A Relational Fellowship: Pursuing a Covenant Relationship with God

By David Udoko

 

God laid the foundation of human existence in the fabric of relationships with vertical and lateral components for survival and well-being. The vertical component establishes the spiritual connection with God the Creator, from which man derives the energy for the lateral component. The lateral component establishes living paradigms and outlines healthy development and maintenance rules, obligations, and responsibilities. Therefore, whether vertically or laterally, human relationships are designed to be a two-way street, requiring reciprocal obligation or joint action.
In "A Relational Fellowship: Pursuing a Covenant Relationship with God", the author inspires the reader to embrace new birth as the sovereign act of God's grace that breaks the grip of sin on the believer to release him from human depravity so that he could share in God's nature to serve Him acceptably and profitably.
The author conveys that a relational fellowship with God goes beyond believing in Him to being in accord with Christ in all viewpoints, interests, desires, and conduct.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Udoko
• Release date: Sep 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215696187

Book preview

Dedication

To the martyrs of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who carried their crosses to follow Him on the pathway of truth, righteousness, and holiness to the end.

To all who faithfully labor for the Great Commission to bring others into an authentic fellowship with Christ.

To all believers in Christ who faithfully keep the bond of unity of the Spirit in Christian fellowship.

Self-Reflection Quotes

Human relationships must follow the inseparable Trinity relationship model characterized by equality, unity, harmony, and oneness, in which no party is devalued because of its role in the union.

Disobedience to God is a cruel disservice to God's holiness and righteous judgment, and it is repugnant to faith in Jesus Christ as the Redeemer.

The bargaining price of disobedience to God is eternal damnation (no matter the degree of disobedience), a price no one should be willing to pay.

Born-again believers are birthed from the seed of God; therefore, they are spiritual beings on a spiritual pilgrimage on earth, journeying to a particular place prepared for them in Heaven.

Believers still trapped in carnal nature by the Devil cannot do God's Will but the will of the Devil.

It is expected and required of every believer in union with Christ to remain holy, undefiled, and separated from sin and the world and to abhor carnal practices and ungodly behaviors until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Denial of truth about Hell is an act of free will; it is a choice to deny God's grace that brings salvation to all men, and it is a choice to live ungodlily with no desire to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Without the freedom to choose, love would not be genuine, would be deficient of its genuine juicy sweetness of fellowship, would be emptied of its genuine warm comfort of companionship, and would be devoid of its trustworthiness in the union.

At the most, the limit of 'deep theology' is very shallow and puerile, and every human exegesis of the Scripture is worthless unless illuminated by the Holy Spirit when we humbly obey Him.

It does not require science, philosophy, theology, intelligence, ability, power, or status to understand the ways of the Lord, but only faith with a penitent heart, and those who do not do so stand the inescapable danger of eternal damnation, but those who do so will be rewarded with eternal life.

Lukewarm faith delights and rejoices in 'cheap grace' that offers no victory over sin and carnal desires; by this reason, lukewarm believers are possessed with spirits of the fear of death, disease, unbelief, and fear of all human frailties.

Author’s Preface

We talk about relationships all the time and about having a relationship with God, but God is Spirit, and no living soul on this earth has ever seen God. In discussing a relationship with Christ, we ponder what a genuine relationship with God looks like and what it entails. A real relationship requires intimacy, trust, and commitment to obligations, for two cannot be intimate unless they are committed to trusting each other and fulfilling the responsibilities that brought the two together in the first place.

Human existence was conceived in a relationship as the fabric of human connectivity, interactions, and associations. A human connection is a mechanism that provides a natural impetus to transmit positive energy among connected individuals. This energy is the nourishment needed for relationships to survive, and it offers tremendous spiritual, emotional, and social benefits to partners for developing wholeness. Research shows that emotional disengagement is typical in relationships that do not generate positive energy. Therefore, nurturing relationships with positive energy promotes overall well-being and stability.

Conversely, the lack or absence of authentic relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness, and alienation, which often result in chaos and emotional and spiritual instability, including health challenges.

At creation, God established the relationship framework on the Principles of Connectivity.

From the beginning, human existence was established on human connectedness as the basis for survival and wellness. Spiritual or vertical connectivity involves an awareness of a relationship with the Creator, creating an intuitive consciousness that we are spiritual beings made in the image of the Creator. This consciousness enables us to discover the Creator's purposes for our lives. Lateral connectivity establishes paradigms for living and outlines individual and collective obligations and responsibilities for healthy human development, living in harmony, and socio-cultural progress.

At creation, the Trinity's agreement to make man in their image revealed a spiritual relationship with God (vertical connectedness). When God created Eve from Adam's rib, revealing sexuality, human relationship (lateral connectedness) was defined in Adam accepting Eve as a compatible complement. When God presented Eve to Adam, empowered by the innate energy from his spiritual connectedness with the Trinity, Adam responded in pure delight, complete acceptance, innocent completeness, and hearty satisfaction, saying, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken out of Man (Gen. 2:23).

Consequently, God ordained that a family would be an earthly platform or institution for a human relationship to begin and thrive. Therefore, He established the principles to govern, shape, and grow all human relationships, individually or collectively. 

He said, On account of this shall a man leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Matt. 19:5; DARBY).

This book explains God-established Principles for All Human Relationships (vertically and laterally)!

This book, A Relational Fellowship: Pursuing a Covenant Relationship with God, is a precious manual for true believers in Christ and those who desire a genuine relationship with Christ. This book carefully articulates the principles for establishing and maintaining an authentic relational fellowship with God. It consistently elucidates the believers' responsibilities, obligations, and accountability in a covenant relationship with God. It stands to be a valuable resource for pastors, Bible teachers, and ministry workers who desire to effectuate Christlikeness as authentic Christ ambassadors on earth. This book outlines God's original design for man to live in continuous and consistent fellowship with Himself and his fellow men. 

On the other hand, this book may be a commendable textbook for training ministry workers in colleges on relationships, vertically and laterally. It is well written with deep thoughtfulness and scriptural insight to uphold the authenticity and purity of Christian faith in our spiritually toxic society. This book is inspiring and scripturally balanced to be recommended as a companion for every believer focusing on eternal fellowship with our Lord on the day of His return. I recommend this book to anyone who needs an authentic relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Final Thought

This book was written with prayers that readers would find the discussions inspiring and informative. As much as possible, the author made every attempt to avoid issues of theological debates. However, few theological discourses were mused over (where necessary) to enhance the understanding of an authentic relationship with God. It does not matter whether one is an ardent believer in Christ or not, an ordained ministry worker or a layman, a religious inquirer, or a scholar or a student, one will find this book inspiring and a worthy companion to enhance one's spiritual relationship with God or lateral relationship with fellow men. 

At the end of each chapter, a summary of the key points is presented to reinforce the discussions. We pray that the reader finds this book helpful in establishing an intimate relational relationship with God and a solid commitment to bearing one's cross to follow Christ in the path of holiness and truth in the age of individualism and self-centeredness. To God be the glory!

Acknowledgment

Over the years, God has taught me the principles of intimacy and authentic fellowship with Christ through inspired men of God, and I remain eternally thankful to Him. I am also eternally grateful to the Holy Spirit for doing tremendous work shaping my life and prompting my heart to share what He has taught me concerning establishing and maintaining an authentic fellowship with Christ.

Many years ago, I had a burden to write a book on what He has taught me (on my relationship with the resurrected Christ). My wife relentlessly reminded me to commit to this task as I procrastinated. Suddenly, in 2022, I lost the use of my left hand, being left-handed, and was referred to a Functional Chiropractor, Dr. Stephen Hill. The first phase of my therapy with him was to last for six weeks. On each day of the treatment, we shared our thoughts about many things, including God and Christian life. In the third week of the therapy, he looked straight at me and said, I believe you should write all that the Lord has taught you in a book to share with others. I confided in Him that God had prompted my heart to write a book in the past years, but I had not had the time to do so, but I hope to do so in the future. He responded, saying it was time to start doing so and that I must not postpone further. At this point, I knew God was speaking through him, and I was convinced I had to do something about it.

From that time, for every day of therapy, the first thing Dr. Hill would say was, Have you started it yet? Usually, my obvious answer was, 'No, not yet.' One day, he looked at me again and said, If you die without doing it, you will tell God why you did not do it. He was that blunt and honest. His honesty was the last straw that broke the camel's back. I was frightened that I might die if I heeded not the warning, disobeying God, and having not written this book. After the therapy that day, on reaching home, I went straight to my study room to scribble something to show Dr. Hill that I had started by the next visit. As expected, he confronted me the next day of therapy with the same question, Have you started it yet? With an affirmative smile, I said I had started writing the book and told him its title. He was satisfied, and throughout the rest of the therapy sessions, he encouraged me to finish it up. I owe Dr. Stephen Hill my profound thanks and gratitude for helping this book become a reality; without him, this book may not have been written.

My wife, Edo, deserves special thanks. Her encouragement, vision, and prayers gave me the strength to commit to the compilation of this book. She has also taught me invaluable lessons on intimacy with God, for which I remain eternally grateful.

I am grateful to Pastors Anietie Inyang and Nema Udom for sacrificing their time to thoroughly screen and edit the original manuscript and make valuable suggestions. Special thanks also to Dr. Chujor Chujor for taking time out of his busy schedule to carefully review the manuscript and make helpful suggestions. All of their suggestions and contributions were of great benefit, without which the book's theme may not have been well refined and carefully articulated.

I acknowledge with thanks the encouragement I received from my son, Enobong Udoko, and his wife, Michaela Udoko. Their suggestions were beneficial and appreciated. Finally, thanks to my family and all the others, too numerous to mention, who played some roles in the overall production of this book.

Forward

While reading this book, it became evident that the book title - A Relational Fellowship: Pursuing a Covenant Relationship with God – is beautifully wired through the entire manuscript in a highly articulated manner within the scriptural confines of balanced, sound spiritual truths of God's word. With remarkable clarity, this book lays out the principles of authentic relational fellowship with God. This clarity is one of the outstanding features of this book, which could be attributed to the author's communication approach and strategy that allow for easy comprehension of his deep thoughtfulness and powerful insight into the authenticity, integrity, and purity of God's word.

The author's inclusion of a set of crucial points concluding each of the book's thirteen (13) chapters offers strong reinforcements of the precepts/concepts under consideration, enhancing clarity and continuity of the network of principles underlying God's salvation plan for humankind. The author's linking of God's precepts to simple, practical Christian living is masterfully revealing, relevant, inspiring, and challenging to the readership within the context of the Christian community in our contemporary society. 

On a personal note, I am blessed by this book, which serves as a testament to God's enormous investment/endowment in the life of Dr. Nsima David Udoko at a time such as this (this generation) and a clarion call to future generations for (their) unwavering faith in and total commitment to our Eternal God. It is my heart's desire and sincere prayer that you will be blessed as you discover (and rediscover) God's plan and purpose for your life as you, with an open, Spirit-directed mind, read this remarkable book: A Relational Fellowship: Pursuing a Covenant Relationship with God.

C. S. N. Chujor, PhD.

Biochemist and Former President of the African Christian Fellowship

Contents

Dedication

Self-Reflection Quotes

Author’s Preface

A Final Thought

Acknowledgment

Forward

1 The Origin of Relationship and the Basis of Human Relationship

2 Understanding God's Call to an Authentic Christian Fellowship!

3 Disobedience is Not Excusable in the Sight of a Holy God

4 The Doctrines of Believers' Dual Nature Versus One Nature

5 What is a Relational Fellowship?

6 Elements of the Believer's Spiritual Bond in Fellowship with God

7 One God is the Lord of All in the Joint Fellowship with Christ

8 Biblical Viewpoints on God's Sovereignty and Human Free Will

9 All Human Choices Have Eternal Consequences

10 Three Preconditions for Bearing the Cross to Follow Christ in the Pathway of Eternal Life

11 The 'Go First Principle' and the Kingdom of Christ

12 The Rich Young Ruler Versus Zacchaeus: A Case of Following Christ

13 A Plea to Return to An Authentic Relational Fellowship with God

Bibliography

1

The Origin of Relationship and the Basis of Human Relationship

The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein

Psalm 24:1 (ASV)

The Creator’s Relationship with His Creation

God is the creator of the universe and the earth; all its fullness belongs to Him and is owned by Him. All creation expresses God's glory and essence; therefore, God rejoices over His works of creation because they fulfill His purposes and reveal His incomparable wisdom and majesty. Every creature feels His presence and responds to Him because He upholds them, and in Him, they all exist. By His creatorship, He has a relationship with all the works of His creation to nurture, care, sustain, and provide for them. Most parts of the Scripture are devoted to explaining the relationship between God, humanity, and nature. The Psalmist (Psalm 19:1-2; ASV) adduces, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. Moreover, another Scripture (Acts 17:28; ASV) echoes, For in him we live, and move, and have our being....

A relationship is a state of connectedness, association, and involvement between parties that originates from a harmonious interaction and coexistence under God's hegemony (authority). Since God created humanity to be relational beings, all over the Bible, He has provided sufficient cues to understand and distinguish genuine and healthy relationships from false and unhealthy relationships. The Scripture outlines the principles that characterize authentic and healthy relationships and contrasts examples of healthy relationships with unhealthy relationships. In a discourse with an expert in Mosaic Law in Matthew 22:36-40 (ASV), Jesus explained God's principle of a healthy relationship as a commandment. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great first commandment. And a second like unto it is this; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments, the whole law hangeth, and the prophets. Note that Jesus summarized all the commandments of God into the two commandments above and revealed that the first commandment prepares the ground for the second. Without fear of correctness, I believe Jesus taught the fundamental principle of human relational fellowship with God and man in Matthew 22:36-40 as a two-way street with 'give and take' as the main nourishing ingredient. As a two-way street, it means that the relationship must be nourished by:

Mutual interests,

Reciprocal actions,

Reciprocal obligations, and

Agreement (covenant or contract)

In addition, parties in the relationship must put forth some effort to sustain it and achieve its goals. When a relationship lacks these essential ingredients, that relationship deteriorates into a fake and unhealthy relationship.

The Relationships Within the Trinity

The word 'Trinity' is a theological construct with biblical support that expresses the truth that God is one but manifests Himself in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Gen.1:26; John 14:16-17; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Matt. 3:16-17). The relationships within the Trinity community teach us some essential truths about healthy relationships, viz:

1.2.1 Trinity Epitomizes Oneness, Love, and Harmony that Form Healthy Relationships

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit exist from eternity as a community according to the Scripture in John 1:1-2 (WEB), In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. That means that the Word (God the Son) was eternally co-existing with God and was God Himself. The unity and harmony existing within the Trinity were epitomized at creation when God the Father consulted other members of the Trinity, saying, Let us (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness) (Gen. 1:26; AMP). This example models a healthy relationship characterized by oneness, love, unity, communication, and harmony as divine standards for all healthy human relationships.

1.2.2 Humans Were Created to Be Relational and to Live in Communities

God said after creating Adam, It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper (one who balances him—a counterpart who is suitable and complementary for him (Gen. 2:18; AMP). God is perfect, and He makes everything perfect. At the beginning of creation, God saw that it was not ideal and beneficial for man, created in the image of a Triune God, to be alone. So, God determined that man needed a companion to live within a community. Consequently, for that purpose, God created Eve from Adam’s rib. Adam and Eve were united to become one flesh and companions. Adam loved Eve and appreciated her as a faithful companion; both were in the likeness of God, who created them. Their human relationships were characterized by oneness, love, unity, and harmony, satisfying the essential ingredients of a healthy relationship that described the Trinity community.

1.2.3 In a Healthy Relationship, Partners Play Specific Roles

The Scripture points out that God is One, but He manifests Himself in three persons, according to the specific responsibilities or roles the Divine Persons perform. God the Father oversees all creation, God the Son has the function of humanity redemption, and God, the Holy Spirit, has the part of testifying for God the Son and glorifying Him. He also comforts, sustains, and preserves those redeemed by God the Son with a seal of ownership until the end of time.

Nature-wise, no member of the Trinity is undervalued because of His role, and neither is exalted above the other because of His position. Affirming this truth, Jesus Himself said, That ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father (John 10:38; ASV). That is to say that the Father and the Son have the exact origin and fundamental nature. Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (member of the Trinity), thoroughly explains the truth about the equality, unity, harmony, and oneness in the Trinity by saying that although God the Son fully possessed all the divine attributes of God the Father, He did not consider equality with God as something to be tenaciously held onto, or something to risk losing, if He emptied Himself to become a servant in the likeness of men to redeem humanity. Nevertheless, He emptied Himself to be born of a woman, yet without sin, being fully God and man, to shed His blood for the redemption of humankind (Phil. 2:6-7; ASV).

In this wise, Paul clearly states that God the Son was perfectly God in essence and attributes. Still, in His birth, He willingly emptied Himself of His rightful dignity. Still, without losing His deity, He temporarily and outwardly (for a short time) assumed the form of humanity so that He could redeem humanity unto God by shedding His blood. Of a necessity, this was the only acceptable and perfect sacrifice that could satisfy the Trinity community to atone for human sins and iniquity. Alluding to this truth, the author of the book of Hebrews (9:14; ASV) affirms, For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

On the other hand, when Jesus said, My Father is greater than I (John 14:28; DARBY), He meant that by birth, and by willingly choosing to submit Himself to take the form of a bondservant, He became the 'Son of man,’ making His Father (God the Father) more excellent in His heavenly glory than Him, but not in His essence. Indeed, God the Father and God the Son (before being born of a woman) are equal in form, identity, and nature, but God the Father is more significant and higher than the Son of man in His form and glory. This is part of the unspeakable mystery of the Godhead that illustrates the relationships in the Trinity. Amen!

1.2.4 Lessons from the Trinity Relationship Model

In summary, the primary lessons to learn from the Trinity relationship model are as follows:

a.  God is relational. Therefore, He created relational human beings in His image. Think about the implications of this truth!

b. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have specific roles in the Trinity community. Hence, it is God's will for human beings created in His likeness to live in community-based relationships with well-defined roles or responsibilities.

c.  Equality and submission to one another in love are healthy habits that enrich a healthy human relationship. Such a submission must not, in any way, result in devaluing any partner in the relationship or exalting any partner above the other based on the role he plays.

d. All human relationships must follow the inseparable Trinity relationship model to demonstrate unity, harmony, and oneness expressly.

e. Each partner in a human relationship must consider the other complementary, not a contender or servitor.

f. As a fundamental principle of a healthy human relationship, each party must be willing to responsibly seek to imitate God's image and to keep the bond of interrelationship with love, peace, and selflessness to preserve the bond from weakening to an unhealthy relationship.

1.3 God and Man's Relationship at Creation and After the Fall

God created man in His image to relate with the Trinity. In doing so, man has a relationship with the Trinity and can think, act, and speak like Them. It was God's wisdom and pleasure to be relational with man and share His authority and dominion. Therefore, God granted man total control over all the earth and its substances while He (God) ruled over the heavens. The Lord shares an account of His creation and relationship with humanity in Genesis 1:27-28 (ASV), saying, And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them: and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Acknowledging this truth, the Psalmist (Psalm 115:15; DARBY) attests, The heavens are the heavens of Jehovah, but the earth hath he given to the children of men. That became the natural order in the pre-fall era and should be the natural order in the redemption era.

Because God created man in His image, He was motivated by love for humanity to establish a relationship with Adam and Eve (symbolizing humankind). God planted a beautiful garden called the 'Garden of Eden' and placed man in it. God provided in the garden all that man needed for his sustenance. Genesis 3:8 informs us that God would usually come to fellowship with Adam in the garden in the cool of the day. So long as God and man continued to perform their respective roles, the relationship was healthy and characterized by unity, harmony, and oneness. On the part of God, His role was to subject all creatures to humanity and to provide for their welfare. On Adam’s part, Adam (humanity) must submit to God's oversight of all things through obedience and sincere loyalty to Him. Unfortunately, the fellowship between God and Adam was short-lived when Adam and Eve submitted to the serpent's deceit to disobey God and switched their loyalty to the serpent.

The scriptural account of this disobedience informs us that Adam and Eve excommunicated themselves from their fellowship with God into the woods to 'hide' themselves from God's presence. However, no one could hide from the eyes of the Lord. Escaping from God's presence resulted from disobedience to God's instructions and depicted an embrace of the adversary, the serpent. It did not end there. Adam and Eve's disobedience to God created an unhealthy relationship between them and God. This situation got messier because, by this disobedience, humanity lost the ability to act, think, and speak like God. Malachi 3:17-18 makes it clear that this disobedience created a distinction (a cliff) between humanity and God. In the pre-fall era, Adam and Eve were in constant fellowship with God, but that changed after the fall. In the pre-fall, Adam was spiritual and in the image of the Trinity, but in the post-fall, Adam was carnal and devilish and in the image of the adversary, Satan. Instead of Adam having fellowship with God as in the pre-fall state, in the post-fall state, Adam had companionship and intimacy with the adversary, which became the root cause of human depravity.

Originally, humanity in the pre-fall state was in the likeness of God, united with Him to serve His purposes, and with a strong bond of relational fellowship. However, in the post-fall, humanity was at enmity with God, going against His will and serving the purposes and desires of Satan, the archenemy of God. From that time on, God, abounding in love and mercy towards all humanity (created in His likeness), set up a plan to restore humanity to His pre-fall relationship with Adam and Eve and prophesied His plan in the mouth of many prophets over time. In the fullness of time, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the world to accomplish that plan to reconcile humanity to God. In the program, God had established as a rule that whosoever believes in His Son to obey His word would not perish but would have eternal life with Him (John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:19), and He had faithfully fulfilled His promise.

1.4  Adam and Eve’s Relationship Depicts the Downward Spiral Human Relationships

1.4.1 Adam and Eve's Relationship Was a Simulation of the Trinity Relationship During the Pre-Fall

God created Eve from Adam’s rib to be a helper, a counterpart, a companion, and a suitable complement for Adam. She was fitting for Adam’s role as the sole administrator of God's earthly estate, and both were ideally functioning in their respective roles until something went wrong. Before the fall, the first human couple on earth, Adam and Eve, were