A Personal Relationship with God and the Covenant: Insights from Scripture and the Gospel of Thomas
A personal relationship with God is a journey of profound self-discovery and spiritual awakening. While traditional biblical covenants, like that of God with Abraham, highlight a binding promise between God and His people, the Gospel of Thomas emphasizes an inward, personal connection with the divine. This relationship, both deeply individual and universally transformative, reveals the Kingdom of God that is not found in distant places but within the seeker.
The Covenant with Abraham: A Divine Promise
The covenant between God and Abraham, as seen in Genesis 17:1-10, forms the foundation for understanding God’s relationship with His people. God promises to be with Abraham and his descendants, saying, “I will establish my covenant between me and you… to be your God.” (Gen 17:7). This covenant is not merely a contract, but a divine commitment, a relationship where God makes an eternal promise to be with His people, to guide and multiply them. The core of this covenant is not the outward signs like circumcision, but the profound spiritual understanding that God is always present with His people.
For Abraham, this covenant represents more than just an agreement; it marks the beginning of a deeper faith—a faith that grows and matures through spiritual understanding. The promises of God made to Abraham and his descendants offer a glimpse of a relationship where the divine and the human intersect in meaningful, lasting ways. Just as Abraham was called to walk before God in faith and perfection (Gen 17:1), those in the covenant are also called to live a life of faith, continually learning and growing in their relationship with God.
Circumcision and the Heart: A Symbol of Faith and Transformation
For Gnostic Christians it is the anointing not baptism which brings us into covenant relationship with God and Jesus. circumcision of the flesh profits nothing in the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus touches on the true nature of circumcision:
"If it were useful, they would be born already circumcised. On the other hand, true circumcision in the spirit is entirely beneficial" (Gospel of Thomas 53).
Here, the Gospel of Thomas reflects the spiritual meaning behind the physical act. True circumcision is not about external compliance but about a transformation of the heart and spirit. This mirrors Jeremiah’s prophecy of the new covenant, where God promises to write His law on the hearts of His people:
"I will put my law in their inward parts and in their heart" (Jeremiah 31:33).
This inward transformation reflects the essence of a personal relationship with God. It is not about following external laws but about allowing the divine truth to shape and direct one’s heart and mind.
A Personal, Inner Relationship with God: Insights from the Gospel of Thomas
While the covenant with Abraham focuses on external signs and promises, the Gospel of Thomas offers a perspective on relationship with God that emphasizes inward transformation. Jesus’ teachings in this text suggest that the Kingdom of God is not a distant, external reality but an inner truth waiting to be discovered. Jesus said:
"If those who lead you say to you, ‘See, the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside you and outside you." (Gospel of Thomas 3).
In this saying, Jesus reveals that the divine is not far off but within and around us. A personal relationship with God begins with recognizing the presence of the divine within ourselves and others. This internal discovery is not merely intellectual but spiritual—a shift in how one perceives the world and oneself in relation to God.
The Journey of Seeking and Finding
The Gospel of Thomas emphasizes that building a relationship with God requires an active pursuit. Jesus says:
"Seek, and you will find. When you find, you will be troubled. When you are troubled, you will marvel, and you will reign over all." (Gospel of Thomas 2).
This pursuit of God is not easy—it challenges established beliefs and brings about personal transformation. Jesus’ words highlight the fact that seeking the divine is a path of disturbance and awe. Those who embark on this journey will be changed, and their perception of God and themselves will deepen as they seek the truth within.
Embodying the Divine Wisdom
A relationship with God, according to both the Gospel of Thomas and biblical teachings, also involves becoming more like Christ. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said:
"Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me. I myself shall become that person, and the hidden things will be revealed to him." (Gospel of Thomas 108).
This intimate relationship with Jesus transforms the believer into someone who reflects the divine wisdom. By living out the teachings of Jesus, one grows spiritually, becoming more aligned with God’s nature.
Trusting in the Divine Presence
In both the Gospel of Thomas and the covenantal promises in the Bible, a key aspect of the relationship with God is trust. Jesus urged His followers not to be consumed by worldly concerns but to trust in God’s providence:
"Do not be concerned from morning until evening and from evening until morning about what you will wear." (Gospel of Thomas 36).
This trust is central to the covenant relationship. It is not based on external rituals or material assurances but on a deep faith in God’s presence and guidance. Just as God promised to be with Abraham and his descendants, He promises to be present in the lives of believers, guiding them through faith.
Conclusion: A Living Relationship
A personal relationship with God, as explored in both the Old Testament covenant with Abraham and the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas, is one of continuous transformation. This relationship is not static; it is a dynamic, living connection where the believer seeks, finds, and becomes more like Christ. Whether through the external covenant promises or the internal spiritual awakening in the Gospel of Thomas, the relationship with God is defined by trust, understanding, and the discovery of the divine within. Ultimately, as Jesus teaches, the Kingdom of God is not a far-off reality but one that is present within each believer, waiting to be discovered through a deeper relationship with Him.
covenant--A solemn agreement or compact between two or more parties. "My covenant shall stand fast with him" (Psalms 89:28).
Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 17:2And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly
What is the significance of God’s covenant with Abraham? This covenant represents the development of faith from so-called “blind” faith to faith that becomes great through spiritual understanding.
The most oft repeated feature of the promises to Abraham can be easily overlooked. Notice how the personal pronouns are the key words: " I will establish my covenant…between me and you and your descendants…to be your God…I will be their God" (Gen. 17:6-8).
God Almighty is committing Himself to Abraham and Abraham's seed in a way so insistent and so awesome that only contemplation of it can invoke the true sense of wonder which we ought to have at being in covenant relationship with God Almighty.
The fact that the basis of our relationship with God is an eternal covenant means that we do not drift in and out of fellowship with God according to our awareness of Him. We are His people. Every hour of every day.
What is indispensable to the proper observance of a covenant? A substantial understanding and a willingness to observe the terms and provisions of the covenant. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Gen 17:9 And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised.
What significance to us has the rite of circumcision? “Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter.” It signifies clean, upright, unselfish, faith-centered life, with everything that would interfere with its proper functioning eliminated.
53. His disciples asked him: "Is circumcision useful or not?" He replied: "If it were useful then they would be born already circumcised. On the other hand, true circumcision in the spirit is entirely beneficial.' (The Gospel of Thomas Saying 53)
Jeremiah, one of the greatest of the Prophets has the vision of God making a covenant with man. And he says, “I will put my law in their inward parts and in their heart while I write it, and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” It was probably the first awareness of the law of consciousness, the law of mind action, the law of cause and effect.
Jeremiah, for example, prophesized that the new covenant will not be written on tablets of stone (externally recorded) but rather on the heart, meaning within the mind. See Eph 1:18 Note S. "Jeremiah sees the terms of the new covenant written not on tables of stone, i.e., promulgated externally, but written upon the heart, i.e., understood by the mind of each member of the restored Israel (31:22f)." (244)
“I WILL BE WITH YOU”
There are two other things promised to Abraham and his descendants: “I will be their God…I will be with you” (Gen. 17:8; 26:3; 28:15 cf. Ex. 6:7). The Lord Jesus Christ is ‘God with us’ (Emmanuel, Is. 7:14).
In what way did Jesus Christ become the “mediator of a new covenant”? Jesus proved anew that, by loving the things of spiritual significance and seeking to express them, man enters into a vital relation with God and finds the satisfaction that is “life indeed.” This bringing of life and immortality to light gave men a new understanding of God and led them to enter into a new relation with him.
Third, Paul illustrates that an oath of God stands behind Jesus' priesthood. "Another distinctive mark of the new covenant is that an oath (of God) accompanied its establishment. Priests in the Levitican order took their office without an oath. The high priest of the new covenant was addressed with an oath. Through the prophetic scriptures PS 110:4, God assured him [Jesus] that his appointment was firm and unchangeable. God is not going to change his mind [Paul concluded]. Jesus is, therefore, the surety of a better covenant because behind him and his mission stands the determination of God himself, who has bound himself with an oath and thereby firmly established his promise to men" GEN 7:20-22
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