbevictoriousoverme.JesusismyIntercessor.TheSpiritofGodstrengthensme.You,God,aremyveryownFather.IpraiseYourName!"

PrayerforSalvationandBaptismintheHolySpirit

HeavenlyFather,IcometoYouintheNameofJesus.

YourWordsays,"WhosoevershallcallonthenameoftheLordshallbesaved" (Acts2:21), so IamcallingonYou. Iprayandask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life,according to Romans 10:9— "If thou shalt confess with thymouththeLordJesus,andshaltbelieveinthineheartthatGodhathraisedhimfromthedead, thoushaltbesaved." Ido thatnow.IconfessthatJesusisLord,andIbelieveinmyheartthatGod raised Him from the dead. I am now reborn! I am aChristian—achildofAlmightyGod!Iamsaved!

YoualsosaidinYourWord,"Ifyethen,beingevil,knowhowtogive good gifts unto your children: HOWMUCHMORE shallyour heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that askhim?"(Luke11:13).I'malsoaskingYoutofillmewiththeHolySpirit. Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise God. I fullyexpect to speakwith other tongues as You giveme utterance(Acts2:4).

Now begin to praise God for filling you with the Holy Spirit.Speakthosewordsandsyllablesyoureceive—not inyourownlanguage,butintheonegivenyoubytheHolySpirit.YouhavetouseyourownvoicebecauseGodwillnotforceyoutospeak.

Worship and praise Him in your heavenly language—in othertongues.

Continue with the blessing God has given you and pray intongueseachday.

You are a born-again, Spirit-filled believer. You'll never be thesame!

FindagoodWordofGodpreachingchurch,andbecomeapartof a church familywhowill love and care for you as you loveandcareforthem.

We need to be hooked up to each other. It increases ourstrengthinGod.It'sGod'splanforus.

AbouttheAuthor

Formore than 32 years, Kenneth Copeland has led countlessbelieversonajourneytomaturityintheprinciplesoffaith,love,healing,prosperity,redemptionandrighteousness.ThroughtheBelievers Voice of Victory broadcast—one of the top fiveNeilsen-rated inspirationalprograms—andBVOVMagazine,hehasbroughtrevelationknowledgeonthetruthsofGod'sWord.HehastaughtChristianseverywherethattheycanconquertheproblems and challenges life brings through faith in God'sWord.

TableofContentsIntroduction.1Abraham'sCovenant.2TheBlessingofAbraham.3TheCurseoftheLaw.4OurRedemption.5TheSeedofAbraham.6TheDaughterofAbraham.PrayerforSalvationandBaptismintheHolyAbouttheAuthor.