Dear Christian friends:

Today, the first Sunday in Advent we begin a new church year. While we begin this new church year we ought to stop and think about our relationship with God. If we understand our relationship to God, it will give us much comfort, victory and joy for the new year.

If we do not understand our relationship with God, we will be afraid and will not really be happy and have victory.

Our text says that we have a contract (agreement, covenant) with God. So let us attend to our text and consider:


I think most of you know what a contract is. When you buy a home, you sign a contract for the dee. You promise or pledge to pay $15,000 with interest for twenty-five years. The other man, the seller promises to give you the deed and title to the house. In all contracts we have two persons or groups and money and a product.

In our contract with God we have two also, God and us. But God does not charge us money. He agrees to give us many wonderful things and at no cost to us. He promises to be our God, our keeper and protector and to accept us as His people. (read verse 33)

But perhaps you think and say, "How can God do that? I have sinned against Him and have not loved Him as I should. I must suffer and pay for mys sins myself, then maybe God will accept me and help me. I must give some money to the poor and to church and be a good person for a long time. Then God will be my God and Friend and Helper. But I am too weak and easily tempted. I doubt if God can really be my God anymore." You are wrong if you think like that.

Or perhaps you think, "Yes, God will be my God and Helper and Friend. He should be. I am a very good person. I always obey His Commandments. I never lie or gossip. I never steal or kill anyone. I always go to church and pray and I do my part, God must do His part. If He gives me trouble or sickness, I will quit the Church and stop praying, 50-50 I will do my part. He better do His."

Many people are like that self-righteous and proud. You are wrong when you think like that. That was the old covenant. (read verses 31-32)

Our contract with God is not 50-50, but 100-0. God does 100 and we do nothing. Why? Because we are fully sinners and helpless before God. By nature we can't keep and do our part of the deal. We can only sin, sin and sin! God knows this very well, but still He loves us and comes to us with grace and forgiveness. "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (verse 34) That is our new and wonderful contract with God.

He does 100% we do nothing. He can be our God, our Helper and Keeper because of His kindness and mercy, not because we are good or because we pay.

This new contract costs us nothing, but it cost God plenty. It cost Him the terrible suffering and death of His one dear Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ God became man and our substitute. He kept our part of the contract. He by His perfect life on earth did all that God demanded. He did that for all the world. So God can excuse us.

Yes, we have a wonderful contract with God, signed and sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore you can be sure that God is your God. He will love you and keep you and protect you and help you during the New Church Year. You should not question that or doubt that. He will be your God and you will be His people. His precious dear, dear people.

Even if He sends you sorrows and troubles during the New Year, it will be for your soul's good and because He is your God and loves you. Even if He lets you suffer and die during this new year, you can still be happy and know that He is your God and Keeper forever.

This wonderful contract with God should make you love Him very much and make you happy and glad to agree with Him to obey Him and serve Him. Now you should not ask do I have to, but may I? Now you should eagerly say I volunteer! I want to. (read verses 33-34 again!) Gladly we love Him, freely we serve Him.

We should be glad to pledge and glad to serve and help. His love for us is so great and wonderful. He forgives our sins and promises to be our God forever.

(Tell the story of the man who was converted and later met his former companions in sin.)

May God daily remind us of our wonderful contract with Him so that we will have comfort, victory, and joy through the New Church Year.

Amen.