Understanding God’s Redemptive Plan Through His Covenant
By Apst. Tonye Oliver
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”
— Matthew 4:23 (KJV)
“Know therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.”
— Galatians 3:7 (KJV)
Introduction: Understanding the Foundation of Healing
Welcome once again as we continue our journey through this month’s teaching series on Jesus the Healer. Over the past several weeks, we have examined The Light of Healing, God’s original design for mankind, and Christ’s ministry of restoration. Today we move into another vital truth that every believer must understand—God’s Covenant of Healing.
Many believers desire healing, yet very few understand the covenant upon which God’s promises stand. Throughout Scripture, God relates to humanity through covenant. His promises are not based on human emotions but on His unchanging faithfulness.
One of the truths I often emphasize is that there is a significant difference between religious Christianity, cultural Christianity, and Biblical Christianity. These are not the same.
Many people identify as Christians simply because they were born into Christian homes, attend church services, or participate in religious activities. Others practice Christianity as part of their culture, celebrating Christian holidays and traditions while never experiencing the transforming power of Christ.
But Biblical Christianity is something entirely different.
It is not merely believing certain facts about Jesus.
It is experiencing His life.
It is walking in His power.
It is living according to His Word.
It is becoming transformed into His image.
Jesus never came merely to establish another religion.
He came to restore humanity to the Father’s original purpose.
Religious Christianity, Cultural Christianity, and Biblical Christianity
One of the greatest challenges facing the Church today is that many people know Christianity as a religion but have never encountered its reality.
Religious Christianity
Religious Christianity is built around ceremonies, traditions, and outward activities.
People attend church faithfully.
They know church language.
They observe religious practices.
Yet their lives remain unchanged.
Jesus warned about this kind of religion.
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth… but their heart is far from me.”
(Matthew 15:8)
Religion without relationship cannot produce transformation.
Cultural Christianity
Cultural Christianity is inherited rather than experienced.
People identify as Christians because:
- Their parents were Christians.
- Their community is predominantly Christian.
- Their culture embraces Christian values.
However, cultural Christianity often lacks spiritual power.
It adopts Christian identity without experiencing Christian transformation.
The Apostle Paul described this condition when he spoke of those,
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”
(2 Timothy 3:5)
Biblical Christianity
Biblical Christianity is completely different.
It is life in Christ.
It produces visible transformation.
It changes the heart.
It renews the mind.
It restores broken lives.
It manifests the Kingdom of God.
The Gospel is not simply information.
It is transformation.
Paul declared,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation…”
(Romans 1:16)
The Gospel carries God’s power because it restores mankind to His original design.
God’s Original Design for Humanity
The Bible begins with a perfect creation.
Genesis tells us,
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him.”
(Genesis 1:27)
Being created in God’s image means much more than physical resemblance.
It means humanity was designed to:
- Reflect God’s character.
- Walk in fellowship with Him.
- Exercise righteous dominion.
- Live under His authority.
- Represent Him on earth.
Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect communion with God.
There was:
- No sickness.
- No disease.
- No death.
- No fear.
- No poverty.
- No suffering.
Everything reflected God’s perfect will.
Healing was unnecessary because nothing was broken.
The Fall Changed the World
When Adam sinned, everything changed.
Sin entered creation.
Death entered humanity.
Darkness entered the world.
Romans 5:12 declares,
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin…”
Sickness is not part of God’s original design.
Disease is evidence that creation has been affected by sin.
This broken world is functioning below God’s intended purpose.
That is why Jesus came.
Why the Gospel Became Necessary
When mankind fell, the relationship between God and man was broken.
Humanity became separated from its Creator.
Satan gained influence over the fallen world.
Jesus described him as:
“The prince of this world.”
(John 12:31)
This does not mean Satan became the rightful owner of creation.
It means humanity surrendered the authority God had entrusted to them.
But God never abandoned His creation.
Because of His love, He immediately began revealing His plan of redemption.
The Gospel is God’s rescue mission.
Jesus came to restore what Adam lost.
Paul calls Jesus,
“The last Adam.”
(1 Corinthians 15:45)
Where Adam failed,
Christ succeeded.
Where Adam brought death,
Christ brought life.
Where Adam introduced separation,
Christ restored fellowship.
Jesus Revealed God’s Heart for Healing
One of the clearest pictures of God’s will is found in the ministry of Jesus.
Matthew writes,
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”
— Matthew 4:23
Notice the order.
Jesus taught.
He preached.
Then He healed.
Teaching corrected wrong thinking.
Preaching produced faith.
Healing demonstrated God’s compassion and power.
Jesus never presented sickness as something people should embrace.
His ministry consistently revealed God’s desire to bring restoration.
The miracles of Jesus pointed beyond themselves to the greater work of redemption that He would accomplish through His death and resurrection.
Why Did Jesus Begin His Ministry in Israel?
This is an important question.
Why didn’t Jesus immediately go to every nation?
The answer is found in God’s covenant.
God had already established a covenant relationship with Abraham and, through Abraham’s descendants, with the nation of Israel.
Jesus Himself declared,
“I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
(Matthew 15:24)
This was not because God loved Israel more than other nations.
Rather, God was fulfilling the promises He had made through His covenant.
Paul explains,
“For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.”
(Romans 15:8)
Christ first came to fulfill God’s covenant promises to Israel, and through His completed work the blessings of salvation would then extend to all nations.
God Works Through Covenant
Throughout the Bible, God chose to relate to people through covenant.
A covenant is far more than a simple agreement.
It is a sacred, binding relationship established by God, often confirmed by solemn promises and, in the Old Testament, by sacrificial signs.
God made covenants with:
- Noah (Genesis 9)
- Abraham (Genesis 12, 15, 17)
- Israel through Moses (Exodus 19–24)
- David (2 Samuel 7)
- And ultimately established the New Covenant through Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8).
These covenants progressively revealed God’s plan to redeem humanity.
What Is a Covenant?
A covenant is a solemn commitment between parties that establishes a relationship with defined promises and responsibilities.
In the ancient world, covenants were confirmed in different ways, including:
- Blood covenants, sealed by sacrificial animals (Genesis 15).
- Marriage covenants, expressing lifelong faithfulness (Malachi 2:14).
- National or political treaties between rulers.
- Legal or written covenants, documented as binding agreements.
- Covenants confirmed by an oath, where promises were guaranteed by solemn words (Hebrews 6:13–18).
God’s covenants are unique because they are initiated by His grace and grounded in His faithfulness.
Throughout Scripture, God’s covenant always reveals His desire to redeem, bless, and restore His people.
The Covenant with Abraham
Among all the biblical covenants, God’s covenant with Abraham occupies a central place in His redemptive plan.
God promised Abraham:
“And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
(Genesis 12:3)
Notice those words carefully.
Not Israel alone.
All nations.
The covenant pointed beyond Abraham’s physical descendants.
It anticipated the coming of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Is the Fulfillment of the Covenant
Everything God promised Abraham ultimately finds its fulfillment in Christ.
Paul explains this beautifully:
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made… And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
(Galatians 3:16)
Jesus is the promised Seed.
He fulfilled every covenant promise.
Through His death and resurrection, the blessings promised to Abraham are now extended to all who believe.
The covenant has reached the nations through Christ.
The Blessing of Abraham Belongs to Those in Christ
Many believers sing,
“Abraham’s blessings are mine.”
But why can we say this?
Because Scripture teaches that everyone who belongs to Christ is included in God’s covenant promise to Abraham.
Galatians 3:29 declares,
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
This does not mean Christians become ethnic Israelites.
Rather, all who are united to Christ by faith share in the blessings God promised through Abraham—chiefly the gift of salvation, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the inheritance of God’s Kingdom.
The covenant is no longer limited to one nation.
It is available to every tribe,
every language,
every people,
and every nation
through Jesus Christ.
Healing in the New Covenant
One of the wonderful blessings associated with Christ’s redemptive work is God’s promise of restoration.
Jesus bore our sins on the cross and secured our reconciliation with the Father (1 Peter 2:24). His saving work brings forgiveness, new life, and the hope of complete restoration.
As believers, we confidently pray for healing because Jesus demonstrated God’s compassion throughout His earthly ministry, and we trust Him in every circumstance. While Scripture records many miraculous healings and encourages us to pray in faith (James 5:14–16), our deepest confidence rests in the certainty that Christ has conquered sin and death and will ultimately make all things new.
The Greatest Healing Is Reconciliation with God
Physical healing is wonderful.
Emotional healing is wonderful.
But the greatest healing is reconciliation with God.
Before Jesus heals the body,
He heals the relationship.
Before He restores circumstances,
He restores hearts.
This is the greatest miracle of all.
When a sinner becomes a child of God,
eternity changes forever.
A Call to Embrace God’s Covenant
God has always desired a relationship with humanity.
From Abraham to Christ,
His covenant reveals His unwavering love.
Jesus did not come to create another religion.
He came to fulfill God’s covenant and open the door of salvation to the whole world.
Today, that invitation remains open.
Do not settle for cultural Christianity.
Do not remain in empty religion.
Come into living fellowship with Jesus Christ.
Study His Word.
Believe His promises.
Walk in faith.
Live as one who belongs to the New Covenant.
Through Christ, you have been invited into God’s family, forgiven by His grace, and given the hope of complete restoration.
As you continue to walk with Him, may you experience the transforming power of His covenant, the assurance of His promises, and the joy of knowing that in Christ, God’s plan of redemption has been fulfilled.
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus… through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will.”
— Hebrews 13:20–21