Because He First Loved Me

1Samuel 18:3 "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant,because he loved him as his own soul".

Jonathan and David made a covenant,because Jonathan loved him.The covenant was made, not so much because of their mutual love,but because Jonathan loved David.Jesus also made a covenant with us, not so much because of our love for him, but because of His love for us."For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us".While we were rebellious against Him ,he was loving toward us.He entered our nature to represnt us,and he pledged Himself to redeem us by becoming a sacrifice for us.He took us  into union with himself making us one with Him and members of His glorious body.

Christ and the believer that love Him, live as if they have but one soul between them. "Lovest thou me", "feed my sheep". Jesus the friend,asks three times and then appoints the duty: Peter out of sincere love answers three times, and renders the life long duty.Saints are to look upon themselves as wholly the Lord's possession in opposition to all other competitors.The Lord will not share us with rival"I am a jealous God".If we accept the salvation of the Lord ,all others must go.We belong to Him, giving up all authority to Him, as self has become a dethroned tyrant.Our soul becomes His soul and His spirit becomes our spirit.Our Soul until it comes into the covenant with the Lord, is in a restless state.It is like a bee going from flower to flower or a bird from bush to bush;but when it is married to Christ,it is settled with Him and it rest in perfect peace.

The covenant we have entered into is a offensive and defensive league.We are to have common friends and common enemies with the Lord.His people must be our people,and His enemies our enemies.We have opened our mouth to the Lord and we can't go back.We must be His without end or interruption. There will be stumbling among the best of us,but a renewal of the covenant is the antidote to the poison of backsliding.He who has truly made this covenant with the Lord, has given himself entirely to Christ without reservation,and like Paul has asked, "Lord what will thou have me to do".This is a covenant bound by love.