Picture ID

I recently changed the profile picture on my Facebook account to this:

It wasn’t too long before my aunt, a lifelong Christian, wrote to me, questioning why I had chosen that image for my profile. Had I converted to Judaism? What was going on? She also apologized if she was getting “too personal.”

I put much thought and prayer into my answer to her. Here is what I said:

Of course you are not getting too personal – you are my family! In a nutshell: I believe that when Jesus came He fulfilled every aspect of God’s statutes for His covenant people, covering their sins by sacrificing Himself and shedding his own blood. He also extended that forgiveness of sins to Gentiles, opening the way for them to also enter into covenant with Him.

Christianity has over the years walked away from the instructions that God gave for His covenant people and has, through the institution of it’s own man made traditions and customs, created it’s own religion (just like the Pharisees did with all their additions of laws in the Talmud.)

I didn’t really understand the concept of Covenant until just recently. I knew that God promised to renew His covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah (Jer. 31 The word here used for “new” in “new covenant” is the same as is used for “new moon.”) But my understanding was more of a saved/not saved, Heaven/Hell type of thinking, where it was primarily about what happened after you die. Kinda, “you gotta believe in Jesus so that your sins are forgiven and you go to Heaven instead of Hell when you die. And in the meantime, you have to pray and study the Bible and go to church and not lie and basically obey the Ten Commandments so that you don’t get in trouble, because you are an adopted son now and the Father will discipline you if you disobey.”

Since realizing that by believing in Him and his absolute sufficiency to forgive my sins and make me clean and Holy in the sight of God, I can now enter into and be part of His Covenant People, that I can walk in all the blessings and assurance of provision and protection for this life and whatever else is to come next, I have found a joy and excitement that I never even imagined. “Found” isn’t even an accurate word: it has burst forth from my soul uncontrollably. Each day is a new opportunity to love Him and worship Him as I walk in covenant with him and experience all that comes with that.

He is my God and I am His people. That is my primary identity.

I am glad that you asked. No one else has.