the Covenant Household Model of life and ministry

We believe God has given us through Jesus Christ and His Word, a clear and powerful model for how we are to live as disciples of Jesus Christ and as a church body.

We call this the Covenant Household Model of Life and Ministry.

The information below offers a more detailed explanation of this model:

AN OVERVIEW OF THE COVENANT HOUSEHOLD MODEL OF LIFE AND MINISTRY

The Covenant Household Model of Life and Ministry is Absolutely Necessary, Authoritative, Sufficient, Clear, and Antithetical to those without the Spirit.

1. There is a sufficient model [called ‘the model of healthy words’, Rom. 6:17; (1Ti. 1:1-11; 2Tim. 1:13; 3:14-17; 1Cr. 1:18-24) John Murray comments on this passage. [(1) What is the ‘form of teaching’? There can be no reasonable question but it means the pattern or standard of teaching and there is no warrant for supposing that it was a specifically Pauline pattern as distinguished from other forms of apostolic teaching. It is ‘the form of sound words” (2Tim. 1:13; cf. 1Tim .1:10; 2Tim. 4:3; Tit. 1:9; 2:1) and in this instance there is stress upon the ethical implications of the gospel teaching. (2) This pattern of gospel teaching is represented as that which obedience was rendered, and the change from the service of sin is registered in and characterized by obedience to a well defined and articulated doctrinal pattern. The supposition that Christianity has no fixed pattern of teaching regulative of thought and practice is entirely alien to the apostle’s conception of the Christian ethic.] Murray, NIC Commentary on Rom., p. 232. .
2. The compromise and rejection of this truth regarding the sufficiency and antithetical nature of the model, taught by the model itself (see Rom. 6:17; Ti. 1:13; 2Tim. 3:14-17; 1Tim. 1:3-10; 1Cr. 1-4; Col. 2:8, 16-23; 1Jo. 4:1-6), has led to the pursuit of what the scripture refers to as ‘useless speculations’ in the history of thought about life and ministry in the church. For example, whereas the early church leaders had nothing to do with worldly wisdom, rejecting the integration of the philosophies of the unregenerate, the Apologists and their descendants sought to integrate them. More recently this compromise and pursuit has led to the integration of human wisdom (scientific psychology), which has in turn led to uncertainty (a lack of confidence) and confusion in life and ministry within the church. E.g. Leading evangelical integrationists Timothy Clinton and George Ohlschlager, in their recent standardized volume for the AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors) Competent Christian Counseling , write concerning the nature and construction of a hoped for Metatheory of Christian counseling, [Pragmatic eclecticism and the relationship between common factors and positive outcomes in therapy have pushed the development of an overarching Metatheory….We believe the recent trend in Christian counseling (being so driven by these factors), that of bio-psycho-social-spiritual-therapy, will prove to be just this kind of useful meta-theory.] Timothy Clinton, George Ohlschlager, Competent Christian Counseling, Water Books Press, 2002, p. 162. And again, [The transformation of psychotherapy to a more scientific enterprise is leading to significant change in the modern standard of counseling care. The simple twentieth-century standard (applying a preferred methodology in a one-size-fits-all approach regardless of client outcome) is quickly losing sway. As we have said the twenty-first-century standard in psychotherapy will be driven by results and outcomes, and it will look much more like the specialized treatment protocols prevalent in the practice of medicine.] (Timothy Clinton, George Ohlschlager, Competent Christian Counseling, Water Books Press, 2002, p.175)

Overview of the Covenant Household Model of Life and Ministry

Important note: This model existed before the fall

1. The covenantal framework of all things. The covenantal framework involves God’s Authority, Power and Will which are behind all things and so are the necessary presuppositions, for understanding everything that is (exists) including man’s relationship to God. (Rev. 4:11; Rom. 11:36; Col. 1:16)
   1. God’s Authority is implied in his being God and in His having created man and all things by his power and for his glory. (1Cr. 11:7-9).
   2. God’s Will (the pursuit of His very own glory in all things) is the necessary presupposition, ultimately, for understanding everything that exists and anything that happens. Job 42:2; Ps. 33:11; Pr. 16:4; Is. 45:6,7; Lam. 3:37, 38; Amos 3:6; Dan. 4:34, 35; Acts 4:27-30; 17:26; Mt. 10:29; Rom. 9; 11:33-36; Eph. 1:10-11; 1Pet. 2:8. Unless God’s plan is the explanation for all that happens, the events of this life, all things, devolve into chaos at there most basic level, and there is no basis for certainty about anything.
   3. God’s Power is the ultimate cause behind all things he executes for his glory.
2. The covenantal household model and man. The covenant household model involves the idea that Man is uniquely made in the Image of God. That is that he was made to be a spiritual son, to reflect the glory of God by his dependence on that Spirit of God within (Gen. 2:7), and whose inheritance as a son (idea of Sabbath rest Heb. 4:7-10 presented paradigmatically in the first week of creation), was his creation-home in which he was made to live for God.
   1. Man was derived from God as a spiritual son (Gen. 2:7), and so is under God’s Authority and obligated to live for God’s glory as an image bearer (1Cr. 11:7-9).
   2. Man was derived from God as a spiritual son, and so was made to submit to God’s Will that is to experientially love God and live for God from his heart (Mt. 22:37-40).
   3. Man was derived from God as a spiritual son, and so was made to live by God’s Power, that is, to depend on God’s Spirit within him in order to live for his glory, by experientially loving him (being satisfied most in him) and serving him in the creation, for God’s glory. (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:7; 3:1-5; Gen. 5:1; Is. 43:7; 1Cr. 11:3-7).
3. God entered into a ‘covenant of works’ (not at all implying that man was to live independently of God and in this way earn a place with God, quite the opposite) with man, whereby in submission to his authority, surrendering self-will, and reliance on his power he might act for God in this world to God’s glory.
   1. Adam as the first Man was to glorify God by submitting to God’s Authority in accordance with that covenant. But as Hosea says concerning Israel Hosea 6:7 (ESV) But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me. (Gen. 2:16, 17; Hs. 6:7; Rom. 5:12).
   2. Adam as the first Man was to glorify God by being submitting his will to God’s will, and so being fully satisfied in God as first in his loves, since God must be worshipped more than his creation, and to enjoy his creation as a gift of His love to him, with thankfulness. Mt. 22:37; Jo. 4: 1-24; Jr. 2:11-13; 1Cr. 10:1-11; Js. 4:4-6.
   3. Adam as the first Man was to glorify God by acting for God through God’s Power. Jo. 15:5-8; 1Pet. 4:11.
4. Man chose to live autonomously and so rejected his place of entire dependency on God’s Authority, Will, and Power, incurring the consequences of alienation from God and captivity to the devil’s authority, will, and power as a son of the devil.
   1. Man refusing to submit his reason and will to God’s Authority, sought his own will as his authority. Man rejected God’s Authority and established his own, and consequently Man stands under the condemnation and wrath of God, and under the authority of the prince of the power of the air. Jo. 3:18; Rom. 3:10-19; 5:12-18; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 2Thes. 1:8. Adam transgressed God’s covenant and so experienced the consequences of breaking that covenant, but these consequences were passed on to his entire family, mankind, as Paul puts it, Romans 5:18 (ESV) Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men
   2. Man refused to submit his reason and will to God’s Will, and sought glory and comfort) rather than At the instigation of Satan man chose to set up his own reason as judge Gen. 3:1-5; Rom. 1:21-5. Man rejected God’s Will and sought his very own. He cannot know the truth about the nature of anything. He became a slave to futility and hostility in his mind. Mt. 11:25-27; Mt. 22:44; Mt. 23:15; Jo. 1:5; 15:23; Jo. 12:40; 5:37-39; Jo. 8:43-47; Jo. 17:14; Rom. 8:6-8; 1Cr. 1:21; 1Cr. 2:13-14; 1Cr. 3:20; Col. 1:21, Tit. 3:3;
   3. Man refused to live in self-conscious dependence on God’s Power and sought rather to live in his own strength to his own glory and good independently. Man rejected his role as dependent on God’s Power, and sought to rely on himself independently of God, consequently he lost the Spirit of God within, and became a son of the devil, possessing only the spirit of the devil. He cannot now obey the truth and so cannot please God, but became a slave to idols. Enmity rather than love for God now motivates all his acts. Mt. 15:9; Rom. 8:6-8; 5:10; 1Cr. 10:20; Jo. 8:19; Gal. 4:8; Eph. 2:2, 3, 14-16; 1Jo. 2:22, 23; 3:6, 10, 12, 13
5. God initiated and fulfilled the Covenant of Grace. Gen. 3:15; Gal. 3:15-29; Rom. 3:21-6:22. God applies the Covenant of Grace and explains the process by which man is renewed in His Glory-Image (also called godliness, or covenant faithfulness). The freedom from sin provided for by God in Christ, in the covenant of grace, is beautifully expressed in Rom. 5-8 in regards to both its legal and experiential aspects as Paul writes from the vantage point of his own experience, There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. John Murray in his commentary writes about Paul’s use of the word law to communicate both sides of this freedom, that is, both the legal (Authority issue) and the experiential (Issues of Will and Power) both sides of this idea of freedom, [The word “law” is used in this connection as a regulating and actuating power as well as a legislating authority.] Rom. NIC., p. 276.
   1. Whereas, man formally in Adam had rejected God’s Authority (the covenant of works) and was under condemnation and wrath of God, and alienated from God, became captive to the authority of the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:1-3; Gal. 4:8; Col. 1:13), he now through Christ’s substitutionary atonement is forgiven his sins, given the righteousness of Christ, made a spiritual son, and through faith in Christ now can submit to God in all he thinks, wills, does (Col. 1:14-28). Faith in Christ’s substitutionary atonement for sin provides the legal grounds for reception of the Spirit of Sonship and the inheritance of sons. Gal. 4:4-6; Eph. 1:13, 14; Col. 1:12-14; Jo. 3:18; Rom. 3:10-25; 5:12-18; 6:1-23. (Note: Christ, in contrast to Adam the first representative head, in reliance upon the Spirit of God within him, perfectly kept the ‘covenant of works or covenant of life’ and thereby merited righteousness and life for all his posterity, to the glory of God, and his merits are imputed to us by faith Romans 5:17-19 (ESV) If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. [18] Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [19] For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
   2. Whereas, man formally could not know the truth about God’s Will and Power as behind everything, and had become a slave to futility and hostility in his mind, enslaved to idolatrous desires, under the power of the devil, he now is made a new man in Christ, filled with the Spirit of Sonship, now is able through faith in Christ’s accomplishment be motivated to please God in all things. Again see above in regard to this freedom from the experience of sins dominion in his will so that he might be conformed to God’s as stated by Paul from his own experience in Rom. 8:1,2. (Mt. 11:25-27; Mt. 22:44; Mt. 23:15; Jo. 1:5; 15:23; Jo. 12:40; 5:37-39; Jo. 8:43-47; Jo. 17:14; Rom. 8:6-8; 1Cr. 1:21; 1Cr. 2:13-14; 1Cr. 3:20; Col. 1:21, Tit. 3:3). The following is Applied Theology, or the practical application of the above theology of recreation and renewal in the image of God (Col. 3:1-10; Eph. 4:20-24; Gal. 5:16-24; Rom. 12:1,2):
      1. Root Problem: Root Idols (Ja.4:1-4 "What causes fights...?" 2Pet. 1:4; Jam. 1:13, 14; Christ vs. Israel in the wilderness. Ja.4:2; 1Cor.10:6-9; Ps.78:18; Mt.4:3; Dt.8:2,3)
         1. Comfort (Mt. 4:3-4; 1Cr. 10:1-13)
         2. Approval-Works (Mt. 4:5-7; Jo. 12:43)
         3. Power (Mt. 4:8-10; Mt. 20 The Disciples; Jo. 3 The Disciples of John; Examples? (Cain; Miriam and Aaron; Korah, Dathan, Abiram; Saul; Ahab; Asaph; Jonah)
      2. Effects (Consequences emotionally): Bad Fruit: Emotional
         1. Fear
         2. Anger
         3. Depression
         4. False peace
      3. Effects (Consequences behaviorally and relationally) Bad Fruit: Behavioral, Idolatrous Strategies / Behavioral Consequences
         1. Domination 1Cr. 3:1-3; Mt. 20; 3Jo. 9 Diotrephes
         2. Pleasing and Approval consequences and strategies (Lu. 10:38 Martha; Jo. 12:43; e.g. Cain;
         3. Avoidance
   3. Whereas, man previously had rejected God’s Power and sought to live independently of God’s strength and to live in his own, to his own glory (Rom. 1:21-25), he now by faith in Christ is able to live in His strength to God’s glory (Rom. 6:1-22; 1Cr. 1:30, 31). Whereas formerly, sin had the dominion so that could not please God (Rom. 8:6-8), but had became a slave to idols or sin (Gal. 4:8; Jo. 8:34) , and enmity rather than love for God motivated all his acts (Col. 1:21), now in Christ (or since being definitively clothed with the Spirit of Christ as a son once for all experientially, Gal. 3:26-4:6; and by applying faith in Christ (i.e. actively clothing in the mind as a process of replacing old ways of thinking with new Rom. 13:14 i.e. beholding Christ 2Cr. 3:18), he is free from the law of sin and death as Rom. 8:1,2 (NJKV) the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death, and more and more conformed to the image of Christ, walking in his love. That is, New-Man is made free from his former lusts and is now able, through faith in Christ (Gal. 5:6) to love God and others. Mt. 12:33; 15:9; Rom. 6:1-14; Rom. 8:1-13; 1Cr. 6:9-12; 2Cr. 6:Gal. 6:1,2; 1Pet. 4:1-4; 1Jo. 2:1-6, 3:6-9. What these passages make clear is that now, for the new-man in Christ, obedience to Christ’s law of love (1Cr. 9:21) is not the grounds of righteous standing and renewal with God, but the expected evidence of that recreation-renewal from Christ.
6. God ordains and Institutes the Primary structure of Authority to most faithfully oversee and manage this restoration to Covenant faithfulness (radical submission to God’s Authority dependence on Christ’s Power living according to God’s Will), which is itself both an end and means of that restoration process, i.e. the church.
   1. The local church is a household of Spiritual Sons, who individually and corporately have submitted to Christ’s Authority, seek to find their happiness according to Christ’s Will, and live to that end in Christ’s Power.
   2. In Christ’s Authority he has placed Elders, who are themselves under the Christ’s Authority, to oversee this restoration process.
   3. Practically this is carried out first by overseeing heads of households and encouraging them in their responsibility to oversee their own households and second in overseeing individual members, with a view to their using their varying gifts and roles (including importantly speaking the truth in love to one another in mutually constructive covenantal relationships and in corporate assembly Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 3:16; 1Cr. 12; 14; Heb. 3:12, 13; 10:24).

General Application of the Covenant Household Model of Life and Ministry

1. The process specifically involves, putting off the old man and his lusts and putting on the new man and love, i.e. faith expressing itself through love, by putting off unbelieving thinking and putting on believing thinking in regards to:
   1. Understand and believe fully in God’s Authority to fully forgive and resting in Christ’s righteousness. This also involves, taking on a posture of submission to God’s authority, called meekness (“Though as a sinner in my natural self, I am worthy of death, in Christ I am forgiven, I do not deserve this, and what’s more I do not deserve or am not entitled to my own way, neither do I deserve to get what I want”) “Shoulds”
   2. Understand and submit fully to God’s Will by putting off lusts, “Musts” and putting on love from God to God and to others, by believing you are dead to them through your union with Christ. (“I may want _______, but do not have to have _________ for my happiness in this moment”) (look for power, approval-works, or comfort idolatrous thoughts)
   3. Understand and believe fully in God’s Power by putting off “Self-Strength”, “I Can/ I Can’ts” and putting on faith in Christ’s strength “I can’s” (“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”, i.e. “I can be content, and can do what love calls for in this moment”).
2. Practically applying the model in daily life: (See form below)
   1. The gospel of the glory of Christ (2Cr. 4:4) We were created to glorify God, by enjoying him more than his creation, by depending on Him. And to extend his glory, through him, by promoting the welfare of others more than serving our very own private interests. Sin is a failing to do this. Faith in Christ, his grace restores us to this purpose of enjoying God and extending his glory by loving others. This is the context for all that happens and all we do in this life.
   2. Heat First, It should be remembered, that this world is a wilderness through which as believer-aliens we sojourn, this is not our home and so life’s trails are not surprising but the expected condition for elect sons and daughters who are only passing through it; trials which God uses to do us good, i.e. most importantly conform us to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29,30; 1Pet. 1:6; 2:11-25;4:12-19;Heb.12:7-11)
   3. Bad Fruit: (effects of idolatrous unbelieving thinking regarding situation)
      1. EMOTIONAL (Anger; Depression-Discontentment; Anxiety-Fear; False Peace)
      2. BEHAVIORAL (Dominance-harshness; Excessive pleasing; Avoidance)
   4. BELIEFS: Idolatrous Roots: MUSTS (idolatrous belief-desires which yield sinful emotional and behavioral responses, the consequences listed below: MUSTS (“I must have______” > “It’s awful if I don’t get it” “It’s great if I do”)
   5. BELIEFS: Distorted Judgments-Inferences (These include descriptions and judgments which go beyond the observable data concerning the situation in regards to the above belief-desires.) For example, “Since I need love from you (Approval-MUST), and “you do not love me” (judgment), “you are bad” (judgment about others) and “I am no good, and can’t deal with it” (judgment about self), and “I MUST punish you” (Power-MUST), and “I deserve to be punished” (judgment) “I must punish myself” (Approval-Works MUST).
      1. SHOULDS (“I should have”, “I am entitled, deserve”)
      2. CANS/’TS (“I can’t deal with ”, “I can do this”) Note: whatever is done without faith in Christ, is sin, this is just self-deception).
   6. Godly Roots: Truth (preaching the truth of the gospel to yourself)
      1. SUBTRACTION disputes (Rom. 6:11; Eph. 4:20-22; Col. 3:1-9)
      2. ADDITION disputes (Rom. 6:11; Eph. 4:23-24; Col. 3:10-16)
      3. MULTIPLICATION disputes (Lu. 6:35; 1Pet. 1:21; Jo. 13:17; Js. 1:25)
      4. LONG DIVISION disputes (1Cr. 15:58; Eph. 6:6-8; 1Pet. 3:8-12)
   7. Good Fruit Do the loving thing (Mt. 7:12) and overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21)
      1. EMOTIONAL (Peace Col. 3:15; Js. 3:18)
      2. BEHAVIORAL (Loving acts, overcoming evil with good Lu. 6:35; Rom. 12:21)
   8. Sowing and Reaping principle Understand the sowing and reaping principle individually and relationally. That is that what we do tends to make things better or worse for ourselves inside and out. Loving responses often actually serve to make the things that we are initially disturbed about (activating circumstances) better, for example as Pr. 15:1 puts it, the gentle answer turns away wrath. This principle says that if we resist the temptation in conflict to get angry and respond in anger which actually makes things worse, increases strife (Pr. 15:18), and rather respond in love, this actually serves to decrease our trouble, strife.

Christian Leadership in Church and Home and the Application of Truth: Summary Considerations of Covenantal Pedagogy and Introductory considerations for Covenantal Management. (Application of the CHMLM, i.e. holding those accountable, truly responsible….)

1. 'Doctrine’ or ‘Teaching’ in scripture involves both theology proper, the ‘what is’ questions (the indicative) and the ‘what do you do and how’ questions (the imperative). For this reason Paul refers to true doctrine, as sound or healthy doctrine 1Tim. 1:10; 1Tim. 6:3; 2Tim. 1:13; 2Tim. 4:3; Tit. 1:9; Tit. 1:13; Tit. 2:1,2), since what is taught is to be lived.
2. Scripture does not separate the two sides of true doctrine, as is often the case with so much of ministry training, even in seminaries. The ‘what is’, and the ‘what is to be done and why’ are inseparably related and always kept together in scripture.
3. The pedagogy of scripture itself, which always keeps both sides of truth together, should inform the practice of those who attempt to train others, i.e. our families, for life and ministry. Keep in mind that our evangelical environment has served to perpetuate this breach between the two (see paper on CHMLM verses Ivory Theology).
4. For our present purposes, consider that child training is always practical and heart level. Practically it involves both the rod and reproof and these should usually be kept together, since our children unlike animals possess a rational soul, their behavior involves more than mere stimulus and response, positive and negative consequences. Children (as adults) must be instructed in the better ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of godly behavior, not just in bare, unexamined right and wrong, and so that implicitly they may avoid punishment.
5. Remember without true doctrine parenting becomes invariably, law-centered (reductionistic—behaviorism) producing self-righteous Pharisees or humanistic (self-esteem focused) do-gooders at best. Sadly, moralism fragments life into countless seemingly unrelated parts, theoretical concepts and practical ideas. The Covenant Household model which is the application of the System of Biblical truth shows the common root factors in all we do: i.e. faith expressing itself through love is the summary of the Christian life, as it is the root of godliness. And practically we know that we have similar struggles as our children do and a common cure.
6. Consider, the question, “how can a parent who doesn’t know how to deal with their own hearts, instruct or apply the gospel to the heart and life of their children? How can they avoid just raising little self-righteous Pharisees, or humanistic, self-esteem focused do-gooders? Consider the answer, by applying the root > fruit gospel as detailed above.
7. We understand from scripture that the heart is the fountain and root of all life. And that our Children’s hearts like ours, need continual course correction. Practically of course, we do not simply want them to do the right thing to avoid consequences, or gain rewards (operant conditioning) we want them to do the loving thing, out of Christ-centered hearts, and to progressively learn how to do that through faith in Christ, not in the strength of self.
8. The covenant household model has the advantage that Parents who know themselves how to live covenantally faithful lines can live as examples of what they teach and add credibility and concreteness to the message. Parents can teach and show by example what it means to be conformed to the image of Jesus. (What will happen if you act…?; How are they likely to feel, you, God?) Simply, parents and especially fathers model God’s fatherly care.
9. One other advantage is that Christ-centered relationships which are not only a means of growth in godliness but an end, are strengthened by the godly training of children.
10. Parents who are empowered by objective truth regarding the hearts of their children can of course talk and pray more discerningly and appropriately with their children.
11. The strong emphasis and insistence on this approach, encouraging parents to shepherd their children, helps parents reinforce their own learning and elevates the importance of personal application of truth in their lives. Parents know how to rightly restore relationships in a grace-centered rather than a law centered home, and Christ is more greatly honored.