You’ve probably heard it said in sermons: “If you don’t do this or that, you’re breaking your covenant with God.” But is that true?
Let’s go straight to Scripture. Galatians 3:16 says:
“Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.”
Notice something important here. The promises God made to Abraham weren’t just about Abraham—they pointed directly to Christ. In fact, when God made His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, something remarkable happened:
“As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram… When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.” (Genesis 15:12, 17)
What’s going on here?
In ancient times, covenants involved both parties walking between animal pieces, symbolizing their commitment to uphold the agreement. But here’s the catch—Abraham was asleep! Only God, symbolized by the smoking fire pot and flaming torch, passed through the pieces.
This means the covenant God made with Abraham wasn’t dependent on Abraham’s actions. Instead, God unilaterally bound Himself to fulfill the promise. Hebrews 6:13 confirms:
“For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.”
Between God and Abraham, or between God and God?
Technically, the promise was given to Abraham (and ultimately fulfilled in Christ), but the responsibility for keeping this covenant rested solely with God. Abraham was a beneficiary, not an obligated participant. Many theologians see this as a powerful foreshadowing of the New Covenant—where God the Father and God the Son enter into a covenant, and we simply receive its blessings by grace through faith (Galatians 3:6–9).
Here’s the amazing news:
Our relationship with God doesn’t rest on our ability to fulfill obligations. If it did, we’d surely fail. Romans 4 emphasizes that God’s promise is guaranteed because it doesn’t depend on human performance. Hebrews 8 explains that the Old Covenant failed precisely because people couldn’t uphold their part. The New Covenant, however, relies entirely on God’s faithfulness and Christ’s perfect sacrifice.
God promises forgiveness, an intimate relationship, and a transformed heart—not because we keep our end of a bargain, but because He fulfills both sides of the covenant Himself. Our only role is to trust, believe, and rest in His promise.
What freedom this brings! You don’t carry the burden of maintaining a covenant with God; He has done it all. You are simply a grateful recipient of His boundless grace. That’s truly good news.
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