God’s Covenant of Grace

The distance between God and the creature is so great that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience to him as their creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of life except by some voluntary condescension on God’s part. He has been pleased to express this by way of covenant.¹

The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam and in him to his posterity, upon the condition of perfect and personal obedience.²

Moreover, man having brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace.³ In this, he freely offers life and salvation to sinners by Jesus Christ. He requires of them faith in him that they may be saved.⁴ He promises to give his Holy Spirit to all those who are ordained to eternal life to make them willing and able to believe.⁵

This covenant is revealed in the gospel, first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman⁶ and afterward by further steps until the full discovery of it was completed in the New Testament.⁷ This salvation is founded in the eternal covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect.⁸ It is by the grace of this covenant alone that any descendants of fallen Adam who are saved have obtained life and blessed immortality. For man is now utterly incapable of acceptance with God upon those terms on which Adam stood in his state of innocence.⁹

1. Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” Job 35:7–8 If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself, and your righteousness a son of man. ↩︎
2. Genesis 2:16–17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” ↩︎
3. Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Galatians 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Romans 3:20–21 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it. ↩︎
4. Romans 8:3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. Romans 10:9–10 Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ↩︎
5. Ezekiel 36:26–27 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. John 6:44–45 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, “And they will all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Psalm 110:4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” ↩︎
6. Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” ↩︎
7. Hebrews 1:1–2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ↩︎
8. Psalm 2:7–8 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 Timothy 1:8–9 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began. ↩︎
9. Hebrews 11:6, 13 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him…These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Romans 4:1–8 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. ↩︎