Sunday Postscript - The Covenant of Life

I am a little behind on posting Sunday’s Postscript so here it is.  The text was Genesis 2:16,17 and the theme was “The Covenant of Life”.  

A Covenant is basically an agreement between two parties with stipulated obligations and conditions as well as rewards for keeping the Covenant and penalties for breaking it.  Covenants are a part of everyday life.  A Peace treaty between two nations is a type of Covenant.  A business contract is a Covenant.  When you become a member of our church, the vows you give assent is called a Covenant of Communicant Church Membership.  Even marriage is a form of Covenant.  When you vow to love your wife or husband “for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do us part” – that is a Covenant and this Covenant becomes the basis then for your marriage relationship.  Blessings if you keep it and consequences if you don’t.

There are several Covenants in Scripture of various sorts.  Covenants between Men (Gen. 21:23-24; Malachi 2:14) and Covenants that Men make with God as a response to God’s faithfulness (Joshua 24:15,25; Nehemiah 9:38).  These types of Covenants are not commanded – i.e. God does not tell us we have to make a Covenant with others or even with Him.  Certainly though, there are many blessings and benefits in covenanting.  And if you make a Covenant, it is legally binding, so be sure to let your “yea be yea” and your “nay, nay”.  

But there are also Covenants that God makes with Man (God institutes them).  These are different than the others for several reasons.  They are not Covenants between equals, God sets the terms and conditions, the Covenants God makes are everlasting, God is always faithful to His Covenants, God’s Covenants build upon one another, All of God’s Covenants are ultimately fulfilled in Christ.  Here are the Biblical Covenants:  With Adam (a.k.a The Covenant of Life/Works – Gen. 2:16,17); With Noah (Gen. 9:9-17); With Abraham (Gen. 15:18; Gen. 17); With Moses (on behalf of Israel – Ex. 19:5,6; Ex. 20); With David (2 Sam. 7:8-16); and the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31ff; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; Hebrews 8 & 9).  There is also one other Covenant Category and that is the inter-Trinitarian Covenant (i.e. Between God the Father and God the Son) often referred to as the Covenant of Redemption.  When Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane “Not what I will, but what you will” (Mark. 14:36) – He is committing Himself to the Covenant terms.  But our focus will be on the Covenant of Life – God’s Covenant with Adam in the Garden.

The parties in the Covenant of Life were God and Adam.  But Adam was not entering just on his own behalf – as the Head of the Household he also represented Eve.  As the Father of all humanity – he also represented all of humanity in the Covenant (called Federal Headship).  Adam was our and all of humanity’s representative – as Adam acted so did we.  The Apostle Paul refers to this Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.  When Adam fell, as our representative, we all fell with him and we all bear the effects and guilt of his sin.

The terms and conditions of the Covenant of Life involved the command of God (Gen. 2:16,17) not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Now a command implies a Law and truly this was the first revelation of God’s Moral Law; simply it was obey God in all things.  The Moral Law was later expanded by God via Moses in the 10 Commandments and then these were later summarized by Jesus in the 2 Great Love commands: Matthew 22:37-39 And He said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  But essentially it is the same Moral Law as was first given to Adam – Obey God in all things.

So God revealed to Adam His Moral Law – it was simple and straightforward and Adam even had the free will to carry it out.  And what was he to carry out – the Condition of God’s Covenant was Perfect Obedience to the Law.  Perfect Obedience meant, again, to Obey God in All things.  And with his Free Will – perfect obedience was certainly possible.  If Adam obeyed God he would receive the promises that God made.  But if he disobeyed God, he would receive the penalty and consequences.

The promise in the Covenant of Life was of course – Life.  If Adam obeyed, he would live.  The penalty however was death and this immediate death (note “for in the day” vs. 17).  But we know that Adam did not immediately die physically when he disobeyed God.  Through God’s grace; God spared immediate physical death – though there was a certainty that it would come in time (see Gen. 5 “begat … and he died … and he died … and he died … etc. etc.”).    Though Adam did not immediately die physically at the moment of disobedience – he did die spiritually (Ephesians 2:1,5).  Spiritual death means: separation for the presence of God’s goodness and love; a will that is now in bondage to sin and unable to choose any good thing (Romans 3:10ff); no way to please God (Hebrews 11:6); the certainty of enduring the wrath and curse of God for eternity(Galatians 3:10; Romans 2:8-9).  

This is God’s Covenant of Life: Obey and Live, Disobey and Die.  We know from Gen. 3 that Adam, indeed, did disobey and by his sin plunged not only himself and Eve but all of humanity after him into a state of sin and guilt. Paul in Romans 5 makes this very clear and emphasizes it over and over again: 12 therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned … 15  For if by the one man's offense many died … 16  For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation … 17   For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one … 18  Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation …19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners”

We are breakers of God’s Covenant because our father and representative Adam failed and disobeyed God. So this means that the penalty for breaking the Covenant of God is imputed and transferred to us.  In Adam we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, so we are all deserving of the wages of this sin which is death. How can we escape such a sure and certain judgment?  Can we keep the Moral Law of God and fulfill its obligations?  No – because none of us are able to keep God’s Law perfectly (James 2:10).  We can’t save ourselves by keeping the Moral Law – we are unable because our wills are bound to do that which is sinful – we can not choose any good thing (Ro 3:11-12). So what are we to do?  Where is our hope?  How can the curse and wrath of God upon us because of Adam’s Covenant breaking be avoided?  How can we escape it? Brothers and sisters there is no way of escape …… save One … we need a second Representative, a second Adam – One who will keep the Covenant obligations perfectly, One who will say to God even in a Garden, “Not what I will, but what You will” (Mk. 14:36).

Jesus Christ is that Man.  He alone is the Covenant Keeper.  Look how Paul now contrasts the first Adam with the Second Adam, Jesus Christ Romans 5:15-21  15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.  16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned … but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.  17 For … those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ)  18 … even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life …  19 by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.  20 …But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,  21 …even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus Christ is the Second Adam – He alone kept the law of God perfectly – tempted in all ways that we are, yet without sin.  He accomplished for us what Adam failed to do and what we are unable to do.  He secured for us peace with God and eternal life. Friends, on that Last Great Day when we all stand before the judgment seat of God – The Covenant of Life will be God’s Standard of Measure – how will He find you?  There are only two possible options:  You will either be In Adam, as a disobedient Covenant breaker awaiting God’s wrath or you will, by the Grace and mercy of God, be found In Christ Jesus, who alone is the perfectly obedient Covenant Keeper.  Truly may God shed His amazing grace on you that you might be found in Jesus Christ, His Son on that Day– for the Glory of Christ alone, Amen.