AC 1038 - A "Covenant" Is

AC 1038 [1,4]

That a "covenant" is
the presence of the Lord in love and charity,
is evident from the nature of a covenant.
Every covenant is for the sake of conjunction,
that is,
for the sake of living in mutual friendship, or love.
Marriage also is for this reason called a covenant.
There is no conjunction of the Lord with a person
except in love and charity;
for the Lord is love and mercy itself.
He wills to save everyone
and to draw him with mighty power to heaven,
that is, to Himself.
From this everyone may know and conclude
that no one can ever be conjoined with the Lord
except through that which He Himself is,
that is, except by becoming like
or making one with Him --
in other words,
by loving the Lord in return
and loving the neighbor as himself.
By this alone is the conjunction effected.
. . . When there is conjunction from this,
it then follows manifestly that the Lord is present.
There is indeed the very presence of the Lord
with every person,
but it is nearer or more remote
exactly according to the approach to love
or the distance from love.

Jehovah thy God, He is God;
the faithful God,
who keeps covenant and mercy
with them that love Him
and keep His commandments,
to the thousandth generation.
(Deuteronomy 7:9, 12)