This document discusses the Christian covenant with God and living according to its principles. It begins by explaining that the Old Testament Israelites made a covenant with God, which is a sacred agreement, and that Christians continue this covenant by following Jesus' teachings to love God and one another. It describes how Christians enter the covenant through baptism and recognizes two paths - the Way of Life through love or the Way of Death through sin. It outlines the seven capital/deadly sins and virtues that oppose them, emphasizing developing virtues like faith, hope and love through practice.

1. LIVING WITNESSES
THROUGH THE
COVENANT

2. • “God is Love” – John 4:8
– The more we love, the closer we can be to God
* In the Old Testament, the Israelites made a
covenant with God.
- A covenant is s sacred agreement; a mutual
promise between God and His people

3. • Christians are called to live the covenant through
their belief in Jesus
• Jesus said “I am the Way” – John 14:6
– Christians follow the way of Jesus, living
according to His teachings
– Jesus continued the covenant by saying:
“As I have loved you, so you should also love
one another.” – John 13:34

4. • Christians enter into the covenant at baptism
• In the Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve
Apostles), the earliest Christians recognized two
paths:
– The Way of Life is a life of loving God and
loving one another
– The Way of Death is a life of sin

5. • Sin is a deliberate word, deed, or failure to act
that hurts our relationship with others and
offends God
• A vice s a tendency to continue to do wrong, a
bad habit that leads to sin
• There are 7 Capital Sins (aka: Deadly Sins)

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Pride
Greed
Lust
Anger
Gluttony
Envy
Sloth

7. • Virtues are actions or attitudes that oppose vices
• Virtues must be developed through practice
• The Theological Virtues are faith, hope, and love
(charity)
• The Cardinal Virtues are
prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude

8. • These virtues should be cultivated daily
The Heavenly Virtues:
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Generosity
Chastity
Humility
Gentleness (meekness/charity)
Temperance
Love of others (kindness)
Diligence (industry)

10. • Through free will we choose to do good or to
fall into sin
• For an action to be morally good, three things
must be considered:
– The action itself
– The intention
– The circumstance