Unconditional Favor
Stop Making Excuses
Covenant, according to the Holy Scriptures, is an all-or-nothing proposition. In modern culture, relationships are frequently approached as conditional contracts—agreements sustained only so long as both parties meet the conditions in which they agreed to. God's covenant works differently. It leaves no room for excuses. When conditions or excuses separate themselves from God, His anointing upon them diminishes, and they are no longer set apart by His Spirit to serve His purpose. History shows that His anointed carry His Word as truth and obey His commands faithfully.
The weight of this principle is nowhere more evident than in the tragic account of Joshua 7. Fresh off their miraculous triumph at Jericho, the Israelites faced what should have been a minor military engagement at a small city. Instead, Israel suffered a humiliating defeat; losing thirty-six men and watching their collective courage melt away like water (Joshua 7:4–5). When Joshua fell facedown in anguish, asking why the Lord had allowed such a disaster, God answered, "There’s a simple explanation."
God had commanded that everything in Jericho be destroyed; however, Achan believed he could retain just a few things. This same instinct—to hold on to things that God requires you to release—is directly addressed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:31–32, He addresses the contemporary legalistic practice of divorce. Under prevailing interpretations of Mosaic Law, men often sought any reason to issue a certificate of divorce, effectively using legalistic conditions to justify abandoning their marital covenant.
Trust in God's Faithfullness
Jesus restores marriage to God's original intent, as stated in Genesis 2:24, teaching that a husband and wife are one flesh. The covenant between man and woman was intended to reflect God's own faithful nature. He taught that, while sexual infidelity is a serious breach of trust in marriage, God remains faithful. So, even in marriages where one partner is unfaithful, Jesus taught the other partner to remain faithful, demonstrating themselves as not only faithful but also loyal.
Jesus warns that whoever divorces and marries another commits adultery and that whoever marries a divorced person also commits adultery, emphasizing the importance of the marriage covenant (Matthew 5:32; Luke 16:18). Rather than making excuses to end the covenant, Jesus taught God's chosen to leave no room for excuses and allow nothing to separate what He has joined together.
Humanity naturally allows a reason or excuse to walk away from the marriage: "He isn't meeting my emotional needs." "He doesn't communicate with me." "She cheated on me more than once," or "He has grown silent." Jesus taught that God's goodness is not contingent upon the chosen to act faithfully; it is the Spirit of God manifesting loyalty from within them that binds their union with the Father and likewise with their spouse. Just as God remains faithful even when humanity stumbles (2 Timothy 2:13), His chosen embody that same Spirit, leaving no room for excuses.
Not Even One Thing
Mark and Elena have been married for seven years. Over time, the routine of daily life, financial pressures, and raising young children have created distance between them. Mark has withdrawn into busywork, rarely initiating affection or deep conversation. Elana feels lonely, unheard, and increasingly unappreciated.
Instead of believing in God's Word as truth and remaining faithful to Mark, Elana makes excuses: "If he isn't going to do things my way, why should I remain with him?" Guided by her resentment for Mark, she begins feeding her emotional hunger, convincing herself, "Mark brought this on himself."
Like Achan in Joshua 7, Elana has allowed a few things to come between her marriage. Matthew 5 and Luke 16 demonstrate that the union between God and humanity leaves no room for excuses or attempts to justify Elana walking away.
The parallel between Joshua 7 and the teachings of Jesus reveals that when individuals hold onto excuses, they erect an altar to a God who is no longer with them.
The chosen are gifted with an anointing that lets go of the excuse and holds on to what remains. Whether in their union with God or in their commitment to their spouse, His chosen—no matter how small or emotionally unattached it makes them feel—are set apart with an anointing empowered by the Holy Spirit that leaves no room for excuses.
A core American cultural value is that individuals are responsible for their choices and cannot simply blame others for their actions. The phrase "leaving no room for excuses" portrays how the American culture, particularly in conservative communities, relates to God and one another.
Today Americans remain a united nation under God, a union that fosters accountability and integrity, encouraging each state to strive for independent growth, and as a result, the United States takes pride in their ability to overcome obstacles and contribute as a people.
The challenge of remaining united through personal accountability is essential; however, if one honest person is forsaken or rejected, the condition holding back judgment is broken, and ruin falls upon the entire nation.
In the book of Jeremiah 5:1, a single righteous person serves as a shield and an intercessor for the entire collective, "If you can find just one honest person who's willing to give everything up for My sake, I’ll spare the nation of this horror."
"Yes, I tell you that if it were not for the prayers of the chosen people living among you, you would already have been completely destroyed. It would not happen by a flood like in Noah's time but by hunger, disease, and war. The only reason you have been spared is because of the prayers of these people. So if you drive them away, the Lord will no longer hold back His judgment (Alma 10;22-23)."