The words “equal exchange” caught my attention upon reading a food package label. The company branding spoke to it being a fair-trade initiative that sources small farmers. The concept of fair-trade practices seems like a win-win situation in the natural sense, especially as unfair trading practices have historically led to exploitation in unrepresented communities all over the world.

For the purpose of this teaching, the Lord used these thoughts as a catalyst to compare and contrast the two spiritual kingdoms; the kingdom of Darkness (over which Satan rules) and the kingdom of Light (which is of God). One is a prison of abuses, and the other a living refuge of divine design. This is God’s teaching point.

Isaiah 42:7
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

God set two kingdoms in this dimension, in this world. One works by a law of equal exchange, the other by a system of trade. You might argue that these phrasings are the same; a situational brain game, but I’d like to show you how according to truth that is in Christ, they are actually quite different.

To begin to understand the promise of God, established in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the refuge of true righteousness, we’ll need to compare and contrast the offerings of both kingdoms. God gives grace and truth to expose the distinctions from His perspective. We can then understand where the exploitation lies in one and where the other brings forth the expectations of God in fruit bearing after His own kind.

To speak about fair-trade in the natural, there is the thought that both sides have something of value which moves them forward financially, meaning there is an increase of substance to be had that has benefits for each party. But because of the inherent imbalance of power and air of subjectivity present in the world, the potential for exploitation is always on the threshold.

The goal of fair-trade is to find a compromise of values. Each party wants to be recognized for the values they bring to the table, which in the world is seen as commendable, but when viewed as an allegory for faith we soon see that God did not design faith to work that way.

Spiritually speaking, when both parties desire to be recognized for what they bring to the table, faith is brought down to the level of fair-trade. The result is that faith then reflects man and not Christ. God said of no other: “This is My beloved son in whom I’m well pleased.”

So then, regardless of the sincerity by which you’d like to offer God of yourself if your faith works by fair-trade, it falls short of God’s expectations. This is a substantial problem if your goal is to please God. Faith is exploited when it is turned away from the equity of Christ’s covenant provisions for equal exchange and directed towards building for self.

Bringing your talents, works and good intentions to the table is to place God’s promise in the flesh, which is then outsourced to the natural man’s aspiration, principle, and imagination to accomplish. That witness suggests that we will find completion and fulfillment if we consent to build with knowledge (perspective of man) removed from His grace. But that is a false bridge. If the will of man yields to this temptation in want of gain or obligation, the will, in ignorance of false knowledge, becomes weakened and bruised and kept in spiritual bondage.

God assigns the element of righteousness its value through the standard and expectation He set in Jesus Christ, therefore the Spirit does not recognize the building blocks of one’s own soul as worthy barter for grace. Faith is made living and empowered because of its tether to His throne. But the foundation of the soul draws from Adam’s transgression instinctually as the carnal man does.

Except if the fullness of Christ in His knowledge, covenant, and tools is the cover for the soul, we are instinctually inclined to try to relate to God based on our intimacy with ourselves. (For further reading on the place value and meaning of the element of righteousness, please see Chief Apostle Eric’s article in the “Covenant Restored” series called “Four Steps to Covenant Faith”)

God defines the responsibility of holiness as the act on our part to separate ourselves from the world unto God, and this is why He gives us the stewardship, knowledge, tools, and priesthood as a gift. Holiness shows God’s provision for faith to touch Jesus, thereby giving value to the new covenant. We touch Him who is holy by using His tools to receive His virtue, by which God establishes our innocence, and Jesus thus represents us before the Father.

We don’t see a trade in this. God is not taking our sins in exchange for His holiness. That is not an equal exchange. God gave us Jesus Christ to receive His virtue again to Himself. That is the equal exchange.

When believers try to engage God according to man’s perception of fair-trade (which is carnal thinking), they begin to think about what they can give Him; so concluding that the good works of their moral code and even their problems, fears, genuineness, gifts and skills can all be offered to God as a trade-off for Christ’s gift of salvation. This is a dangerous deception God is addressing to restore believers in His way. None of these manifestations profits the soul, as they are not the equal exchange of Christ the Father has provided for faith’s perfect expression, by which the heart reflects Him.

Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Now, let’s consider the kingdom of God for faith to be effectual. To speak about “equal exchange”, in God’s covenant terms and conditions, we must observe God’s provision in the Son. The blood of Jesus provided a new covenant and points of contact by which to approach God. He is saying, only My Son which I have gifted you; only He pleases Me.

By the instruction of God’s elect stewardship, and walking out of Jesus’ spiritual priesthood, we are seeing how reciprocation is a form of divine exchange with God, which prioritizes His covenant provision for faith, whereby the terms of exchange with God allows us to reciprocate to God in the unique way He reasons, and according to Christ being formed within us.

When we reciprocate the knowledge of Jesus Christ back to God as a part of our spiritual priestly duties, we’re giving back a gift that is equal to the token He gave us. Our choice to reciprocate Christ (through the spiritual priesthood) results in us carrying the testimony of life that replaces the testimony of death; the kingdom of darkness for the kingdom of light.

Thus, the system of sin is removed and can therefore no longer be part of faith’s expression. Though born into sin by our first birth, converted covenant believers are born again in Jesus Christ, born into His righteousness. By this new brand of faith, which covenant apostles teach and oversee through stewardship, God begins His work to heal and restore the soul to the likeness of Christ, by His grace and truth.

This is good news. By the instruction of the apostles’ doctrine, believers learn to understand how God uses the grace and truth of His kingdom to bring forward the promise of spiritual healing and fruit in His image. What is brought to the table is no longer of ourselves but Christ’s perfection, whereby our testimony changes as the operation of God strengthens and sustains what God promotes.

Where once the will was bruised, the Spirit works to heal the soul, using grace to strengthen and uphold it. The soul that once labored with false knowledge to find equity (which was a mere illusion), by the transition to covenant faith, learns new knowledge to find true equity with God. The false perception the mind gained while in the kingdom of darkness is thus daily circumcised to gain new perception in Christ, and as we labor with His truth the anointing grants pure discernment.

As each believer converted to covenant lays down the tokens of the flesh, the Spirit works this spiritual healing in confirmation of Christ within, removing the power from the hands of the deceiver unto the virtue of Christ within His knowledge, tools, and the superior power of His kingdom. Therein, Satan cannot enter in to exploit faith with the nature of man whereby to defile it.