"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." - Genesis 3:15

What is Covenant Theology?

When we speak of Reformed Theology we cannot avoid Covenant theology, for it is the theological framework which binds the Old Testament and the New Testament, it binds the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Covenant theology helps us to truly understand the depths of our salvation, the deep love of our saviour, the sovereignty of God and the role of the trinity in our salvation.

The Three Pivotal Covenants

1. Covenant of Redemption - The Eternal Plan Before Time Began

"In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began"- Titus 1:2

This covenant exists within the Godhead - the Trinity where the plan of human redemption was established before the creation of the world. Here, we see:

  • God the Father: Creates and initiates the redemption plan
  • God the Son: Commits to redeeming humanity
  • God the Holy Spirit: Sustains and applies the plan of salvation

God in his omniscience knew that Adam will fall in sin, he knew that mankind will have no hope for salvation whatsoever.

2. Covenant of Works

In the Garden of Eden, God made an initial covenant with Adam: perfect obedience would result in life and blessing, while disobedience will result in death. Adam disobeyed thus bringing sin and death. This alienation was so great that there was no means left to man, who was now dead in sin, that by which he could be reconciled with a HOLY God who hates sin. It was the fall that necessitated the Covenant of Grace.

3. Covenant of Grace

It was God in his goodness who displayed his compassion to our fallen parents where he covered their nakedness even when they had disobeyed him. God the Father laid out the Covenant of Grace to them that they may reconcile with God, not by their obedience since they were now incapable.

We read through Genesis 3 wherein God promises a new covenant wherein he says, "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.”" - Genesis 3:15

God promises a messiah who will have an eventual victory over sin, this Messiah is no other than Jesus Christ, thus God establishes the Covenant of Grace. For it was the fall that necessitated the Covenant of Grace.

This covenant offers salvation despite humanity's inability to meet God's perfect standard. It's a testament to God's mercy and love.

The Progression of Redemption

Old Testament Preparation

God prepared the Old Testament believers for the eventual completion of the Covenant of Grace in Christ where he set apart the people of Israel and gave them laws to abide.

The Old Testament reveals God's progressive plan:

  • Moral Law: Reveals God's will
  • Ceremonial Law: Demonstrates the necessity of blood sacrifice
  • Civil Law: Sets apart Israel as God's chosen people

The Old Testament believers although lived in continuity of the redemptive plan yet were not fully aware of the redemption plan, for they were in essence hidden from the complete redemption plan which the New Testament Saints are privileged to know.

A critical question now arises: How were Old Testament saints saved if they never knew Christ?

ANSWER: They were saved exactly like New Testament believers - by faith in Christ. The sacrifice of the animals could not take away their sins, Nothing they did or could do would satisfy the perfect standard of God. The sacrificial system was at best a symbolic representation, pointing forward to Christ's ultimate sacrifice. Thus, it was necessary that they would look ahead at the redemption plan in faith that the one who would take away their sins would satisfy the righteous requirements of God.

Old Testament believers were saved by faith in God and His promised Messiah, but the sacrificial system was the means God provided for them to symbolically fulfil the covenant’s requirement until Christ could accomplish it definitively. The New Testament believers no longer need the external sacrifices because Christ’s perfect offering has already satisfied the divine justice once and for all.

One thing to note here is that the Old Covenant was progressively exposed to the people of Israel. The Trinity for example while being conducive by the bible, it was not made apparent to the Old Testament believers. Thus all of the old covenant is as if a setting of stage for the complete picture of the revelation of God for our salvation (His revealed will). The keyword here is "In the Fullness of Time", as in the fullness of time God revealed Christ, who would take away our sins once and for all.

Christ: The Fulfilment of Covenants

"But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all" - Isaiah 53:5-6

Jesus Christ as the last Adam, perfectly fulfils the Covenant of Works through his perfect obedience, his sacrificial death and his resurrection.

For he takes up our frame, lives a life in complete obedience to God, takes up our sins as if it were his own on the cross where God the Father lays on him the punishment reserved for us so that we may be reconciled with God, that we may be part of the kingdom through adoption, that we may be justified through his death.

Not that we are left in our sinful estate, rather God the Father ensures that we are made in the likeness of His Son through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit until one day we are finally glorified in the presence of God.

In Christ, the Covenant of Work and the Covenant of Grace are both fulfilled

In the fullness of time, Christ became what Adam could not:

  • The perfect sacrifice
  • The propitiation for sins
  • The means of adoption into God's family

When God the Father now sees believers, He sees Christ - wrapped in imputed righteousness.

TLDR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Covenant Theology explains how:

  • God's redemptive plan was established before time began
  • God makes the covenant of works with Adam
  • Adam fails, humanity in him
  • The covenant of Grace is established wherein the future saviour is expected
  • God ordains laws (civil, moral and ceremonial) to the Old Testament believers in preparation for the saviour to come
  • Christ comes and fulfils the Covenant of Works
  • The new covenant is now established bringing fulfilment to the covenant of grace and Salvation is offered to all who believe

Adam's failure necessitated the Covenant of Grace, and Christ’s obedience fulfils the original covenant and offering redemption to all who believe. Our salvation is possible because Christ fulfilled the Covenant of Works, meeting its requirements through His obedience. The Covenant of Grace offers salvation to those who believe, based on Christ's fulfilment of the Covenant of Works and God's promises of redemption. In Christ, both the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace are fulfilled.

This is the Gospel then, man was promised life if he kept the law, but he didn't thus Christ had become what Adam in his sinful estate couldn't, for Christ was the propitiation for our sins which he took upon himself, just for the unjust, on him was laid our iniquities that we may now be part of the family through adoption in Christ. Now when God the Father sees us, He sees Christ, wrapped in righteousness that is imputed to us through Christ's perfect sinless and God-glorying life.

Theological Reflection

As the saying goes, "High theology produces high doxology", Covenant Theology lays down the framework where we see the sovereignty and the wisdom of God at full display, it makes us see our utter depravity and look unto him in thanksgiving for the glory of God.

For if studying theology does not produce thanksgiving then our efforts to study are in vain, May then our hearts be tuned to sing his praise as we grow in our understanding of God.