Summary: Our human relationships are fallible, with limited forgiveness and limited grace. They last for a maximum of a lifetime. God’s covenant with us is totally different yet a great example for our relationships.

Eph 1:3-14

United in Christ

-"I give myself to you to be your husband.

I promise to love and sustain you in the covenant of marriage,

from this day forward,

in sickness and in health,

in plenty and in want,

in joy and in sorrow,

as long as we both shall live."

- Marriage, the greatest vow one can make

- divorced - remarried: 1st@41% 2nd@60% 3rd@73%

- widowed - new love

- trust

- lack of trust

- Clintons presiding over the Times Square Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve

- unfaithful

- taking a break from a relationship

- restart of a relationship

- Friendship: reliability - Don’t mix money and friendship

- own choosing

- fallible

- limited forgiveness

- limited grace

- for a maximum of a lifetime

United in Christ

- God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world

- according to the good pleasure of his will

- infallible

- unlimited forgiveness

- unlimited grace

- for all eternity

Eternal covenant

- Abraham, Isaak, Jacob and their sons, Golden Calf, Prophets

- Gentiles through Jesus Christ

- UCC covenant, cannot be divorced or taken a break from

- us personally through Baptism

God’s own people

- able to love

- his covenant an example for our covenants

- him blessing us

- us blessing him

- we are a blessing to this world

New Year’s resolution

- love

- forgive

- bring together