November 19, 2008

It has been a privilege to walk through the covenants of
promise with you these past six Sundays. Seeing God’s
eternal plan of redemption come to pass in history, culminating
in the arrival of Jesus Christ our Savior, brings great
wonder, awe, joy, and confidence into my heart – and I
hope in your hearts as well. Covenant theology is probably
something new to many of you, and my prayer all along has
been that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will grow in
your understanding of the unity of Scripture, the faithfulness
of God, and the glory of our Redeemer. I want to
share with you a piece by Ligon Duncan, my former pastor
at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS, in hopes that
another voice will help explain some of the riches of this
theological feast. May God cause our hearts to overflow
with thanksgiving for all His blessings, but especially His
covenant grace!

“Covenant theology is the gospel set in the context of
God’s eternal plan of communion with His people, and its
historical outworking in the covenants of works and grace
(as well as in the various progressive stages of the covenant
of grace). Covenant theology explains the meaning of the
death of Christ in light of the fullness of the biblical teaching
on the divine covenants, undergirds our understanding
of the nature and use of the sacraments, and provides the
fullest possible explanation of the grounds of our assurance.

“To put it another way, covenant theology is the Bible’s
way of explaining and deepening our understanding of: (1)
the atonement [the meaning of Christ’s death]; (2) assurance
[the basis of our confidence of communion with God
and enjoyment of His promises]; (3) the sacraments [signs
and seals of God’s covenant promises – what they are and
how they work]; and (4) the continuity of redemptive history
[the unified plan of God’s salvation]. Covenant theology
is also an hermeneutic, an approach to understanding
the Scripture – an approach that attempts to biblically explain
the unity of biblical revelation.

“When Jesus wanted to explain the significance of His
death to His disciples, He went to the doctrine of the
covenants (see Matt. 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, I Cor. 11).
When God wanted to assure Abraham of the certainty of
His word of promise, He went to the covenant (Gen. 12, 15,
and 17). When God wanted to set apart His people, ingrain
His word in their minds, tangibly reveal Himself in love and
mercy, and confirm their future inheritance, He gave the
covenant signs (Gen. 17, Exo. 12, 17, and 31, Matt. 28, Acts
2, Luke 22). When Luke wanted to show early Christians
that Jesus’ life and ministry were the fulfillment of God’s ancient
purposes for His chosen people, He went to the covenants
and quoted Zacharias’ prophecy which shows that
believers in the very earliest days of ‘the Jesus movement’
understood Jesus and His messianic work as a fulfillment
(not a ‘plan B’) of God’s covenant with Abraham (Luke 1:72-
73). When the Psalmist and the author of Hebrews wanted
to show how God’s redemptive plan is ordered and on what
basis it unfolds in history, they went to the covenants (see
Psalm 78, 79, Hebrews 6-10).

“‘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. I am persuaded that most of
the mistakes which men make concerning the doctrines of
Scripture, are based upon fundamental errors with regard to
the covenant of law and of grace. May God grant us now the
power to instruct, and you the grace to receive instruction
on this vital subject.’ Who said this? C. H. Spurgeon – the
great English Baptist preacher! Certainly a man beyond our
suspicion of secretly purveying a Presbyterian view of the
sacraments to the unsuspecting evangelical masses.

“Covenant theology flows from the Trinitarian life and
work of God. God’s covenant communion with us is modeled
on and a reflection of the intra-trinitarian relationships.
The shared life, the fellowship of the persons of the Holy
Trinity, what theologians call perichoresis or circumincessio, is
the archetype of the relationship the covenant God shares
with His elect and redeemed people. God’s commitments in
the eternal covenant of redemption find space-time realization
in the covenant of grace.”

Caleb