Every transaction—whether a holiday gift, a purchased status symbol, a prayer with an expected return, or the chase of a desire—is a substitute sacrament. It is a ritual of the false religion of Self.
· It teaches the heart: "Your value comes from what you receive or achieve."
· It conditions the soul to relate to the world—and to the Architect—as a vending machine, not a Person.
· It makes the heart calculating, heavy, and conditional—the exact opposite of the open, light, and unconditional state required for covenant.
A desecrated heart, clouded by transaction, cannot even see the covenant, let alone value it. It looks at the Ocular Atrium and asks, "What's the ROI?"
Judas vs. Peter: The Two Failures
· Judas: Mastered transactional love. He followed Jesus with a ledger in his heart. When the transaction no longer seemed profitable, he sold his covenant for silver. His heart was so desecrated by calculation that the very concept of grace became incomprehensible to him.
· Peter: Knew covenant love. His heart was oriented toward it. But he was terrified of the Judas spirit—the transactional, betraying spirit that surrounded him. In a moment of panic, he broke the covenant to avoid being associated with a losing transaction. His fear of suffering caused him to desecrate his own heart.
Come the People of God out of Babylon/the world of transactions. Come back to the covenant, crucify your ego and remember that you are enough. Be the perfect ambassador for Christ in the world.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
