Chapter 7, Paragraph 1: Summary
This paragraph introduces the concept of God’s covenant with humanity, teaching that the distance between God and His creatures is so great that humans could never know or enjoy God without His initiative. God, in His grace, chose to reveal Himself and enter into a covenant relationship with humanity. This covenant is the means by which God condescends to make Himself known and relate to people, offering them the blessing of life and communion with Him.
The paragraph emphasizes that this relationship is entirely God’s initiative, not something humans could achieve or deserve. It is an expression of God’s goodness and grace, highlighting His willingness to bridge the gap between His holiness and humanity’s finite and fallen nature.
Historical Context
This teaching reflects the Reformation emphasis on God’s sovereign grace and initiative in salvation. During the 17th century, the covenant concept became central in Reformed theology, distinguishing it from other traditions that emphasized human effort or merit. The Westminster Divines sought to articulate how God relates to humanity, emphasizing His grace in making a relationship with Him possible.
Key Biblical References
- Isaiah 55:8-9: God’s ways and thoughts are higher than human ways, emphasizing the gap between God and humanity.
- Psalm 113:5-6: God humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth, reflecting His condescension.
- Hosea 6:7: Reference to Adam breaking the covenant, implying the existence of a covenant relationship.
- Hebrews 8:6-13: The new covenant established by Christ demonstrates God’s gracious initiative to relate to humanity.
- Romans 3:23-24: All have sinned, but justification comes freely by God’s grace.
Summary
Chapter 7, paragraph 1 teaches that God, in His grace, condescended to enter into a covenant relationship with humanity because of the vast gap between His holiness and human finiteness. This covenant is the means by which God reveals Himself and offers life and communion with Him. It highlights God’s initiative and grace, making it clear that this relationship is a gift of His goodness, not something humanity can achieve on its own.
Chapter 7, Paragraph 2: Summary
This paragraph explains the nature of God’s covenant with humanity, focusing on the covenant of works made with Adam before the fall. In this covenant, God promised life and fellowship to Adam and his descendants on the condition of perfect obedience to His law. If Adam had obeyed, he and his descendants would have enjoyed eternal life. However, failure to obey would result in death, as seen in God’s warning regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The covenant of works reflects God’s justice and holiness, requiring obedience for life. Adam, as the representative of humanity, failed to fulfill the terms of the covenant, bringing sin and death into the world.
Historical Context
The covenant of works was a central concept in Reformed theology, highlighting the distinction between God’s dealings with humanity before and after the fall. This doctrine counters the idea that humans could merit salvation on their own after the fall. The Reformers emphasized that the covenant of works revealed humanity’s inability to achieve righteousness apart from God’s grace, setting the stage for the necessity of the covenant of grace in Christ.
Key Biblical References
- Genesis 2:16-17: God commands Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, with the penalty of death for disobedience.
- Romans 5:12-19: Through Adam’s disobedience, sin and death entered the world, affecting all his descendants.
- Hosea 6:7: Adam is described as breaking the covenant, affirming the covenantal relationship.
- Galatians 3:10-12: The law requires perfect obedience for life, but no one can achieve it due to sin.
Summary
Chapter 7, paragraph 2 teaches that God established a covenant of works with Adam, promising life and fellowship in return for perfect obedience. Adam’s failure to keep the covenant brought sin and death upon humanity. This covenant reveals God’s justice and humanity’s inability to attain righteousness, preparing the way for the covenant of grace through Jesus Christ.
Chapter 7, Paragraph 3: Summary
This paragraph introduces the covenant of grace, God’s response to humanity’s failure in the covenant of works. After the fall, God mercifully established the covenant of grace to provide salvation for sinners. In this covenant, God freely offers eternal life and salvation through Jesus Christ, the mediator. Unlike the covenant of works, which depended on human obedience, the covenant of grace is based entirely on God’s grace and is received by faith.
This covenant is the means by which God restores fallen humanity to fellowship with Him, offering forgiveness and righteousness through Christ. It highlights God’s mercy in providing a way of salvation that sinners could never achieve on their own.
Historical Context
The doctrine of the covenant of grace was central to Reformed theology, emphasizing salvation by grace alone (sola gratia). During the Reformation, this teaching opposed Roman Catholic views that mixed grace with human merit. The covenant of grace underscores God’s initiative in salvation, affirming that redemption is a free gift accomplished through Christ and not dependent on human effort.
Key Biblical References
- Genesis 3:15: The first promise of the gospel, where God declares that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head.
- Ephesians 2:8-9: Salvation is a gift of grace through faith, not of works.
- Hebrews 8:6-13: The new covenant, established by Christ, is a covenant of grace that brings forgiveness and eternal life.
- John 3:16: God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, offering salvation through faith in Him.
- Romans 5:15-21: The grace of God and the gift of righteousness come through Jesus Christ, contrasting Adam’s failure with Christ’s obedience.
Summary
Chapter 7, paragraph 3 teaches that, after humanity’s failure under the covenant of works, God graciously established the covenant of grace, offering salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ. This covenant is based entirely on God’s mercy and is received by faith, highlighting the free and unmerited nature of salvation. The covenant of grace demonstrates God’s commitment to redeem His people and restore them to fellowship with Him.
Chapter 7, Paragraph 4: Summary
This paragraph explains that the covenant of grace was revealed gradually over time, starting with God’s promise to Adam after the fall and unfolding throughout history. Although the full understanding of the covenant was not made clear until Christ’s coming, it was revealed in stages through promises, prophecies, sacrifices, and other means. These pointed forward to Jesus Christ, the mediator of the covenant, who would accomplish salvation for God’s people.
The paragraph emphasizes that the covenant of grace has always been the only way of salvation for humanity, both before and after Christ. The Old Testament saints were saved by faith in the promises of God concerning the coming Messiah, just as New Testament believers are saved by faith in the finished work of Christ.
Historical Context
This doctrine was central to Reformed theology, affirming the unity of God’s plan of salvation throughout history. It counters the idea that there were separate ways of salvation for Old Testament and New Testament believers. The Reformers emphasized that the covenant of grace spans all of redemptive history, with Christ as its center. They also highlighted the progressive nature of revelation, culminating in the gospel.
Key Biblical References
- Genesis 3:15: The first promise of salvation through the seed of the woman, pointing to Christ.
- Genesis 15:6: Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, showing salvation by faith.
- Hebrews 1:1-2: God spoke in many ways in the past but fully revealed Himself through Christ.
- Acts 10:43: All the prophets testify about Christ, affirming the unity of the covenant of grace.
- Hebrews 11: Old Testament saints lived by faith in God’s promises, anticipating Christ’s work.
Summary
Chapter 7, paragraph 4 teaches that the covenant of grace was revealed progressively throughout history, starting with God’s promise to Adam and culminating in Christ. Salvation has always been through faith in God’s promises, with the Old Testament pointing forward to Christ and the New Testament proclaiming His finished work. This doctrine highlights the unity of God’s redemptive plan and the central role of Christ as the mediator of salvation.
Chapter 7, Paragraph 5: Summary
This paragraph teaches that Christ is the mediator of the covenant of grace. It emphasizes that the covenant is fully accomplished through Christ’s person and work. By His obedience, suffering, and death, Christ fulfilled all the conditions of the covenant on behalf of His people. As the mediator, He guarantees all the covenant’s blessings, including forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and reconciliation with God.
The paragraph highlights that the covenant of grace is based entirely on God’s mercy, not on human merit. It assures believers that their salvation is secure because it depends on Christ’s finished work, not their own efforts or righteousness.
Historical Context
The emphasis on Christ as the mediator reflects the Reformation’s focus on the sufficiency of Christ’s work for salvation. This doctrine opposed the Roman Catholic teaching that human works or the mediation of priests contributed to salvation. By affirming that Christ alone fulfills the covenant’s conditions, the Reformers upheld the doctrines of sola gratia (grace alone) and solus Christus (Christ alone) as central to the gospel.
Key Biblical References
- 1 Timothy 2:5: There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 9:15: Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, securing redemption for those who are called.
- Hebrews 8:6: Christ mediates a better covenant, established on better promises.
- Romans 5:19: Through Christ’s obedience, many are made righteous.
- John 14:6: Jesus declares that He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Summary
Chapter 7, paragraph 5 teaches that Christ is the mediator of the covenant of grace, fulfilling all its conditions and securing its blessings for His people. Through His obedience, suffering, and death, Christ accomplished salvation, ensuring that believers receive forgiveness and eternal life. This doctrine affirms the sufficiency of Christ’s work and the security of salvation for all who trust in Him.
Chapter 7, Paragraph 6 (American Revision): Summary
This paragraph teaches that under the gospel, the covenant of grace does not eliminate the obligation to obey God’s moral law. While believers are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone and not by their works, they are still called to live in obedience to God’s commandments as an expression of gratitude and love. This obedience is not a condition for salvation but a response to the grace received through Christ.
The paragraph emphasizes the continuity of God’s moral law across all administrations of the covenant, affirming that the law remains a guide for Christian living. Believers obey not to earn salvation but because they are already saved and desire to glorify God.
Historical Context
This addition reflects the American church’s emphasis on the practical application of covenant theology. In 18th- and 19th-century America, there was concern about antinomianism (the rejection of moral law) among some Christians. This paragraph was included to affirm that, under the covenant of grace, obedience to God’s law remains necessary—not as a means of salvation but as evidence of genuine faith and sanctification.
Key Biblical References
- Romans 6:1-2: Paul rejects the idea that grace permits continued sin, affirming the call to live righteously.
- John 14:15: Jesus teaches that those who love Him will keep His commandments.
- Romans 3:31: Paul asserts that faith does not nullify the law but upholds it.
- Ephesians 2:8-10: Believers are saved by grace through faith for good works, prepared by God for them to walk in.
- 1 John 2:3-6: Obedience to God’s commandments is evidence of knowing Him.
Summary
Chapter 7, paragraph 6 (American Revision) teaches that the covenant of grace, while securing salvation by faith alone, does not nullify the obligation to obey God’s moral law. Instead, obedience is the believer’s grateful response to God’s grace and a reflection of their desire to glorify Him. This addition addresses concerns about antinomianism, affirming that obedience remains vital to Christian living, not as a basis for salvation but as evidence of sanctification.
Covenant Presbyterian Church 