Covenant Theology
The Rev. Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
The word “covenant” is used so frequently in the evangelical church that the assumption is that every believer would know what the word means. Many churches even use “covenant” in their name. In searching for a church home, those of the reformed perspective look for a local church that teaches the biblical description of covenant. As God revealed His dealings with Abraham, we find the word covenant used repeatedly. Genesis 15 and Genesis 17 reveal God’s covenant made with Abraham and his seed. In 2 Samual 7, we find the record of God’s covenantal promise to David of establishing His everlasting Kingdom with these words, “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever”. In faithfulness to His covenantal promise, Jesus declared, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). Hebrews 1:5 records God’s announcement of the coronation of the King of kings and Lord of lords, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.”
The Westminster Confession of Faith states that “the distance between God and Man is so great that God initiated covenants to establish the requirements for a relationship with Him” (WCOF 7.1). Notice that a covenant is God’s means to establish the requirements to have a relationship with Him. It is not the relationship itself!
The Bible reveals two major covenants that God made with Man. Both are revealed in Genesis. The first is called the Covenant of Works, recorded in Genesis 2:17. God promised life to Adam if he obeyed God’s command. The consequence for disobeying God was death. The second is called the Covenant of Grace. It is first revealed in Genesis 3:15. In the Covenant of Grace, God promised to crush the head of Satan through the “seed” of the Woman. Not only is this the first revelation of the Covenant of Grace, but it is also the first prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God declared that Jesus, born of a virgin, would deal a mortal blow to Satan. This was accomplished on the Cross. Jesus defeated Satan and won the victory over death, confirmed by His resurrection (Hebrews 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
There are many other covenants in Scripture, for example, God’s covenants with Noah, Abram, David, and Israel in the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. Yet all of these are part of the Covenant of Grace. It is within the context of what is called Covenant Theology that the gospel is set and understood.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “The doctrine of the covenant lies at the root of all true theology. It has been said that he who well understands the distinction between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, is a Master of Divinity.”
The Bible also speaks of another covenant, one not made with Man. This covenant was made within the Godhead, the Trinity. It was made in eternity. It is called the Covenant of Redemption (John 3:16; Hebrews 13:20-21). This covenant was made between God the Father and God the Son. The essence of the Covenant of Redemption is that the Son agreed to lay down His life in accordance with the Father’s will to accomplish redemption. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19-20; Revelation 5:6).
Mentioned previously, one of God’s clearest promises was made in Genesis 17:7. “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” God promised to be God to Abram and to the seed of Abram who is declared by the Apostle Paul to be Christ (Galatians 3:16). This is God’s promise and Jesus is the seed through whom God fulfilled His Promise. The final fulfillment of God’s promise is yet to come. Revelation 21:3 says, “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’”
God is always faithful to His Word. God has declared that He will accomplish all that He has promised. The Apostle Paul wrote, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Christians are secure not because of our faithfulness but only because of the faithfulness of our Covenant God.
